WINNIPEG – They call it silly season for a reason and once the dust happens to settle after July 1, the debates are heated, grades are handed out and winners and losers quickly declared.
In this quest for immediate judgement, sweeping assessments are made when almost everyone knows that what ends up on paper doesn’t always translate into success or failure, no matter what mathematical equation or version of the eye test is used.
But that’s part of the beauty of the sport and this stretch of time is when plenty of the action happens, from handing out the Stanley Cup to the NHL Awards to the 2023 NHL Draft up to the crescendo that is NHL free agency.
Most teams will tell you they’ve got plenty of work left to be done, some more than others, but the coming weeks are when a few deep breaths are taken.
There are still some quality free agents available to sign, value contracts to be pursued and potential trade partners still to be found.
That’s also part of the spin cycle.
The winners and losers column will be handled by colleague Ryan Dixon on Monday, but for the first topic of the final edition of Wiebe’s World until the fall, let’s use the Colorado Avalanche as a case study.
Just over a year removed from capturing the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche had to prepare for a new economic reality, with top centre Nathan MacKinnon about to officially begin the extension he signed last summer, one that carries an AAV of $12.6 million.
Not only did that make him the highest paid player in the NHL, it represented a jump of exactly double of what he was making in his previous contract – which ended up being a bargain.
With the cap only going up $1 million for next season, MacFarland had to make a difficult choice in allowing J.T. Compher to move on as an unrestricted free agent, as the versatile centre inked a five-year deal worth $25.5 million ($5.1 million).
Compher played in all situations for the Avalanche and did an excellent job playing in an elevated role.
MacFarland made a preemptive strike in making a deal with the Nashville Predators for centre Ryan Johansen last week to try and fill the role.
Getting Johansen at 50 per cent of his original cap hit ($4 million instead of $8 million) was a major factor in the decision and the other thing to consider is that it’s just a two-year commitment for Johansen compared to a five-year commitment that Compher got at 28.
‘It’s a hungry group’: Johansen on wanting to be an instant contributor to the Avalanche
Also, while it doesn’t seem like much on the surface, that $1.1 million saved ends up being important, since every dollar counts for a team trying to win that will be as close to the cap ceiling as possible.
Of course the Avalanche are banking on a bounceback season from Johansen, they’ve also made some moves around the edges of the roster to try and expand their depth.
The other major development for the Avalanche was the ability to convince Bowen Byram to sign a bridge deal that carries an AAV of $3.85 million.
At a time when many young players are looking to cash in coming out of their entry-level contracts (and we don’t blame them for that), Byram decided to bet on himself on a shorter-term deal.
The reasoning for that is two-fold: it allows him to stay with a Stanley Cup contender that didn’t have a ton of money to spend and it also provides the opportunity to establish a much higher value in his next deal – which coincidentally should begin when there is a lot more money in the system, as the salary cap is expected to have a considerable bump by then.
As long as things continue to progress for Byram and he can stay healthy, he’ll be in for a big raise in his next contract.
“First of all, Bo is a massive piece for us. He’s one of the best young defencemen in the league,” MacFarland told reporters during a Zoom call on Saturday. “He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do and how we like to play. He drives things from the back end, he’s got really good skill and he’s a really good trusted defender.
“Those aren’t always the easiest, they’re tough contracts to do.”
Avalanche’s Byram snipes breakaway goal straight out of penalty box
Meanwhile, the Avalanche are in a position where they won’t need to consider trading him or someone like fellow blue-liner Sam Girard.
That’s even more important when you consider top-pairing D-man Devon Toews has just one year remaining on his deal ($4.1 million) and will also be seeking a raise in pay.
Colorado kept fellow defenceman Jack Johnson, re-signing him to a one-year deal on Sunday.
The Avalanche did have to move on from longtime D-man Erik Johnson because of cap considerations, though the first overall pick from 2006 landed on his feet with the Buffalo Sabres on a one-year deal worth $3.25 million.
