The Canucks core will return but the team will make some minor moves this off-season.
You hear the phrase, "They should just blow it up," like it is the obvious and simple solution to transforming an underachieving team into a winner.
It is not a solution. It is said out of mere frustration.
Doug Wilson should just "blow up" his San Jose Sharks. Get rid of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley…and replace them with, uh, whom? George McPhee should just "blow up" his Washington Capitals. Get rid of Mike Green, Alexander Semin and any of the team's three goalies…and bring in whom?
It doesn't work that way. When their teams don't meet expectations, general managers obviously need to make changes. But when you are as good as the Sharks and the Capitals, you tweak; you don't make wholesale changes.
Same goes for the Vancouver Canucks. When you come within one victory of winning the Stanley Cup, you don't need to make major alterations. Mike Gillis will not blow up his Vancouver Canucks. Not a chance. Naturally, he has plenty to deal with this summer, including the frustration that the team he thought had Stanley Cup champ written all over it failed to get it done in the final. The team failed miserably in Game 7, for that matter.
As frustrated as people are with goaltender Roberto Luongo, who managed two shutouts at home in the final, but was bombed in Boston and then played horribly in Game 7 at home, he's not going anywhere. Not with that lifetime contract the Canucks signed him to. Luongo, in all likelihood, will be a Canuck until the completion of the 2022 season when his deal expires. And as much as his popularity took a massive hit in Vancouver this playoff season, one should not lose sight of the fact he remains one of the best goalies in the NHL and is a Vezina Trophy finalist.
Then there's the Sedins. Henrik finished second in playoff scoring while Daniel, who led the NHL in scoring in the regular season, finished in a tie for third, but when the chips were down, neither could be found. Their lack of compete was a big reason why the Canucks failed to score a single goal in the deciding game of the series. It was downright embarrassing.
There will be changes to the club, for sure, based on the number of impending unrestricted free agents the Canucks have. Up front, there's Raffi Torres, Chris Higgins, Tanner Glass, Jeff Tambellini and Rick Rypien. Any or all of those players could be sacrificed, although it's hard to imagine giving up Torres's tughness. On defence there's Kevin Bieksa, Sammy Salo, Christian Ehrhoff and Andrew Alberts. Bieksa, one would assume, will be a top priority to re-sign based on his leadership, toughness and ability to add to the offence.
There is plenty to like about the Canucks, including the Sedins. That's right, including the Sedins. They aren't perfect, as we all found out in the final, but there is no denying when they are on their game that the Sedins are one of the most magical duos to ever skate in the NHL. Maybe the embarrassing loss in the final is what it will take for the twins to finally show some emotion. If having their manhood questioned, by American TV analyst Mike Milbury, among others, isn't enough to motivate these two robots to add some emotion to their game, perhaps nothing will. Scoring championships and most valuable player awards are fine, but this game is all about winning the Stanley Cup.
All in all, the Canucks should come back strong next season and will, once again, be a solid choice to win it all. The core of this team remains strong.
Ryan Kesler emerged as one of the game's best two-way players this season while Alex Burrows, for all his bad habits, is also a player who brings plenty to the table in terms of offence and feistiness. As for youngsters, defenceman Christopher Tanev looks like he'll compete for a top-six job next season based on his solid play in the post-season while centre Cody Hodgson has the potential to play as a regular.
Gillis is a smart and calculated man and he will make the necessary changes he thinks will get his team back to the final. When you look at the tough and competitive Western Conference, you have to like where the Canucks are starting compared to many of the teams that will challenge them for the right to play in next year's final.
