Vancouver Canucks players wait out the final moments of Saturday’s Game 6 loss to the Calgary Flames. In the must-win game, the Canucks blew a 3-0 lead, and then the 4-3 lead they had entering the third period.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
At the end of a hallway in Rogers Arena, leading to the Canucks coaches offices, there's a poster of the Stanley Cup on the wall, and a quotation from Donald Trump below the trophy: "If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big."
A year ago, the Vancouver Canucks were a wreckage. The franchise folk hero, civic icon and team legend Trevor Linden had been hired out of retirement to salvage the situation.
Linden's number and face and history is draped everywhere at Rogers Arena and around the Canucks. He brought calm, savvy and led the climb out of a bomb crater. Under new management and a new coach, and a roster bolstered by some new blood, the goal was modest: make the playoffs. And not a lot of prognosticators believed it was going to happen.
The goal was accomplished – but, in life and sports, events can swirl at a rapid pace, and what was an accomplished goal two weeks ago today looks like a failure. The Canucks had been at least slightly favoured in the first round against the upstart and young Calgary Flames and instead quickly fell behind three games to one. Then, on Saturday night, when they nearly had the series tied at three, they choked.
In the must-win Game 6 against the Flames in Calgary, the Canucks blew a 3-0 lead, and then blew the 4-3 lead they had going into the final 20 minutes. "Depressed and angry," is how one Canucks fan blogger expressed the general mood of malaise.
The Canucks under Linden were a rehabilitation job from the outset. The humiliating end of the 2014-15 season indicates there's lots more work ahead. And Vancouver's situation is suddenly compounded because of the rapid shift in the competitive balance in the Pacific Division, in only the last 10 days.
The Flames, and their future, suddenly look a lot better than many people might have thought of their seemingly lucky season. Sam Bennett, last year's No. 4 pick, has been an immediate force, to add to the young punch of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. T.J. Brodie, 24, is an excellent defenceman and veteran Mark Giordano will be back, too.
Then there's Edmonton, which suddenly looks as though it will enter next season with oodles of potential, led by golden-boy Connor McDavid, and savvy new management. The odds seem realistic that this is the time the team actually hauls itself up the standings.
Los Angeles, one would guess, rebounds. Anaheim remains powerful. San Jose is in limbo. In the Pacific, only Arizona is an also-ran. So where the Canucks finished second in the Pacific this season, to crack the top three next year will be difficult – and making next year's playoffs could well be tougher to achieve than this year.
"We've accomplished the goal we had – that was to make the playoffs," Linden said in an interview before the postseason began.
The next goal had been to "do some damage here." The team failed.
"It all starts again next year," Linden said. "We know we've got a lot of work to do."
This is not a truly competitive team, as the Canucks amply proved for all to see. It's not a tear-down – owner Francesco Aquilini has steadfastly refused that tack – so it's a juggling act. Some old pillars stay. The Sedins, turning 35 in September, are the leaders. Ryan Miller, turning 35 in July, is the starting goalie.
But significant change will come. Kevin Bieksa, most likely, is finished as a Canuck, the only team he has ever played for. One wonders if Chris Higgins, Brad Richardson and Shawn Matthias will still be around. Zack Kassian is probably gone. The Canucks need draft picks – they don't have a second- or third-round pick in June – and this will be a likely focus of general manager Jim Benning.
Roster spots will open for young players and prospects. Bo Horvat, at 20, has risen a lot more than expected. Is he the second-line centre? Sven Baertschi, 22, will presumably be on next year's team, as well as Ronalds Kenins.
Jake Virtanen, an 18-year-old local and last year's No. 6 pick, will get the same shot Horvat did this year.
Jared McCann, No. 24 in 2013, will have a chance to make the team. So will Cole Cassels, No. 85 pick in 2013. Hunter Shinkaruk, No. 24 in 2013, and Brendan Gaunce, No. 26 pick in 2012, will also get looks.
On defence, there's Adam Clendening and Frank Corrado, both 22.
The 2014-15 Canucks were an early step on a bridge to the future. The bridge is long. The fans are reeling, given how it ended. Tickets were tough to sell this season. The remake of the team, with a major injection of new, young faces, is one potential salve, a new story to sell. But there is no certainty – when looking at Calgary and Edmonton – that Vancouver's collection of youth will be hardy and talented enough.
David Ebner