Playing without captain Gabe Landeskog for a second full season is going to be a challenge, but the Avalanche have brought in a number of players to try and fill the void by committee.
It also helps that the Avalanche have MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to headline a forward group that also includes Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin.
That group was bolstered by two other preemptive strikes made by MacFarland, who shipped forward Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of high draft picks, 31st and 37th overall, after the Habs missed out on Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The Avalanche quickly shipped the 37th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning for 26-year-old forward Ross Colton, a restricted free agent who also became a salary cap casualty.
Colton, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, is a middle-six forward who can play centre or wing and immediately provides a boost on the third line and can move up the lineup in case of injury or other opportunity.
MacFarland also made a long-term bet in Miles Wood, inking the former New Jersey Devils feisty left-winger to a six-year deal worth $15 million ($2.5 million).
No doubt some folks are curious about the term of the contract for a player that’s going to play a bottom-six role and is going to be 28 in September, but Wood has five double-digit goal-scoring seasons on his resume (including a career-high 19 during the 2017-18 campaign).
MacFarland would argue Wood brings the cost certainty that is a major plus for a team with several big-ticket items on the books, including the $9 million AAV being paid to top D-man Cale Makar.
“Miles is a big-bodied winger that can skate. He clearly has an identity for how we want to play the game,” said MacFarland. “That North-South type of approach. He has got a little bit of a wrecking ball philosophy with how he plays the game. He’s a good net-front guy that we feel is going to fit.
“That size component is something we felt we needed to add to the mix and he certainly does that. We feel he’s got some good runway in front of him.”
The Avalanche also brought in forward Jonathan Drouin on a one-year deal worth $825,000.
Canadiens’ Drouin sends gorgeous no-look backhand to set up Gallagher
A third-overall pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2013 NHL Draft, things didn’t go as planned after a trade to the Montreal Canadiens for defenceman Mikhail Sergachev.
Limited to two goals and 29 points in 58 games with the Canadiens last season, Drouin is a highly skilled winger who won a Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads back in 2013 when he was linemates with MacKinnon.
Although Drouin is expected to play more of a complementary role with the Avalanche, the environment he’s going to should help him get back to enjoying the game.
“Yes they do have a long history together. When you watch them playing in junior together, obviously the chemistry was there,“ said MacFarland. “Of course, we’re going to pick Nate’s brain. He knows him better than anyone, not only as a player, but as a person and as an individual. He was in full support of this type of situation.
“It’s a low risk, high reward type of situation that hopefully will pay dividends for both. We’re really excited about it. Nate as definitely an honourary member of the scouting department for a few days, that’s for sure.”
Later in the day, the Avalanche retained the services of trusted winger and valuable penalty killer Andrew Cogliano on a one-year deal worth $825,000.
According to CapFriendly, the Avalanche are spending just over $42 million on 10 forwards (and still need a deal for Colton),
Getting Alexandar Georgiev last summer from the New York Rangers and immediately signing him to a three-year deal that carries an AAV of $3.4 million ended up being a stroke of genius.
Avalanche’s Georgiev stretches out to keep game tied with unbelievable, 3-on-1 save
Not only did Georgiev have no trouble handling the big bump in his workload, it allows the Avalanche to roll with a combined salary of $5.4 million in the blue paint, with Pavel Francouz having one more season left on his current contract.
Having Francouz available for more than the 16 games he appeared in last season will be an important element to help keep Georgiev a little fresher.
Knowing the importance of incorporating players on entry-level deals over the next several seasons during this championship window, MacFarland made two picks in the first round on Wednesday as well, adding centre Calum Ritchie of the Oshawa Generals at 27 and Russian D-man Mikhail Gulyeyev at 31.
And while nobody in the Avalanche organization wanted to be eliminated in Game 7 of the first round by the Seattle Kraken, the scary thing for the rest of the league is that this group is going to be well-rested to go on a longer run.
