Jump to content

Canuck Woes...0-7 start.


Brewin Flames

Recommended Posts

‘If they want to throw their s–t on the ice, that’s up to them.’ Canucks’ J.T. Miller reacts to fans throwing jerseys

 

Canucks fans booed and threw jerseys on the ice following the team's home-opener loss on Saturday.

 

 

USATSI_18117679-1.jpg
J.T. Miller (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)

Will the Vancouver Canucks’ despair ever bottom out? Every day so far in this nightmarish season, it’s another embarrassing loss, another blown lead, another demoralizing comment from a star player.

 

The latest came from center J.T. Miller Monday when asked for his reaction to the team’s home-opener loss to the Buffalo Sabres over the weekend. After a disastrous 0-3-2 road trip to start their 2022-23 season, the Canucks returned to Rogers Arena to battle a Buffalo Sabres team playing its third leg of a Western road trip.

 

The Canucks ate a 5-1 beating, falling to 0-4-2 on the season. The home crowd booed the Canucks off the ice, and some disgusted fans resorted to throwing jerseys on the ice.

 

Miller commented on the jersey throwing Monday following the team’s morning skate leading up to its game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

 

“If they want to throw their **** on the ice it’s up to them…” Miller told reporters. “If they want to come to the game, spend all that money and throw their gear on the ice that’s up to them.”

 

Miller, 29, has been a lightning rod for criticism around the team early this season after he signed a seven-year, $56 million extension with an $8 million AAV in the summer following a career year in which he had 99 points. The deal doesn’t commence until next season. Miller, who has two goals and three points through six games, has been on the ice for 14 goals against versus four goals for this season and has been openly critical of his own play.

 

“I’m not gonna sit here to talk about how we played when I can’t even lead by example right now” he said after the team’s first two losses earlier this month “…I just feel like I’m a little irrelevant. Being on the ice for every goal, I don’t know what to say.”

 

Canucks captain Bo Horvat has also expressed hopelessness over the team’s start, claiming after Saturday’s defeat that a win feels like it’s “never going to happen.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While starting with a 0-5-2 record is concerning, that's not the worst part (The Stars went 1-7-1 in 2019 before reaching the playoffs). The main problem is that the Canucks blew multigoal leads in six of these seven games and that an all-time NHL record.

 

It's quite head-scratching, knowing that they were really good from the time Boudreau took over the team.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Math said:

While starting with a 0-5-2 record is concerning, that's not the worst part (The Stars went 1-7-1 in 2019 before reaching the playoffs). The main problem is that the Canucks blew multigoal leads in six of these seven games and that an all-time NHL record.

 

It's quite head-scratching, knowing that they were really good from the time Boudreau took over the team.

 

I've been following these 'Nucks pretty well over the last three seasons or so.

While I feel they shouldn't be winless, IMO, it is NOT AT ALL head scratching why: They are too easy to play against.
They have the offensive players, they should be highly motivated as Bruce Boudreau seems to let his players "be themselves" on the ice....or so, that is what players said and liked about him when he took over.
And they even have a pretty solid goalie in Thatcher Demko who has shown in the past he can absolutely steal games if need be.

But that defense....oh my....
I've said for a long time now that they are just too damned soft.
Outside of Luke Schenn, there really isn't a defensemen that seems to strike worry into opposing forwards with regards to being punished for entering the zone and making plays.
And even Schenn himself, a prolific hitter, isn't the fleetest of foot, so the better and faster forwards can usually work around him.

Teams come in too hot, too fast and overwhelm the Vancouver goal.....which is probably why we are seeing the team jump out to leads (that good offense), but have lots of trouble keeping those leads (the defense simply isn't stout enough).

I'm not sure there is an easy fix to this either.

The personnel that are there are geared more towards scoring goals and not really about locking games down when a lead is established.
Sure, one could always point to Demko himself and say, "Yea, but why doesn't he stop the puck?", and that would be valid, but fact is, he isn't getting a ton of help from his defense, often being left to face the brunt of the opposing attacks mostly on his own.

It's pretty obvious the players like playing for Coach Boudreau, and Boudreau's on ice philosophy has always leaned towards the offensive side of things with defense usually being just "ok" (just look at his past Capitals and Ducks teams), but this Vancouver bunch doesn't seem to be able to play even "ok" defense.

