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.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Vancouver Canucks

GM: Jim Benning (since 2013). 4/10
Coach: Travis Green (since 2017). 6.5/10

2016-17 record: 30-43-9, 69 points, 29th overall, missing the playoffs and losing at the draft lottery.

Departures: Ryan Miller (G), Luca Sbisa (D).

Arrivals: Michael Del Zotto (D), Sam Gagner (C), Anders Nilsson (G), Patrick Wiercioch (D), Alex Burmistrov (C).

Top forwards: Bo Horvat (50-60 points), Daniel Sedin (45-50 points), Henrik Sedin (45-50 points), Brock Boeser (35-55 points), Gagner (30-40 points), Sven Baertschi (35-45 points), Markus Granlund (35-45 points), Brandon Sutter (35-40 points), Burmistrov (30 points), Loui Eriksson (25-35 points), Nikolay Goldobin (25-30 points), Brendan Gaunce (10-15 points).

Must-improve forwards: The Sedin Twins are no longer Art Ross-caliber forwards, but have they really fallen so low as to be 15-goal, 40-some-point guys? Eriksson will also likely never live up to the ridiculous contract Benning signed him to.

Top defensemen: Troy Stetcher (25-30 points), Alexander Edler (15-20 points), Del Zotto (15-20 points), Ben Hutton (15-20 points), Chris Tanev (10-15 points), Erik Gudbranson (10-15 points).

Goalies: Jacob Markstrom (84/100), Nilsson (70/100).

Top rookies: Boeser (20 years old, RW, 2016 first-round draft pick), Olli Juolevi (19, D, 5th-overall pick in 2016), Thatcher Demko (21, G), Jonathan Dahlen (19, C, point-per-game in Sweden's second-tier men's league), Elias Pettersson (18, C, 5th-overall pick in 2017).

Analysis:
Some pieces (Horvat, Boeser, Stetcher, Goldobin) might still be around when the rebuild turns into apprenticeship, but most won't. This is perhaps the weakest overall lineup in the entire league - the Colorado Avalanche at least have a potent offense and the Vegas Golden Knights have a true #1 goalie (Marc-André Fleury) and a true sniper (James Neal).

I'm guessing most Canucks fans don't want Benning around when the rebuild truly gets going, either, because he's gotten fleeced in just about every trade he's attempted - when he managed to deal at all. And his free agent signings aren't any better.

And to think this franchise was just one win away from the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Prediction: 8th (and last) in the Pacific Division.