There will be no Stanley Cup hangover to contend with, just the motivation to return to a place they worked hard to get to and want to get back to.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS KEEP MOST OF BAND TOGETHER
Speaking of difficult decisions, the Golden Knights had to try Original Misfit Reilly Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in 2024 in order to keep forward Ivan Barbashev (five years at $5 million AAV) and goalie Adin Hill (two years at $4.9 million AAV).
You can be sure that Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon would have preferred to keep Smith around but he’s 32 years old and scheduled to make $5 million in each of the next two seasons.
Smith gave the Golden Knights six excellent seasons after coming over in the expansion draft and he departs after capturing the Stanley Cup.
The versatile middle-six forward chipped in four goals and 14 points in 21 Stanley Cup playoff games, which capped a stretch of highly productive and dependable play.
But he also became a salary cap casualty as the Golden Knights kept Barbashev (five years younger at 27) in the fold and prevented him from being one of the most highly sought after players on the open market.
Why extending Barbashev has high-upside for the Golden Knights
Barbashev meshed well with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault and is someone who can effectively move up and down the lineup and also provide a physical presence to go along with his offensive production.
The Golden Knights have two restricted free agents left to sign, forwards Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev.
As for Hill, he gets a raise and is expected to share the crease once again with Logan Thompson, who was having an excellent season that was derailed by injuries.
Similar to the Avalanche, the Golden Knights goaltending budget should be in the $6 million range – not including Robin Lehner, who spent all of last season on IR.
Laurent Brossoit, who started 11 games during the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Golden Knights, returned to the Winnipeg Jets on July 1 on a one-year deal worth $1.75 million.
TROTZ MAKES MARK
In officially sliding into the GM chair with the Nashville Predators, Barry Trotz asked his scouts to take some swings in the NHL Draft, then he went out and instituted an obvious culture change.
After Johansen was moved out, the Predators bought out Matt Duchene and the final three years of his contract which carried an annual cap hit of $8 million.
Trotz then signed noted leader and culture carrier Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year deal with an AAV of $4.5 million, brought in heart-and-soul blue-liner Luke Schenn on a three-year deal with an AAV of $2.75 million and added veteran forward Gustav Nyquist on a two-year deal with an AAV of $3.185 million.
What Ryan O’Reilly brings to Barry Trotz’s new-look Predators
The Predators traded for former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh last summer, so they’ve changed the mix considerably around captain Roman Josi, alternate captain Filip Forsberg and goalie Juuse Saros as they get set to usher in a new era under head coach Andrew Brunette.
It was great to see the standing ovation for outgoing Predators GM David Poile inside Bridgestone Arena at the end of Day 2 of the NHL Draft.
Poile has been a hockey lifer and given the number of GMs that went out of their way to wish him well and thank him for his mentorship, it’s easy to see the impact he’s had on the sport during his lengthy run as a GM.
THE DRAFT DID BEGIN AT TWO
Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek had left many guessing at what he was going to do, he raised a few eyebrows by selecting Swedish centre Leo Carlsson second overall.
Verbeek didn’t care about the mock drafts, the Ducks list had Carlsson second and that’s who they went with.
Only time will tell if the Ducks got it right or not.
Carlsson had a solid run at the 2023 IIHF men’s worlds to cap a strong season and is known for his dependable two-way game.
‘It feels unreal’: Leo Carlsson delighted to be drafted by Ducks
He fits the bill as a franchise centre and now it’s up to him to grow into one.
There was plenty of intrigue about where Russian winger Matvei Michkov would land and now the question turns to when he might land on the Philadelphia Flyers roster after being selected seventh overall – one pick before the Washington Capitals.
Colleague Luke Fox has the story on the union between Mitchkov and the Flyers here.
As for that Top-10 NHL mock draft I completed in this space last Sunday?
Well, happy to report that seven of the 10 players I had among the group were chosen and all 10 of them went in the Top-18, but there were only two direct hits.
One of them was a freebie, Connor Bedard to the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 1, the other was Adam Fantilli going to the Columbus Blue Jackets at three.
