Canucks mailbag: How severe is the crew about including a 'huge piece'?

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The Vancouver Canucks are off to their finest begin in 18 years.

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With how the schedule is rolling out in entrance of them, they’ve an opportunity to essentially put themselves in a robust place come American Thanksgiving.

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To be clear: 75 per cent of groups in a playoff place on the finish of November make the playoffs. Historical past tells us this.

With that in thoughts, let’s flip to your questions of the week.

“Questioning if the rumours of including an enormous piece have any reality?”

James Wanless by way of BlueSky

Since nearly the day they arrived in Vancouver, president Jim Rutherford however particularly common supervisor Patrik Allvin have seemed to reshape their roster. They’ve been fairly open about it.

They noticed the star energy on the prime of the lineup, however noticed they wanted to show over the gamers round these stars, whereas someway clearing cap house.

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On the season-opening press convention, Rutherford mentioned they nonetheless felt they wanted to maneuver yet one more contract to get out of their cap pickle. After all, that pickle isn’t actually going anyplace as a result of the Ekman-Larsson buyout value begins to extend and can be one thing to handle for 2 seasons past the following one.

However for the second, they’re fairly near an optimized lineup.

Sources recommend they’d nonetheless like so as to add a ahead, however that received’t be a straightforward swap to make.

Would they wish to get out from beneath Tyler Myers’ $6-million cap hit? Completely. They’ve tried to deal him a number of instances over the previous two years. A pair strikes have been very near taking place, even.

However a minimum of he’s taking part in serviceable minutes on the third pairing proper now, after a horror begin to the season. If his contract have been decrease, he wouldn’t be a speaking level in any respect.

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There’s little question they’d fairly use Myers’ cap house differently, however they could be caught with it.

The opposite two apparent gamers whose cap hits take up extra space than how they’re being deployed are Conor Garland and Anthony Beauvillier.

Each have been reliable — particularly Garland, who has the most effective photographs for/in opposition to break up on the crew — however each have struggled to place the puck within the web.

And if you happen to’re not scoring, no crew goes to need swallow a contract that begins with a 4 on the entrance, as each gamers’ contracts do. Garland could also be a greater throughout participant, however he’s beneath contract for 2 seasons past this one.

Beauvillier, alternatively, is an unrestricted free agent after this season. In contrast to Myers, neither has any type of no-trade clause, in order the season winds alongside, they’ll be simpler for one more crew so as to add.

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“What’s occurring with Jim Rutherford’s contract standing? Similar for Patrik Allvin.”

Cory McQuhae by way of X platform, previously referred to as Twitter

This can be a nice query. When Rutherford was employed practically two years in the past, everybody understood his deal ran via 2024.

He’s mentioned that his stress stage would be the No. 1 think about whether or not he desires to maintain working. You must assume he’s not very burdened proper now. And with the crew profitable, it’s laborious to assume possession received’t need him to hold on.

Allvin will proceed within the GM’s chair so long as the crew is profitable. If the Canucks begin ascending into true contender standing, he’ll then change into a supervisor different groups can be intrigued by — however he’s not there but.

“How’s Ethan Bear doing?”

avgtraveller by way of BlueSky

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I checked in with Bear’s agent Jason Davidson, who experiences that his shopper’s restoration from shoulder surgical procedure goes very effectively and stays on monitor to be able to play in December.

However don’t assume he’s a slam dunk to re-join the Canucks. In the event that they do discover a solution to clear cap house, then they’ll make him a strong supply, but when they don’t, they received’t be capable to supply far more than league minimal and Bear could have different suitors.

If the Canucks do signal him, how would an Ian Cole-Ethan Bear second pair look?

“Which key piece of this home of playing cards goes to allow us to down first? An damage? A regression in capturing proportion? Aliens abduct EP40? Quinn Hughes is switched with Luke throughout a sport versus N.J. and the Canucks don’t discover?”

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webstarvancity by way of BlueSky

It’s protected to say all these pucks aren’t going to maintain stepping into like they’ve been.

They’re going to maintain scoring, however not like this!

The excellent news is there at the moment are fewer issues to outscore in comparison with once they have been coached by Bruce Boudreau, and even the final half-season of Travis Inexperienced.

NEXT GAME

Dallas Stars vs. Vancouver Canucks

Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Area

TV: Hockey Evening in Canada. Radio: Sportsnet 650.

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