2025 Canucks Off-season

[Lancer]

Was listening to Garland’s remote presser, and he hinted at all the injuries the team went through and played through, the Miller ‘absence’, like it was a bizarrely unlucky/cursed year. If Garland’s comments reflect that of his teammates, there may be a consensus among the remainders that last season was not a true reflection of who they are as a team.

It’s not always the best team who wins, but there have been team who plays the best game. Conversely, it’s not always the worst team that loses - just the team that plays the worst game. Like Quinn said at the end of the season, they’re a better team than their record.

They have to prove it, but these are encouraging signs. Hopefully we’re looking back on last season and the picks management made at the draft as one of those flukey step-backs that set the team up for a longer window of contention by virtue of the likes of Cootes, Medvedev or some later-round diamond in the rough pick.

A fan can hope.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Additional upside can come from our young D. We have no idea how good Willander is. If he and D.Petey can live up to their billing, we may have a big trade chip to use in Hronek to address center. There's time to evaluate everything and see what shakes loose throughout the season come TDD.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Demko is getting fair market value, and I like that the term is only 3 years. Demko has one more year remaining on his current contract, and frankly, if he misses a ton of games due to injury over the next two seasons, then the Canucks can buy him out and, assuming I calculated this correctly, eat $2.83M for 4 years and move on. In an increasing cap world both the cap hit and the buyout hit are acceptable.

Whoa, we're in agreement here, how about that?

I think it's a good gamble on what is potentially our second biggest difference-maker. If things go sideways we have options, as you pointed out.

Love the potential for a 50/50 or 60/40 split with Lank. The worry is if Demmer goes down we won't have Arty to go to and may need to find a 3rd. Let's not even go there. I want to see a full healthy and productive season from Demko. This is a completely different team with him in there.

Teams can laugh all they want at our forward group but will not have any fun facing our D and goalie tandem.

[Picker of Cherries]

It doesn’t seem to me that the club is running things back.
If their players are healthy it’s a major upgrade.
Their defence could not hold onto a lead with Deharnais and Juulsen.
There was a lot of defensive improvement in personnel by the end of last season.
If this team is healthy it is much different than the one that played most of last season.
With health this team can become a solid shut down group and win a lot of games.
They won’t be able to compete with the Oilers or Vegas offensively.
But those teams won’t compete defensively, especially since Vegas lost Pietrangelo.
The Canucks with be the biggest risk/reward team in the league next season.
With health and return to form, they could win the division.
Without it they could be in the lottery.

[Hockey Widow]

Interesting listening to Allvin. One of the reasons Boeser waited was to see if the Canucks were able to get extensions for Garland and Demko. So he was in communication with those guys and carefully following the progress. So obviously one of his considerations about re-signing here was whether those two got extended. So he wasn't holding our feet to the fire. He legitimately wanted to see what FA might bring him but more so he wanted to see where we were at with Garland and Demko. His first choice, as he said all along, was to be a Canuck. But he wanted to know who his friends would be first. So much for shitty culture and bad locker room.

[Hockey Widow]

Canucks in talks with Sherwood about an extension.

The Vancouver Canucks announced a number of signings Tuesday, agreeing to terms with forwards Mackenzie MacEachern and Joseph LaBate, along with defenseman Jimmy Schuldt.

The team signed MacEachern to a two-year, two-way contract, LaBate to a one-year, two-way contract and Schuldt to a two-year, two-way deal.

The 31-year-old MacEachern spent the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, scoring 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 40 games. Through eight AHL seasons, MacEachern has 61 goals and 82 assists for 143 points in 202 career AHL regular-season games with the Thunderbirds, Chicago Wolves and San Antonio Rampage.

MacEachern scored 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 123 career regular-season games.

LaBate, 32, spent 2024-25 with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, scoring eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. He also appeared in six NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording one assist.

In 11 AHL seasons, LaBate recorded 71 goals and 83 assists for 154 points in 456 career regular-season games with the Monsters, Wolves, Milwaukee Admirals, Belleville Senators and Utica Comets. In 19 career NHL games, he has one assist with the Blue Jackets and Canucks.

LaBate was originally selected in the fourth round by Vancouver in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Schuldt, 30, played eight games with the San Jose Sharks in 2024-25, along with one game with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19. Last season, Schuldt had six goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 64 regular-season games.

From "Daily Faceoff"

[Megaterio Llamas]

The geezer signs three American AHL vets to bolster the Abby Canucks.

Damn that Rutherford likes his American hockey players though.

[Hockey Widow]

On the Russian. His agent and Canucks are in discussion about whether he can/wants to get out of his KHL contract. It in part depends upon what role the Canucks envision for him this season. I take it to mean he does not want to earn less and play in Abby. If he stays in the KHL the Canucks plan to follow him closely and go from there. They see upside but really haven't seen too much of him.

[Hockey Widow]

The geezer signs three American AHL vets to bolster the Abby Canucks.

Damn that Rutherford likes his American hockey players though.

Needed vets to help the kids. On McWard he said they didn't see a big role for him with the addition of Willander and wanted to add a vet. They could still lose a vet or 2 on the backend. So they did need to prop up Abby.

[Megaterio Llamas]

On the Russian. His agent and Canucks are in discussion about whether he can/wants to get out of his KHL contract. It in part depends upon what role the Canucks envision for him this season. I take it to mean he does not want to earn less and play in Abby. If he stays in the KHL the Canucks plan to follow him closely and go from there. They see upside but really haven't seen too much of him.

I wish he were open to the possibility of playing games in Abby. The players love it down there, and they have a nice Russian-Belarusian component that hangs together.

[Hockey Widow]

One thing I liked about what Allvin said today, when asked why he signed/extended his own players instead of going after other FAs, is that there comes a point when you have to listen to your staff about what you already have in your system. So it sure sounds like while they may have liked some players out there he was convinced that there were none that would an upgrade over what they have already. And adding that with FA you have to balance the term and cap more. I do think he made the best of what he had and right or wrong some kids are going to get a chance to step up.

I also think he is one step closer to getting Hughes to stay after re-upping the American 3.

[Hockey Widow]

On the Russian. His agent and Canucks are in discussion about whether he can/wants to get out of his KHL contract. It in part depends upon what role the Canucks envision for him this season. I take it to mean he does not want to earn less and play in Abby. If he stays in the KHL the Canucks plan to follow him closely and go from there. They see upside but really haven't seen too much of him.

I wish he were open to the possibility of playing games in Abby. The players love it down there, and they have a nice Russian-Belarusian component that hangs together.

He may be. That was just my take. Allvin said something about his agent wanting to know more about what role the Canucks envision for him. I mean he is limited anyway to what he can earn on his ELC. And they are all 2 way deals. So if he is looking for a guarantee about where he plays he won't get it. If he truly wants to play in the NHL, which by all accounts he does, he is going to have to make a decision sooner or later.

[Nuckertuzzi]

I also think he is one step closer to getting Hughes to stay after re-upping the American 3.

He may have two brothers waiting at the other side of the continent, but he's also got three brothers here who just chose to stay for a long time. The American brotherhood could extend to Dak and Sherwood, Forbort, Mancini, O'Connor, Sasson, etc., who all just got here.

I hope the toxic culture from last year is replaced with one of family and loyalty. These signings can only help. I think someone of Quinn's character would be in tune with the thought, especially being the captain of the family.

[Megaterio Llamas]

We kept our three Americans up top, and added three new Americans in Abby.

Happy Canada Day

[Picker of Cherries]

We kept our three Americans up top, and added three new Americans in Abby.

Happy Canada Day

I believe the proper term today is sub-Canadians.
Happy Canada Day!