NHL Preview 2019-20: Vancouver Canucks

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's former Vancouver Canucks two-way forward Steve Bozek).

GM: Jim Benning (since 2013). 5.5/10
Coach: Travis Green (since 2017). 6/10

2018-19 record: 35-36-11, 81 points (5th in the Pacific Division, 12th in the Western Conference).
Playoffs: Did not qualify

Departures: Ryan Spooner (C), Luke Schenn (D), Markus Granlund (LW), Ben Hutton (D).

Arrivals: Jordie Benn (D), J.T. Miller (LW), Oscar Fantenberg (D), Tyler Myers (D), Micheal Ferland (C).

Top forwards: Elias Pettersson (75-85 points), Bo Horvat (65-75 points), Brock Boeser (55-70 points), Ferland (40-50 points), Miller (40-50 points), Sven Baertschi (35-45 points), Brandon Sutter (35-40 points), Tanner Pearson (35-40 points), Loui Eriksson (25-35 points), Antoine Roussel (30-40 points if healthy, could miss as much as half the season due to last year's knee injury).

Must-improve forwards: Eriksson was never close to living up to his $6M cap hit, but he's now considered to have the worst contract in the NHL. Can he play well enough to get himself out of the conversation for third-worst contract? Baby steps...

Top defensemen: Quinn Hughes (20-35 points), Troy Stetcher (20-30 points), Chris Tanev (20-25 points), Alexander Edler (15-25 points), Myers (15-25 points), Benn (10 points).

Goalies: Jacob Markstrom (83/100), Thatcher Demko (80/100).

Top prospects: Hughes (19 years old, D, 2018 first-round draft pick), Olli Juolevi (21, D, 5th-overall pick in 2016), Jett Woo (19, D), Kole Lind (19, RW), Adam Gaudette (22, C).

Analysis:
Take Myers' cap hit out of the equation (he's making nearly the same as he was on his previous deal anyway) and, as a pure "add", does he improve the Canucks' blue line? Yes, no question.

There is good youth on that roster and coming up the ranks, enough to make for a solid core: Pettersson is a lock for 35-40 goals per year, with a ceiling of 50 maybe two or three times; Boeser; Horvat; Ferland has grit and leadership; Hughes has all-world talent on the blue line; Demko is showing promise in net. All of them are currently too skinny for a long postseason run, so they'll all need to bulk up, and Ferland and Roussel will have to re-up long-term to protect them anyhow

They're still lacking in experience, so they can't go head-to-head with the likes of Calgary, Vegas, Nashville, Dallas or even St. Louis just yet, but in two or three years' time, I could see it happening.

Prediction: 5th in the Pacific Division, 22nd overall.