The Canucks have been inconsistent, have struggled against top teams and yet they keep marching forward in the NHL standings.
For all the hand wringing about the Canucks’ state of affairs, here are a pair of facts.
1. The Canucks are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. That’s a very good trend.
2. The Canucks are now +5 in goal differential. The Canucks returned from their road trip +2. The road trip had been good.
Even this stumbling home stand, they’re +3.
This is a good trend.
Desharnais on the block, but where to?
No matter Vincent Derharnais’s current status — word has it he’s dealing with a cold — reports now say the Canucks are hoping to find him a new home in a trade.
It’s hard to imagine who is going to trade for him with a $2 million cap hit. The Canucks can’t retain salary on him, it must be noted: they’ve already used up all three of their retention spots this season.
Maybe a team will come along that needs a right-shot depth defenceman, even with his price, but who would that be?
Empty seats
It was pretty remarkable to look down at the lower bowl, with the Stanley Cup champions in town, and see all the empty seats.
The Canucks have just one sellout this season. That’s pretty surprising on the back of last year’s success.
Then again, the Canucks haven’t been buzzing at home like they did last season. And ticket prices are up, again. And everyone is feeling the pinch before even contemplating ticket prices.
I hear a lot from fans who are frustrated with the cost of going to a game. Obviously there are lots of people who are fine with it and sure the overall marketplace has changed, people aren’t downtown as much for one thing and the experience at home is pretty good — selling tickets is a problem across all sports — but this is supposed to be the big show in town.
You’d think that would drive ticket sales all on its own.
Times change and inflation is a thing, but I found myself reflecting back on a game 20 years ago this week: the infamous Chris Levesque game, where UBC’s third-stringer was signed as an emergency backup to Johan Hedberg, who was Dan Cloutier’s backup, after Cloutier got hurt in the morning skate and No. 3 goalie Alex Auld was on the other side of the continent.
My buddy and I went to that game, paying $20 a pop to a scalper after the puck dropped.
Tickets aren’t going to be that cheap anymore, but tickets used to feel within reach. Do they feel within reach for regular fans anymore? I don’t know.