VANCOUVER — Making predictions for the Vancouver Canucks in recent years has not been too difficult. The team was bad, rebuilding and wasn’t going to make the National Hockey League playoffs. Simple.
The Canucks continue to trend in the right direction and have an excellent group of young foundational players that should shepherd in better seasons ahead. But this season? It could go either way.
Here’s one bold prediction for the New Year: the franchise’s 50-year-old Stanley Cup drought isn’t ending this spring.
As for these three other bold predictions for 2020, we’re pretty sure you won’t print them at home to stick on your fridge and check for accuracy 12 months from now.
Quinn Hughes will not only make the Canucks the first organization since the 1969-70 New York Rangers to have a player finish in the top three in Calder Trophy balloting for three straight seasons, he will be part of the closest rookie vote since 2013.
Hughes and fellow defenceman Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche have been front-runners since the season began, but Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson has charged past them in scoring this month and looks like a formidable contender for the Calder.
Makar has lost a little ground due to an upper-body injury sustained in early December, while Hughes’ ice time spiked during the injury absence of top Vancouver defenceman Alex Edler. Hughes, 20, and Makar, 21, are two of the most exciting defencemen to enter the NHL in years, but Olofsson has the advantage of playing with star Sabres Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart near the eastern hub of awards voters.
Age should count against Olofsson – but it doesn’t always with the Professional Hockey Writers Association – because he is 24 and prepped for his “rookie” NHL season by spending the last four years in the elite Swedish Hockey League. Makar and Hughes, by contrast, are true freshmen who were still in college hockey this time last season. That doesn’t make for an apples-to-apples comparison.
Hughes could lose some support because, until now, more of his points have come on the power play than at even-strength.
In 2013, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers edged Montreal Canadien Brendan Gallagher for the Calder Trophy after tying with 54 first-place votes. Huberdeau received more second- and third-place votes in balloting that saw the Chicago Blackhawks’ Brandon Saad finish a relatively close third with 30 first-place ticks.
Canuck Elias Pettersson won the Calder Trophy last season, a year after Vancouver’s Brock Boeser was the runner-up to Matt Barzal of the New York Islanders.
In 1971, Rangers goalie Gilles Villemure finished third in Calder voting, one year after teammate Bill Fairbairn was the runner-up. New York’s Brad Park was third in rookie balloting in 1969.
Trivia footnote: Villemure was a 31-year-old “rookie” in 1971 because he spent most of the 1960s in the minors, including three seasons in Vancouver when the Canucks were in the old Western League, at a time when the NHL had only six teams.
[embedded content]
OLLI COW
Olli Juolevi, the fifth-overall pick from 2016 who remains the Canucks’ best defence prospect (after Hughes), will either be a regular in Vancouver by the end of 2020 or playing for another organization – possibly in Europe.
Neither Juolevi nor general manager Jim Benning will ever escape the indictment of the Finn being chosen one spot before the Calgary Flames grabbed winger Matthew Tkachuk in the 2016 draft, but the blue-liner still possesses a solid all-around game that should translate to the NHL if he stays healthy.
A serious knee injury ended his season last year after only 18 games when it appeared Juolevi was on track for an NHL call-up after Christmas. He still wasn’t fully fit when he reported to training camp this fall, was kept out of pre-season games late in September and sent back to the American League. He was briefly shut down again in late November, this time with a mysterious hip injury that caused deep concern within the organization before specialists in Vancouver cleared the 21-year-old to resume playing in the minors.
If Juolevi stays healthy, he should continue to progress the way he did at the start of last year and get at least a call-up with the Canucks before this season ends. But if his lower-body medical problems persist or he plateaus with the Utica Comets, it’s difficult to see him spending a third season in the American League while the Canucks move on with other players.
2020 is a huge year for Juolevi.
MARKSTROM THE MAN
We’re not sure how bold this prediction is since Benning told Sportsnet in December that re-signing starting goalie Jacob Markstrom is a priority even though it would complicate the Seattle expansion draft for the Canucks in 2021, but the Swede will not only be back next season, he won’t be surrendering the No. 1 spot to elite prospect Thatcher Demko for the foreseeable future.
With Demko only in his rookie season – after two-and-a-half years in the AHL – and just back from his second concussion from friendly fire in as many years, there is just too much uncertainty over the talented Californian to anoint him Markstrom’s replacement. And since Markstrom has proven himself a solid NHL starter and is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1, it’s unreasonable to think the Canucks will have things all their way in negotiations on an extension.
For Christmas, Canucks got Thatcher Demko back from concussion. Actually a gift for starter Jacob Markstrom.
Demko: “I want to make sure I’m available not only for myself and the team but for him. He’s been going through a lot this year.” https://t.co/Z7GkQg1g0k
Markstrom turns 30 on Jan. 31 and since becoming an NHL regular with the Canucks has posted save percentages the last four seasons of: .915, .910, .912 and .912. He may not be the at the top of anyone’s list of free agents, but someone is going to pay the goalie.
Chances are the Canucks will have to give Markstrom a contract that binds him to Vancouver well beyond the Seattle expansion lottery. It doesn’t mean they can’t have both Markstrom and Demko two years from now, but it’s complicated. And until then, the order is clear: Markstrom No. 1, Demko No. 2.
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
