2014-15 record: 49-29-5 (101 points)
Lost to Calgary in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Henrik Sedin
The Vancouver Canucks finished over the 100 point mark and were eighth on offense despite just having two players with 20 or more goals. None of that mattered after they were outclassed by Calgary in the opening round. Now, where they go from here is anyone's guess, as they seem confused as to whether to rebuild or go all in for another playoff run.
Only Henrik Sedin and Radim Vrbata scored 20 or more goals, but thanks to 10 other players finishing with double-digit goals, the Canucks had a balanced attack that netted that eighth place finish on offense. The bad news is that they lose three of those 10 players, as Shawn Matthias, Nick Bonino, and Zack Kassian all move on. However, only the Matthias defection has the potential to hurt, as Bonino fell off after a hot first half and Kassian never really showed the heart necessary to fulfill his potential. Replacing that scoring output, Brandon Sutter will get his chance to show what he can do without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in front of him, as he still managed 21 goals in a third line role while Brandon Prust will add heart and toughness. Defensively, the depth took a hit when the Canucks traded Kevin Bieksa to Anaheim and Adam Clendening to Pittsburgh in the same deal that saw Sutter and Bonino trade places. Unless Matt Bartkowski or Frank Corrado show they can handle regular NHL duty, the depth here is going to rear its ugly head. The unit as a whole isn't fast, another hole exposed in the playoffs, and isn't exactly getting any younger or bursting with talent in the pipeline. In goal, Ryan Miller was okay, but when he went down to injury late in the season, Eddie Lack took control of the starting job and was the starter entering the playoffs. Now that Lack is also moving on, that means Jacob Markstrom will see the backup job, and if Miller either gets injured or falters, the depth will be severely tested, as there's almost nothing past Markstrom.
Prediction: 5th in the Pacific Division
The Canucks surprised many by making the playoffs last season. However, the playoffs exposed them as needing much work. Whether the work they've done in the off-season will translate to another playoff is anyone's guess, and for that matter, no one knows if they're rebuilding either.
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