Can you build a decent team from the scrap heap?
In a 2016/17 season few will remember fondly, Vancouver sits atop the league in one category: man games lost to injury.
Despite that, Vancouver has matched the 65 points they were predicted to finish with (assuming a healthy roster), with 13 games left to play. While battling a mumps epidemic and numerous injuries, the Canucks have stayed not-entirely-uncompetitive. They should be as bad as Colorado (who in turn should not be nearly as bad as they are.) They aren’t.
So why not? A combination of good fortune and scrap heap prowess.
Losing Erik Gudbranson, Alex Edler and Chris Tanev for long stretches hasn’t exactly benefited the blueline, but Troy Stecher and Nikita Tryamkin rounded into NHL form just in time to stabilize the ship. The Sedin twins have clearly begun to decline, but that coincides with Bo Horvat’s first dominant season.
Still, that’s not enough to tip the scales. Vancouver also lost Anton Rodin, Derek Dorsett, and even power play fixture Jayson Megna for long stretches. Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen were traded away.
To patch those holes, Vancouver’s management team has been scraping the barrel for viable alternatives. Brendan Gaunce stepped up; despite his low point totals, he hasn’t looked out of place on the third line or second line. Reid Boucher, a bargain bin waiver find, looks fairly dangerous with Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, one of the few “shoot first” players on the roster.
And now Drew Shore has arrived late in the season. Ineligible for the playoffs (terrible news, am I right?) Shore was signed to keep the team’s head above water after key injuries and the loss of Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen.
I mean, this team hasn’t been good, not even OK. And over the last five games or so, the team is showing signs of truly crumbling. Hard to blame anyone when they're forced to ice half an AHL roster. Just take a look at this.
Still, they haven’t imploded. Fans of other teams might call Vancouver’s depth garbage. But frankly, compared to a twisted pile of burning metal, the garbage will do. There’s no denying that they’ve done a lot with very little.
Does Shore have more in store?
Shore is an interesting pickup. Over the next month he’ll be given a great opportunity to show what he can do. He was drafted midway through the 2nd round in what turned out to be a very strong 2009 draft class. He’s big, he can skate, he can score, he plays a two-way game, and he’s put up quality numbers in every minor league he’s played in.
It’s interesting to read post-draft expectations; fans predicted almost certain NHL success for Shore, placing him somewhere between the second and third line. So what happened?
A cursory look at his history and commentary suggests he fell prey to the classic “tweener” gap, bouncing up and down from the AHL with Florida and Calgary.
That he played in Calgary actually benefited Vancouver. Apparently former Flames teammates Baertschi and Markus Granlund were big factors in his signing. Not hard to understand why, there are parallels: each clearly skilled, each a high pick, each unable to secure that elusive NHL roster spot.
Shore made it clear that factored into his decision:
“Obviously the Canucks have given a lot of opportunity to some guys and they’ve seized it, done really well, I just hope I can show them that I can be a part of their future and help them win hockey games.”
Does Shore play more than 14 games in an orca jersey? Does he have his “stuff”, or did he leave it on the plane from Switzerland?
We’ll probably find out. If any team has the luxury of giving him a quality look, it’s Vancouver. But in his first game he played on the wing for some reason. For crying in a bucket, play the big centre at centre!
Miller time no longer?
Iain MacIntyre reported on Monday that Ryan Miller is not long for Vancouver. That makes total sense and also I am terrified.
Miller is unlikely to return, MacIntyre reasons, because the Canucks won’t offer him more than a one-year contract. Plus, it hasn’t exactly been fun and relaxing season for the vet. MacIntyre could be wrong; perhaps no one else will give Miller the contract he’s looking for. But if he’s right, Vancouver needs to find a decent 1B to tandem with Jacob Markstrom.
The Canucks have been pretty rich in net for a decade, but their goaltending depth, like most other positions, is shallower than the water along the Jersey Shore.
OK, Thatcher Demko is impressive and I really believe he’s got a shot at being “the guy” in Vancouver. But like a blob of dough without enough time in the oven, he is not yet bready. I mean, he looks dang good so far. Regard!
What a save by Thatcher Demko! O.O pic.twitter.com/GJPNgGRp5O
— WTG (@WinThaGame) March 12, 2017
In his last seven AHL games, Demko has a 1.00 GAA and a .960 save percentage, with two shutouts. That is one nice stat line! But I don’t expect him to step up and suddenly solve Vancouver’s goaltending issues next season. So who else is there?
It’s possible that one of Richard Bachman or Michael Garteig might be up for the task. Bachman is the better candidate due to his experience. He recently an unbelievable game against Anaheim stopping 43 shots. But with just 43 NHL games he’s a far cry from a proven starting goalie.
Vancouver is more likely to turn to the UFA market, and they’ll have a few options and cap dollars to do it. Ben Bishop, Jonathan Bernier, Peter Budaj and perhaps Steve Mason are all quality alternatives to platoon with Markstrom.
Still, it would be sad to see Miller go. He is a quality goaltender and a quality guy, certainly (in my mind) deserving of a two-year contract extension. I hope that signing a Bishop or Bernier is merely a plan B.
