WQF (3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) San Jose Sharks (Sharks win 4-0!!!!).

[trackercowe]

Sedin's only have one year remaining on their contracts. Whoever trades for them better be sure they're that close from being in contention. So I doubt teams like Florida or Nashville would be interested. Tampa Bay could be feasible I guess.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

if they did want to do a partial rebuild Tampa might be the team, St.Louis is running out of years and may want to make a run while they can

Tampa has 3 mil in cap space next season. They would want the Canucks to ake back LeCavalier and Malone.

Any other team will be the same. No one is going to give up a top 5 pick in this years draft for two guys with only one season left on their contracts, likely looking for raises.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nik-

Yeah ... it sucks that the Flames let their window slam shut, but it would have been way worse if we wasted as much talent as the Canucks did in 2011.

/smallvictories

Just goes to show that a team has to win when it gets a chance to play in the Stanley Cup finals as there are guarantees and windows shut quickly. I said it that offseason after their loss to the Bruins that their season would be difficult to replicate as all of their top players had their career seasons at once and there really was nowhere to go but down.

[Brannigans Law]

[Sylvanfan]

Yikes 1-9 playoff record sice they got in position to win the cup, and epically outscored. Next year they won't get the fortune of being in division with 3-4 other weak teams and them.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Yikes 1-9 playoff record sice they got in position to win the cup, and epically outscored. Next year they won't get the fortune of being in division with 3-4 other weak teams and them.

Edmonton/Phoenix/Calgary/Anaheim/LA/Vancouver/SJ

making the playoffs in that division isn't going to be extremely difficult the next few years....

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Edmonton/Phoenix/Calgary/Anaheim/LA/Vancouver/SJ

making the playoffs in that division isn't going to be extremely difficult the next few years....

That hurts.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Rob Tychkowski @SUN_TYCHKOWSKI 9m
Don't freak out, but Jay Bouwmeester has won more playoff games in the last week than the Canucks have in the last two years

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

That hurts.

lol they are clearly rebuilding

didn't mean it in a bad way, Phoenix/Calgary rebuilding and Edmonton is still struggling

I think it's a 4-5 team race for 4 spots for at least 2 more years

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Samiz

One of my friends suggested that the Canucks should trade the Sedins for Pietrangelo and a first round pick

No chance that St Louis does that deal, Pietrangelo is a young franchise defensemen. The Sedin's are not getting younger and won't really make the Blues better.

Zero chance

[Samiz]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

No chance that St Louis does that deal, Pietrangelo is a young franchise defensemen. The Sedin's are not getting younger and won't really make the Blues better.

Zero chance

I know, it's just funny to hear how highly some Canucks fans will value the twins

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Edmonton/Phoenix/Calgary/Anaheim/LA/Vancouver/SJ

making the playoffs in that division isn't going to be extremely difficult the next few years....

Finishing 4th doesn't guarantee you playoffs. The California teams are better competition than the current NW.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Finishing 4th doesn't guarantee you playoffs. The California teams are better competition than the current NW.

ya any of the California teams would be better than the rest of the NW

and 4th won't guarantee it, I wasn't saying those 4 teams are locks for the playoffs every year, just that it's not a strong division in the next few years compared to the others

[StAlbertFlame]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Rob Tychkowski @SUN_TYCHKOWSKI 9m
Don't freak out, but Jay Bouwmeester has won more playoff games in the last week than the Canucks have in the last two years

OMG...this is funny...cause it's true!!!

[Ashasx]

I am truly curious to see what the Canucks do this off-season though. I can't see them rebuilding unless they are forced into it... not much cap space either.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

lol they are clearly rebuilding

didn't mean it in a bad way, Phoenix/Calgary rebuilding and Edmonton is still struggling

I think it's a 4-5 team race for 4 spots for at least 2 more years

San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim are all clearly better, so you're going to be in tough battling with Edmonton for that last spot. Clearly Edmonton has to get better eventually. Probably not an actual contender, but enough to make the playoffs in the 4th spot.

The Canucks are probably going to battling for that last spot as soon as next year, so don't get too far ahead of yourself that they'll still easily be able to make the playoffs consistently.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim are all clearly better, so you're going to be in tough battling with Edmonton for that last spot. Clearly Edmonton has to get better eventually. Probably not an actual contender, but enough to make the playoffs in the 4th spot.

The Canucks are probably going to battling for that last spot as soon as next year, so don't get too far ahead of yourself that they'll still easily be able to make the playoffs consistently.

never said it was

said it was a 4-5 team race

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

never said it was

said it was a 4-5 team race

You also said this:

making the playoffs in that division isn't going to be extremely difficult the next few years....

It obviously will be difficult to make the playoffs if they won't be finishing in the top three next year.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

You also said this:

making the playoffs in that division isn't going to be extremely difficult the next few years....

It obviously will be difficult to make the playoffs if they won't be finishing in the top three next year.

it won't be difficult

I never said they would make it, but competing with 4-5 teams for 4 likely spots, is a lot easier when compared to a division like Detroit/Boston/Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto/Tampa/Buffalo/Florida

with 5 playoff teams and one in Tampa that probably thinks they can make it next year

[Captain_Obvious]

The problem with the Vancouver Canucks is the same as it's been for over five years now:

a total and complete lack of character and heart.

They created an atmosphere of valuing embellishment and going down easy over battling hard and it has constantly come back to bite them.

They had a great run on trying to get as many power plays as possible for a few seasons and had a great PP but at the end of the day they were a very soft team that lacked grit when the going got tough.

A team that's built around the soft Sedins, a chronic diver in Kessler and a hair pulling biter like Alex Burrows isn't going to win anything.

It's poetic justice to see them sharply declining like this.