That’s why I prefaced it by saying there is a reason we have draft experts on staff in Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala.
In my defence, I did anticipate the Ducks going in another direction, though that was with Mitchkov and not Carlsson.
I had defenceman David Reinbacher going early (at six instead of five) and he was one of three picks who was chosen within one spot of where I had them going (Will Smith and Ryan Leonard were the others).
Love the landing spot for Fantilli, who signed his entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets on Saturday and he’s turning pro.
Fantilli and University of Michigan Wolverines linematee Gavin Brindley landing with the Blue Jackets is a great development for the organization.
On an unrelated note, stick tap to Fantilli for wearing a vest with the names of many of the people who supported him on his journey, complete with the inscription “it takes a village.”
Blue Jackets’ Fantilli grateful for family’s sacrifices to be present at the draft
Blues GM Doug Armstrong surprised many by making all three picks he accumulated in the 2023 NHL Draft.
When the bigger deal involving Kevin Hayes fell through (although the Blues circled back and got him later), Armstrong felt compelled to select Slovakian centre Dalibor Dvorsky at 10, Swedish centre Otto Stenberg at 25 and Swedish D-man Theo Lindstein at 29.
Being able to add three first-rounders in a single year figures to be a great way for the Blues to enhance the prospect pool.
One of the other highlights from the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville included the streeter interview with “Kyle from Chicago.”
Absolutely awesome look for the Blackhawks GM, showing some personality at what can be a stressful time for many folks in the hockey business.
Davidson has a tall task ahead of him in reshaping the Blackhawks, but having Bedard in the organization is going to fast track that process.
Bringing in Taylor Hall, himself a first overall pick in 2010, was a smart move.
Not only can Hall give Bedard a skilled scorer to skate alongside, he can offer some advice on how to handle the journey and deal with some of the pressures that come with growing into the face of a franchise.
AWARDS THOUGHTS
As the chair of the Winnipeg chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to vote on many of the awards that were handed out earlier this week.
One of the things I appreciate about the process is that opinions don’t have to be uniform and that there is often more than just one right answer.
People value different things in players in terms of how they assess their impact and value.
The PHWA has chosen to be transparent in having the results of the ballots released to the public and I’ve always supported that.
If we want players, coaches and executives to be transparent with us, we have an obligation to be transparent when given the opportunity to vote on awards.
One of the toughest awards to vote on this season was the Norris Trophy.
As it turns out, many people have a staunch opinion on this topic and it caused plenty of consternation.
It’s not an award for which D-man gets the most points and I fully understand that, but after plenty of internal debate, I ultimately made the decision to vote for San Jose Sharks blue-liner Erik Karlsson.
My reasoning is simple.
Although there are some obvious deficiencies when it comes to his defending (and I’m not ignoring those), the fact remains that he is one of six (i repeat SIX) D-men in the history of the NHL to record a 100-point season.
He drove the Sharks offensive engine and that’s something I could ultimately not ignore either.
‘I get to live my dream every day’: Sharks’ Karlsson on Norris-winning campaign
Had Cale Makar not missed as much time as he did, he probably would have earned my first place vote.
Although his ability to defend, coupled with his extraordinarily high points per game total, given the ice time he logs and the matchups he faces, missing more than a quarter of the season is too much time to garner consideration.
That’s not to discount the season he had
This is my ballot and I’m sure there are choices some of you won’t agree with – and that’s okay.
That’s also part of the process.