Gonna be hard to win in this league playing as they are, constructed as they are.
I don't have a possible answer.
These guys are supposed to be set to compete now...not in 3 or 4 years. They have highly paid, in their prime players and shouldn't be on the  hunt for a draft lottery position.

Yet there they are...winless, hapless, and right now, defenseless too!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Math said:

While starting with a 0-5-2 record is concerning, that's not the worst part (The Stars went 1-7-1 in 2019 before reaching the playoffs). The main problem is that the Canucks blew multigoal leads in six of these seven games and that an all-time NHL record.

 

It's quite head-scratching, knowing that they were really good from the time Boudreau took over the team.

 

I guess they aren't going to just let Arizona tank their way to Bedard with out a fight.

 

We'll see who tank game is the strongest.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

I've been following these 'Nucks pretty well over the last three seasons or so.

 

Some secrets you wanna share...? 😉

 

Thanks a lot for your input. You're right, not much weight and grit behind, and if your lone physical guy is not getting the job done, then you may have six healthy Hughes and nine Petterssons, that would be a good recipe for disaster. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've said the same before, and agree with @TropicalFruitGirl26: I like the forwards ability to score, but I don't like the defensive side of their game very much, and I think their blueline is really bad.

 

@OccamsRazorI'm sure that you're kidding much more than you're serious about it, but the Canucks definitely aren't tanking. They're trying to win, and have had multiple leads go up in smoke. They can't defend.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it me or did I just notice Mike Yeo next to Boudreau on the Nucks' bench...?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting anything related to their 0-7 start. Absolutely not :InnocentSmiley:

Edited by Math
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

@OccamsRazor What I said the day the Canucks traded for him:

 

image.png

 

The trade was so monumentally stupid that it just sometimes baffles me how these guys get (and keep) jobs as NHL managers. They traded Louie Eriksson's expiring boat anchor contract for Ekman-Larsson's boat anchor contract which had 6 years remaining. And now, only two seasons in, they're buying him out and will have him count against their salary cap for years and years. I go back to the process/results matrix:

 

image.png

 

Moves like this are firmly in the Bad Process/Bad Outcome portion of the chart, and the Canucks have been trapped there for years. As a fan of a team in the division, I can only hope that things remain the same in Vancouver. Their fans deserve better, but the team doesn't.

 

 

 

Edited by JR Ewing
  • Like 2
  • Good Post 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holmgren proposes a 4y/$20M deal for OEL to Briere.

 

"Fletch woulda done it."

 

:5a6425fa25331_VikingSkoool:

 

1 hour ago, JR Ewing said:

The trade was so monumentally stupid that it just sometimes baffles me how these guys get (and keep) jobs as NHL managers.

 

90 percent of the job is mental, the other half of it is physical.

 

:hocky:

Edited by radoran
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ekman-Larsson has final 4 years of contract bought out by Canucks

Defenseman had fewest points since rookie season in 2010-11, will become free agent July 1

NHL.com @NHLdotcom
 June 16, 2023
cut.jpg
 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the final four years of his contract bought out by the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

 

The 31-year-old defenseman will be able to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent July 1.

 

Ekman-Larsson signed an eight-year, $66 million contract ($8.25 million average annual value) with the Arizona Coyotes on July 1, 2018; he was traded to the Canucks on July 23, 2021.

 

"We would like to thank Oliver for the time he spent in Vancouver," Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. "The business of hockey is very complex and tough decisions have to be made if you want to remain competitive. Buying out Oliver gives us a lot more flexibility and cap space the next couple of years and significantly reduces his hit in the subsequent seasons. It is our expectation that following this year, the cap will also raise considerably making this the right time to execute this buyout.

 

"Our organization is committed to do whatever it needs to do to improve, get better on and off the ice and move forward in a positive direction."

 

NHL teams are permitted to buy out a player's contract to obtain a reduced salary cap hit over a period of twice the remaining length of contract. With $29 million remaining on Ekman-Larsson's contract, the buyout spans eight years, at a cost of $19,333,333 and a savings of $9,666,667. If the Canucks retained Ekman-Larsson, he would have been paid a total of $18.5 million over the next two years alone.

 

Ekman-Larsson had 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 54 games this season, his fewest since he had 11 points in his rookie season with the Coyotes in 2010-11. His 20:11 of ice time per game was also his lowest since 2010-11. In two seasons with the Canucks, he had 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 133 games.

