Boeser + Horvat is as good of a nucleus to build around as the Canucks have had, maybe ever.
Too bad Virtanen is such a bust, but I'm excited for next year with Petterson, Demko, Juolevi, Goldobin and our 2018 first round pick maybe ready to make the jump.
Brendan Gaunce is also a big disappointment; he was very highly regarded in his draft year and has all but been invisible beyond the AHL level.
That said for the first time in...forever....the Canucks's have a nice nucleus of young guys going forward which is crucial in a cap world. You always need to have young, talented, contributing and above "cheap" players, ideally on entry level contracts, on any roster that expects to challenge for a cup to counter the huge salaries at the other end - Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh, Toews and Kane in Chicago etc.
See the current Habs and the complete s***show Marc Bergevin has architected there for a lesson on how_not to build a team capable of doing anything remotely constructive. He's crippled that org for years to come with downright stupid trades and ludicrous contract agreements. Giving a 30 year old Carey Price - a chronically injured Carey Price, $10 million/year was insanity, on top of the $8+ million Shea Weber gets for the next several years. Both are aging, declining assets and are prime examples of how not to run a team. He gave up two second rounders for Andrew freaking Shaw - a third line player - and then signed him to a 6-year deal. Even Jim Benning isn't "Bergevin bad"......
Edited by AllseeingEye, 30 January 2018 - 08:38 PM.