Years of being a contender allowed the Canucks to escape from the consequences from their poor drafting and developing history. Now, they must pay for the absence of young talent in the lineup until the likes of Jake Virtanen, Brenda Gaunce and Jared McCann are ready. Is that time now? The Canucks are projected to finish close to the bottom of the basement in the Western Conference, and as Grady Sas explains, it can all be traced back to asset management. The encourgaing performances of the youngsters in pre-season camp does give a sense of relief, though.
If there’s one area where you could pinpoint as to why the Canucks are no longer a contender in a tough Western Conference, it’s there abysmal drafting and developing history along with the mismanagement of built-up assets over approximately the past 15 seasons.