Well the Leafs got it done. If only they learned how to play to their potential for a full 60 minutes for multiple games in a row

Tocchet leaving the #canucks is a blessing in disguise. Team needs to somehow raise its ceiling, and they weren’t doing that with him at the helm. Reality with Hughes is that he will end up liking any coach who isn’t an asshole and who has success; nothing matters but true contention for a Cup

Not sure I’m happy to see the Liberals win, but I’m definitely happy to see the Conservatives lose

Allvin backed himself into a corner here: he is either lying about the market, or admitting he’s incompetent and unable to trade a 40 goal winger in a market where Laughton went for a first. If the former, Aquilini doomed them again. If the latter, management needs to be fired.

Most predictable Canucks deadline of all time. This is genuinely no different at all from the benning years

I’m not usually a huge Canada guy, but fuck if that one didn’t feel good

One of the best periods I’ve seen from the Canucks this year. Even without Hughes, this defence is definitely more efficient at moving the puck up the ice. More fun too!

Well never mind all that.

Yeah I mean definitely fantastical, but would certainly try anyway! Centres would have to be addressed as well for sure, whether through trade or FA

As long as they don’t focus on this season, I think they can turn it around before the Hughes leave/stay deadline. I’d rest Pettersson and Demko this season to get them back to health and focus all my attention on 2026 and beyond

Going forward, if I was the Canucks:

- Trade Boeser
- Take a look at young defenceman in distressed situations and try to pry them away (Dobson, Clarke)
- Take a run at Marner & Ehlers in the off season
- Hold onto 1st rounders until draft position decided; look to deal for young talent after

A protected first (that could turn into an unprotected first in 26!) is a decent enough return. At least the saga is over #canucks

If Canucks have to add to Miller just to get Chytil, Mancini, and a first, it’s clear teams really do not value him at all and see that contract as an albatross beyond the next year or 2. Basically acting as if it’s a pure cap dump trade

Such a boon for the Canucks to get that contract off the books long term regardless of the return

Utah Raptors is the objectively best name there could be, but Mammoth clears these other options easily and is better than Yeti too

If the Kings sour on Clarke the Canucks need to do everything they can to pry him from them. Exactly the type of guy they need on the backend now and in the future (and he’s RHD)!

I still think there’s a path to keeping him but it revolves around dumping Miller, gettung Pettersson/Demko back to 100%, dumping Miller, and potentially signing an FA like Marner. Would also love some trades for young, puck moving D, but worried they missed the boat there

Said it before and I’ll say it again: trading Pettersson and not Miller would be the nail in the coffin for this core and probably be seen as one of the most baffling moves in NHL history in 10 years #canucks

Seems they’re definitely taking a lot of inspiration from the Zdarsky run (pre-Hand stuff). I’m in.

This really feels like the last chance to get Miller’s contract off the books and stay competitive long term with Pettersson/Hughes. He’s not going to have a second career resurgence post 32.

I understand it’s his first game back so pairing him with Hughes makes sense, but if Hronek can’t carry a pairing on his own the Canucks are in real trouble. Bottom 4 is effectively unchanged if he’s next to Hughes

Brannstrom isn’t the perfect poster child for this, he has lots of work to do to be a capable defender who pushes play the right way, but I do think the fact that his archetype can clear waivers speaks to the overall risk averse way many front offices act, and I believe it is to their own detriment

Re: Optics, I think that GMs/coaches feel more comfortable playing a “big body who can defend and kill penalties” over a smaller, puck moving dman, as even if said “big body” is consistently getting caved in each night, a big error from the puck mover stands out, while the big body is easy to defend

Brannstrom clearing waivers suggests to me that 1) there exists a hugely under tapped market of puck moving dmen under 6’2 and 2) GM’s are clearly risk averse and prefer to play a consistently caved in bottom pair guy over a “riskier” puck moving option, likely due to optics #canucks

This fucking team man

Canucks haven’t had much zone time since early in the first, but to their credit, they aren’t giving up many high danger chances yet

And they immediately score on a lucky bounce point shot hahaha

Anyway, the Canucks have lost 7 straight games where they’ve looked anemic offensively due to their D’s (lack of) puck moving ability and Tocchet’s preferred play style, and the solution is to NOT add their only other puck moving defenceman to the lineup. Great!