Vancouver Canucks: Retool Necessary

Vancouver Canucks Lose Dam Hamhuis for 2 Months: Rebuild Not Necessary

It’s been an interesting season for the Vancouver Canucks in 2015-16, who currently find themselves 11-11-8 with 30 points. The Canucks are 8th place in the Western Conference, currently struggling to keep their heads above water. Their 11 regulation wins ranks last in the West.

Vancouver took a major blow to its defensive core when Dan Hamhuis took a slap-shot to the face on Wednesday night. He left the game versus the Rangers immediately, and a reports Friday said the blueliner underwent surgery to repair a facial fracture. He’s expected to miss at least two months.

Replacing the minutes Hamhuis logs won’t be easy. The Canucks were fortunate that Ben Hutton emerged out of no-where on the blueline in 2015-16. But, the Canucks aren’t deep enough to replace the void for the next two months. 

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Up front, Daniel and Henrik Sedin lead the way, carrying Vancouver with 62 points (Daniel 33, Henrik 29) combined. That’s three more than the next four players (Alex Edler (17), Jannik Hansen (16), Radim Vrbata (15), and Alex Burrows (11)). The offseason trade for Brandon Sutter paid dividends early, but he’s since battled injury. The extension was questioned, but will work out if Sutter can stay healthy.

There’s some bright spots up front; rookies Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen made the team out of training camp, and both were kept beyond the 9-game threshold. Both have found themselves shuffled up and down the lineup, and Virtanen is coming off an injury. He’s on a conditioning stint in Utica, but should return soon. A player who seldom gets enough credit is Bo Horvat. He’s the former 9th overall pick from 2013, which was acquired from New Jersey in exchange for G Cory Schneider. He had 25 points in 68 games as a rookie in 2014-15, and looks to add to that total in 2015-16. Horvat has seen an increase in ice-time this season, and should continue to see a rise based on his excellent play. He’s a competitive gritty player, who plays a complete game in all three zones.

Top-Line with Sedin Twins

Nov 22, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin (33) drops a pass to forward Daniel Sedin (22) against the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a problem the Vancouver Canucks failed to address this past offseason, after spending 2014-15 juggling mainly between Radim Vrbata and Alex Burrows. 2015-16 has seen an even larger revolving door alongside the twins with Radim Vrbata, Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen, Jake Virtanen, etc.

Radim Vrbata does a good job at making himself look like the answer for stretches at a time before going cold. There’s no player on this roster qualified for top-line duties. However, one of Virtanen or McCann may have potential to assume top-line duties at some point in the near-future.

Re-Build Not Necessary

Some in the hockey world have murmured the words “Re-Build” in relation to the Vancouver Canucks. It wouldn’t make much sense to consider re-building in Vancouver until the Sedin twins era has passed. And, that’s only if the team is having considerable struggles at that point. The twins are 35-years-old, tied with Ryan Miller as the oldest vets in Vancouver, leaving a small window still for this team to win.

Re-Tool The Answer?

The Vancouver Canucks have a crop of talented young prospects down in Utica, as well playing junior. Players like Brock Boeser and Cole Cassels could make significant impacts in the near future.

Expiring Contracts Next Summer (UFA’s)

F Radim Vrbata, F Brandon Prust, F Adam Cracknell, F Blair Jones, D Taylor Fedun, D Matt Bartkowski, D Yannick Weber, D Dan Hamhuis, F Sven Baertschi (RFA), F Linden Vey (RFA)

It’s been a rough start to 2015-16, and recent injuries have made things significantly more difficult. The current Vancouver Canucks roster simply isn’t strong enough to compete in April. Even if the team can find a way to secure a playoff spot, a short first round exit is likely. There’s some decent building blocks in place, making a quick re-tool the best option for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks would be wise to sign Dan Hamhuis to a short extension with only Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, Ben Hutton and Luca Sbisa signed past this season. Second option would be to move Dan Hamhuis (once he’s back from injury) closer to the trade deadline, if there’s no intention to re-sign him. He does however carry a no-trade clauses (specific details unknown) An upgrade to Vancouver’s top four remains one of the bigger needs. Earlier this season, rumors suggested shopping 25-year-old defenseman Chris Tanev ($4.45 million dollar cap hit). There’s a window to trade him (Tanev) before his no-trade clause kicks in 2017-18, but Vancouver may opt to keep him.

Vancouver should consider moving forward Radim Vrbata and Brandon Prust at some point in 2015-16. It’s not that Prust’s edgy style isn’t effective, but the Canucks get more than enough toughness and grit from Derek Dorsett. Vrbata carries a modified no-trade clause, and carries a $5 million dollar cap hit that expires at the end of 2015-16. He would have some control of his fate, but Vancouver would be wise to shop the 34-year-old veteran. He’s played extremely well at times for this team, but his inability for consistency to maintain a top line role remains an issue. Re-signing is always a possibility, if he’s willing to take a slight pay-cut. Chances are, he’ll explore the free agent market hoping to get paid, but will likely have to settle for far less with a cap not expected to climb too much in 2016-17.

A re-tool might consist of other veterans on the move as well. The Vancouver Canucks should be open-minded to exploring trade options for most players on the big club’s roster. Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen, Chris Higgins, Alex Edler, Ryan Miller, Dan Hamhuis, and Brandon Sutter all carry no-trade clauses.

Next: Pittsburgh Penguins: Flirting With Draft Lottery

We’re not suggesting a major overhaul on the Pacific coast, merely two or three moves that can have positive effects for 2016-17. The 2016 NHL Entry Draft features some promising prospects at the top-end, so perhaps adding draft picks and prospects is the answer. Obviously some of those picks or prospects aren’t likely to be seen for a while, but there’s emerging young players every year. The focus should be to get younger, and start preparing for life after the Sedin twins.