BALLOT FOR KEN WIEBE
HART TROPHY
1. Connor McDavid
2. David Pastrnak
3. Mikko Rantanen
4. Jason Robertson
5. Jack Hughes
NORRIS TROPHY
1. Erik Karlsson
2. Josh Morrissey
3. Miro Heiskanen
4. Dougie Hamilton
5. Adam Fox
CALDER TROPHY
1. Matty Beniers
2. Stuart Skinner
3. Owen Power
4. Wyatt Johnston
5. Matias Maccelli
LADY BYNG TROPHY
1. Anze Kopitar
2. Jaccob Slavin
3. Jack Hughes
4. Brayden Point
5. Joe Pavelski
This is the final Wiebe’s World Sunday NHL column of the season and I want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you who took the time to check it out over the course of the season. Your feedback is always welcome, even when you don’t agree with my takes. You can always reach me at: wiebesworld9@gmail.com with topics you would like explored in further detail. Enjoy the offseason and thanks for following along.
ZURICH (AP) — Two months before FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host, the soccer body was urged again Friday to allow independent scrutiny of the kingdom’s human rights obligations for the tournament.
A group of law and human rights experts plus Saudi activists abroad want FIFA to mandate ongoing reviews — and a potential termination clause — into the 2034 World Cup hosting contract.
The advisers who came to Zurich on Friday want FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is closely tied to Saudi political and soccer leaders, to learn from how Qatar was picked to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar won in 2010 with little thought from FIFA’s then-leaders about legal safeguards and reputational challenges.
Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, is a traditionally conservative society and needs a huge construction project relying on migrant workers to build stadiums and other infrastructure for global soccer’s biggest event.
“There are really no excuses now,” British lawyer Rodney Dixon told The Associated Press. “If it means that they therefore have to come to a different kind of agreement in December, that is what they should do.”
World Cup hosting contracts will be signed after the Dec. 11 decision by more than 200 FIFA member federations at an online meeting. Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for 2034.
Promising not to be confrontational with FIFA, Dixon said: “We are not naive. It is not FIFA’s role to change the world. They are not the UN.”
The briefing in FIFA’s home city came two days after the UN General Assembly in New York rejected a Saudi bid to get a seat on the 47-nation Human Rights Council for the next three years.
On Friday, the would-be FIFA advisers cited Saudi Arabia’s record on freedom of speech and assembly, and laws on labor and male guardianship that limit women’s freedoms.
After Infantino was first elected in 2016, when scrutiny was intense on Qatar and its treatment of migrant workers, FIFA demanded a human rights strategy from future World Cup hosts.
Bid rules for the 2030 and 2034 men’s tournaments refer to “activities in connection with the bidding for and hosting” rather than rights in wider society.
In May, FIFA got an offer from the law and human rights experts to create an independent process for monitoring progress in Saudi Arabia.
Swiss law professor Mark Pieth, an anti-corruption advisor to FIFA from 2011-14, said they had been ignored and “we are here in Zurich to try again.”
In July, Saudi plans for the World Cup were published including a review of its human rights strategy by lawyers it chose, and 15 stadium projects.
Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea said Friday it documented “grave labor violations” against migrant workers who number more than 13 million, or about 40% of the kingdom’s population.
The scale of construction required for the World Cup and potential for labor abuses “is really, really chilling,” Shea said in a live link from London.
She cautioned that while rights groups had limited access to operate in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, there is “zero access” to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi soccer officials have consistently said the kingdom is making progress on social reforms as part of the Vision 2030 drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize and create a post-oil economy.
The 2034 bid campaign was contacted for comment Friday.
In a video message from Washington D.C., Abdullah Alaoudh of the Middle East Democracy Center insisted “the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia has worsened under Mohamed bin Salman’s leadership.”
Saudi Arabia was ranked No. 131 of 146 nations on gender issues by the World Economic Forum, Dixon noted.
“(There are) so many laws that prejudice women,” he said. “None of them are addressed by the Saudi bid.”
FIFA is evaluating World Cup bidders with reports likely in early December. It also must assess the human rights strategy of the sole candidate for the 2030 World Cup: co-hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco with single games in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
“All relevant reports, including the independent human rights context assessments and the human rights strategies of all bidders for the 2030 and 2034 editions, are available on our website,” FIFA said Friday.
FIFA and Infantino have not held a news conference to take any questions on World Cup bids since the 2034 edition was fast-tracked toward Saudi Arabia one year ago.
