Okay, that title might be a bit drastic.
“NHL sentences the Canucks to fully finish the NHL season”.
But sure enough, despite 19 players still in Covid protocol…..
Jay Beagle has been added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list. Adam Gaudette, who was first on, is now off so the #Canucks still have 19 players in protocol.
— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) April 11, 2021
…the league is telling the Covid-hammered Canucks to get back into game action this coming Friday, with 19 games in 31 nights to close out the campaign.
And they got one less day to practice, as Rogers Arena was closed on Sunday thanks to Beagle testing positive.
One less day for Canucks to prepare for 19 games in one month, starting with 5 in 7 nights, led off w back-to-backs vs McDavid and Matthews. With 1-2 practices to prepare, and a lineup of COVID survivors nowhere near their best. #SoundsFair https://t.co/xUSfRNv93i
— Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) April 11, 2021
Hoo boy, is this going to be interesting.
And yes, it feels just a tad like the Canucks are being punished for something out of their control.
#Canucks relaunch with back to backs and 5 in first 7 nights… https://t.co/Y7yDTg7tbc
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) April 10, 2021
Yeah, and it’s Oilers first, followed by Leafs, and Leafs.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews, Marner as a hearty “welcome back” from the NHL.
Maybe McDavid WILL get to 100 points in 56 games, and maybe Matthews DOES get back to a goal a game pace.
There is a legitimate likelihood these first five, six, seven games back could be absolute disasters for the Canucks.
And, as you can imagine, reaction has been fairly reasonable in Vancouver….
The Canucks could lose half their team to Thanos snapping his fingers and the other half ending up in a Lost situation and the NHL would race to a podium to announce a new schedule that would let the Canucks play all 56 games.
— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) April 11, 2021
Hey, I already talked about the Canucks Covid situation when it first came out and I was sorely lacking in hot takes.
I don’t think the Canucks season should have been ended.
I DO think the sanctity of a full season is important to at least try to finish.
But damn, man.
19 games in 31 nights for a bunch of guys who haven’t skated in ten days, who will likely still be feeling the effects of a crushing illness?
Straight into three in four against four of the best offensive players in the league?
This could be Sabres-esque with how bad the final stretch goes for the Canucks.
Of course, that’s not a bad thing.
For a team that, once again, is nearly destitute of prospects – I’ll give you Hoglander, Podkolzin, maybe Juolevi, DiPietro, Lind maybe – as NHL-likely, and you’re looking at a team that, despite sitting sixth in the North, needs to stock up the prospect cupboards. Again.
So a season-ending swoon, aided by a ridiculous 19 in 31 sked, might not be a bad thing.
I hate writing that. It’s been seven years under Jim Benning. It’s time for more than this, for better than this.
But here we are.
A brutal sked to end a brutal season that included brutal health woes, and now it may end up being an okay thing.
Because sucking down the stretch might be what’s best, again, for this team.
Damn it.
Iain McLetchie