 

Selected by the Coyotes in the first round (No. 6) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Ekman-Larsson has 439 points (135 goals, 304 assists) in 902 regular-season games for the Canucks and Coyotes, and eight points (two goals, six assists) in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

 

Ekman-Larsson was Coyotes captain for three seasons (2018-21).

 

Vancouver (38-37-7) finished sixth in the Pacific Division this season and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The entire hockey world knew that the Vancouver Canucks were stuck.  Vancouver was the only team in the league that had already exceeded the $83.5 million projected upper limit in contractual commitments for next season. And...to boot ....the Nucks still had RFAs left to sign.  

 

The buyout will instantly free up roughly $7.1 million in cap space this summer and $4.9 million for 2024-25. However, the savings taper off in future years, which is why a buyout only made sense if executed now. This flexibility will come at a significant cost, however, as OEL will have a dead cap hit on Vancouver’s books until 2031.  Ouch!

 

Here is the breakdown ......

 

The OEL buyout carries a cap hit of:
Year 1: 147K (7.1M savings)
Year 2: 2.35M (4.9M savings)
Year 3 & 4: 4.77M (2.5M savings)
Year 5-8: 2.13M cap hit and will also carry a small cap hit for 8 years.

 

In January, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said that the organization would look into buyouts if they were unable to move money. In that press conference, Rutherford mentioned how the club was pursuing a quick retool rather than a rebuild, and that the front office wouldn’t be able to turn the team around until they solved the cap situation to give themselves flexibility.

 

For reference, According to CapFriendly, Ekman-Larsson’s buyout is the sixth largest ever in terms of the salary Vancouver will owe .

image.png.1c4831cb61c71e3d0d8ccdd15d652478.png

 

In all fairness the Vincent Lecavalier, Rick DiPietro, Ilya Bryzgalov and Brad Richards buyouts were all compliance buyouts executed in 2013 and 2014, which means they did not have any impact on their respective teams’ salary cap situation.

 

I am by no means a Canucks fan, but I think they need a rebuild over a "re-tooling".

  • Good Post 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/17/2023 at 9:24 AM, pilldoc said:

The entire hockey world knew that the Vancouver Canucks were stuck.  Vancouver was the only team in the league that had already exceeded the $83.5 million projected upper limit in contractual commitments for next season. And...to boot ....the Nucks still had RFAs left to sign.  

 

The buyout will instantly free up roughly $7.1 million in cap space this summer and $4.9 million for 2024-25. However, the savings taper off in future years, which is why a buyout only made sense if executed now. This flexibility will come at a significant cost, however, as OEL will have a dead cap hit on Vancouver’s books until 2031.  Ouch!

 

Here is the breakdown ......

 

The OEL buyout carries a cap hit of:
Year 1: 147K (7.1M savings)
Year 2: 2.35M (4.9M savings)
Year 3 & 4: 4.77M (2.5M savings)
Year 5-8: 2.13M cap hit and will also carry a small cap hit for 8 years.

 

In January, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said that the organization would look into buyouts if they were unable to move money. In that press conference, Rutherford mentioned how the club was pursuing a quick retool rather than a rebuild, and that the front office wouldn’t be able to turn the team around until they solved the cap situation to give themselves flexibility.

 

For reference, According to CapFriendly, Ekman-Larsson’s buyout is the sixth largest ever in terms of the salary Vancouver will owe .

image.png.1c4831cb61c71e3d0d8ccdd15d652478.png

 

In all fairness the Vincent Lecavalier, Rick DiPietro, Ilya Bryzgalov and Brad Richards buyouts were all compliance buyouts executed in 2013 and 2014, which means they did not have any impact on their respective teams’ salary cap situation.

 

I am by no means a Canucks fan, but I think they need a rebuild over a "re-tooling".

I like how this screws over Arizona LOL

 

Arizona LOVES being the guys who will retain salary to get better deals or be middlemen. Problem is, you are only allowed retaining the salaries of 3 players. This buyout due to their retention will lock up 1 of their 3 retained salary slots for 8 years

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

I like how this screws over Arizona LOL

 

Arizona LOVES being the guys who will retain salary to get better deals or be middlemen. Problem is, you are only allowed retaining the salaries of 3 players. This buyout due to their retention will lock up 1 of their 3 retained salary slots for 8 years

Enter Philly.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...