Any protest among FIFA voters on Dec. 11 has been made less likely.
FIFA said last week both 2030 and 2034 awards will be combined in a single vote. Any European opposition to the Saudi bid also would count against Spain and Portugal. Victory by acclamation without an itemized vote is possible.
“If FIFA is desperate to give Saudi Arabia the World Cup,” Pieth said, “the least would be to see to it that the minimum of these (human rights) requirements is actually upheld.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has seen a lot in her incredible career that’s included four WNBA championships.
The historic rally by the Lynx to beat New York 95-93 in a wild Game 1 of the WNBA Finals ranks right up there as one of the best moments.
“We’re the first team in WNBA playoff history to be down 15 (in the final 5 minutes) and come back and win the game,” Reeve said. “So that ranks really high. I think it defines our team. Getting through difficult times. That’s what we’ve been talking about. You have to be mentally tough, resilient. … Thrilled that we could hang in there.”
Minnesota rallied from 18 points down in the first half and Napheesa Collier’s turnaround jumper with 8.8 seconds left in overtime lifted the team to the win over the New York Liberty on Thursday night.
With the game tied, Collier faked in the lane and scored. New York had a chance to tie it but Breanna Stewart’s layup at the buzzer was off.
“The basketball gods were on our side tonight,” said Courtney Williams, who had 23 points, including a four-point play with 5.5 seconds left in regulation, to lead Minnesota.
Collier finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Sunday in New York. Before the game, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is expanding the Finals to best-of-seven starting next year.
The OT got off to a slow start before Minnesota built an 88-84 advantage as New York missed its first six shots. Jonquel Jones finally got the Liberty on the board with a corner 3-pointer with 1:38 left. Williams answered with her own 3-pointer and the teams traded baskets over the next minute. Sabrina Ionescu’s steal in the backcourt and layup got New York within 93-91 with 32.9 left.
Jones then stole the ball at midcourt and scored to tie it four seconds later. Minnesota worked the clock down before Collier’s basket broke the tie.
The Liberty blew an 11-point lead in the final 3:23 of regulation when Minnesota scored 12 straight points, capped by Williams’ four-point play.
The Liberty made the most of the last few seconds in regulation. After Stewart’s first shot was blocked with a second left and went out of bounds, Ionescu inbounded the ball to her under the basket and she was fouled. The officials reviewed the play to see if the foul occurred before the buzzer sounded and deemed that it did awarding Stewart two free throws with 0.8 seconds left.
She hit the first of two free throws with the second one rolling off the rim. Williams’ shot on the other end was off and the game headed to OT.
“We just take it on the chin, you know. We were up a lot and then we had a wild kind of sequence to end the fourth,” Stewart said. “Didn’t start overtime great. I had a great look at the end and I didn’t make it. But I think that this is a series. We wanted to really win, obviously, for home court. But the beauty is, we have another game on Sunday and we’ll be ready.”
Jones led New York with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Ionescu finished with 19 and Stewart had 18.
New York came right at Minnesota, which was playing just two days after beating Connecticut in the semifinals. The Liberty built an 18-point lead in the first half before the Lynx rallied.
The 18-point rally tied the New York Liberty’s record they set in 1999 in Game 2 of the Finals that ended with Teresa Weatherspoon’s historic halfcourt shot.
Both teams are looking to make history in this series. The Liberty are looking for the franchise’s first championship while the Lynx are vying for a league-record fifth. They were the best teams during the regular season, finishing in the top two spots in the standings.
New York is in the finals for the second consecutive year and is hoping to erase the scar of losing to the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Minnesota is making its first appearance in the championship round since 2017, when the team won its fourth title in a seven-year span.
The Liberty had lost two of the three regular-season meetings to Minnesota and the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but both teams have said that those games didn’t really matter heading into the championship.
