Canucks fans aren’t necessarily as optimistic as I am, while for the sake of Kraken fans, I hope I’m wrong.
This however, is an objective projection based on reality.
Should the Kraken get 30-plus goals from the 4th line and crank out the highest 5-on-5 shooting percentage in the NHL like they did in 2022-’23, then I’ll be wrong. I’m not expecting either of those things to happen.
It’ll be another quiet spring in the Emerald City, other than the start of another Mariners season. They’re still simply not deep enough across the board and there are pockmarks in that D-corps. Health appeared to be a serious training camp issue, although the preseason wounded, like Brandon Montour, Vince Dunn, and Jared McCann, all showed up in a big way in the 3-1 opening night win over the Anaheim Ducks.
As for the Canucks, as I recently told Vancouver’s President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford via e-mail and in person, in the Seattle media room before a preseason game oddly enough — I’m still banned, season 4, from covering the Canucks at Rogers Arena — that his team will make the playoffs and that they’re two in-season moves away from being a Cup contender this coming postseason.
What they need is another spark or two up front. Even with youngsters emerging, they’ll want to supplement the offensive talent base before March. Right now, barring an injury rash, they’re in excellent shape behind their own blueline, with a healthy Thatcher Demko right back in the Vezina Trophy conversation.
The Canucks also won their opener, 5-1 over the Calgary Flames. Of course, one win does not a season make, but it does give a confidence boost to the respective fan bases.
In one case in our Pacific North region, it’s a sign of things to come; in the other, not so much.
Earlier Kraken:
— Three Youngsters Make Kraken Club
