While the debate over how many trades will actually be a part of the 2020-21 NHL season is just getting under way, one team that might be quick to make a move — frequent trades or not — is the Vancouver Canucks. A team that many consider to be top heavy but lacking depth, if changes are made, they’ll be made early.
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In Vancouver, there could be growing concern about the fact the Canucks makeup and overall roster depth as part of an all-Canadian Division. Obviously, not everyone shares this feeling, but Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance of The Athletic wrote a five hot takes piece this week and one of the things they discussed was how poorly the Canucks’ roster shapes up against deeper Canadian clubs.
Essentially, their take was that the Canucks are perhaps as bad, if not worse for depth than the rebuilding Ottawa Senators.
Ouch.
When it comes to the top of their roster, the Canucks look pretty good. The scribes write, “top-end talent stacks up really well in the all-Canadian division.” But, that’s where the advantages stop. They explain:
Vancouver’s top six and top four are in the top half of the expected Canadian division. At the top of the lineup, they’re probably the second-best team in the country. … At the bottom end of the lineup though, well, the Canucks look like Ottawa West.
They add that this shouldn’t come as a shock considering the team trimmed over $20 million in expected salary from their roster and as a result, Vancouver’s bottom six and bottom defensive pair are poised to be a significant issue.
What Does All This Mean?
The lack of depth could make the Canucks realize quickly they need to add. As such, the article suggests that if any team in Canada is going to rush to make quick changes, and before the season gets away from them, it will be Vancouver.
So too, because there are no proven juggernauts in an all-Canadian division, the Canucks could be a playoff team if they make improvements quickly. Noting that every team in Canada has big question marks, this should “work in the Canucks’ favour, even if they have weaknesses of their own.”
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