The Lynx were able to hold Jones in check in all three of the wins with the Liberty’s star center scoring in single digits each time. She reached double figures by the end of the first quarter on Thursday.
Minnesota held New York to 38% shooting and improved to 181-11 since 2011 when the team holds an opponent under 40% shooting.
The star-studded New York crowd of 17,732 was loud and spirited as it has been all season. Spike Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Meek Mill and New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos were all in attendance. Lee was wearing an Ionescu jersey.
Points have been tough to come by for the ‘Caps in recent weeks and, with just two games left in their regular-season schedule, Vancouver is in danger of having to play its way into a Major League Soccer post-season series.
The club has a chance to make up ground Sunday when it hosts Los Angeles FC.
“Huge importance,” Whitecaps midfielder Stuart Armstrong said of the match. “We want to try and climb the table so every point is very valuable.”
The two sides have been on opposite trajectories in recent weeks.
Vancouver (13-11-8) comes into Sunday’s matchup winless in its last five MLS appearances (0-3-2) after falling 1-0 to Minnesota United at B.C. Place last Saturday.
LAFC (17-8-7) heads north on a four-game win streak. The squad hasn’t lost since Sept. 21 when L.A. dropped a 3-1 road decision to Dallas FC.
“One thing I’ve learned in this league is that any game is a new opportunity to win. And any game, if you come in the right mindset, you can win it,” said ‘Caps defender Ranko Veselinovic.
“We are a good team, we are good players. And if we come with the right attitude in the game, we can do good.”
LAFC is an opponent the Whitecaps are all too familiar with, having faced the club twice already this year and six times last season. The most-recent rendezvous came during the Leagues Cup competition back in July, when Vancouver edged L.A. on penalties.
This time around is likely to look a little different because both sides will be missing key pieces due to international call-ups.
Vancouver will be without the creative offence of captain Ryan Gauld (Scotland), the scoring prowess of Fafa Picault (Haiti) and the defensive talents of Andres Cubas (Paraguay), as well as three other important players.
LAFC will miss sniper Denis Bouanga (Gabon), who has the second most goals in MLS (19), and leads the league in both shots (148) and shots on target.
The absences will undoubtedly change the game, said ‘Caps head coach Vanni Sartini.
“I think we need to be very open to understand how they’re going to come and play. Because maybe they’re not going to play like they usually play, in terms of system, in terms of positioning of the players. But they still have a lot of quality players,” he said.
With so many of his regular starters away, Sartini will be looking for other players to step up while maintaining Vancouver’s identity.
“The last couple of games, especially the (3-0 loss) against Seattle, we didn’t give what we can do,” the coach said. “I think we need to reset and be really focused on us.
“Because when we focus on us, we can beat any team.”
While a victory Sunday could help Vancouver avoid a play-in game, the club knows L.A. is still trying to lock up first spot in the West.
“They’re obviously at the top end of the table so we know they’re going to be a good team. They’re fighting it out with the (L.A.) Galaxy. We’re in a slightly different battle at the moment,” Armstrong said.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge. But these are the type of games you want to play in. And you always enjoy the big matches.”
LOS ANGELES FC (17-8-7) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (13-11-8)
Sunday, B.C. Place
INS AND OUTS: Both sides will be missing some major players due to international call-ups. Vancouver’s Ali Ahmed (Canada), Sam Adekugbe (Canada), Cubas (Paraguay), Gauld (Scotland), Picault (Haiti) and Pedro Vite (Ecuador) are all with their national teams, while L.A. will be without Bouanga (Gabon), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay) and Maxime Chanot (Luxembourg). LAFC’s Lorenzo Dellavalle and Jesus Murillo are also out with knee injuries.
HISTORY BOOKS: Sunday’s game will mark the 20th all-time meeting between the two clubs. LAFC has fared better and holds a 9-5-4 edge in the matchups, but the clubs have split their two previous games in 2024.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Vancouver won its third-straight Canadian Championship title in September, while L.A. is the reigning U.S. Open Cup champion.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
