‘We’ve all seen when they’re playing at their best what they’re capable of. We all know that winning solves a lot of issues.’ — Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin.
As a former defenceman, Patrik Allvin played to his strengths Monday.
However, he also went on the offensive to address what has consumed this hockey-mad market.
Would he fiddle with his top-six mix to ensure the club can remain competitive to push for a playoff position this season and also add to the prospects’ pool and accumulate draft picks?
“If it makes sense, and the money fits for us, we are definitely open for it (trade). At the (March 7) deadline, teams would have more cap space accrued and it will definitely be interesting over the next couple of weeks.”
However, the deal fell through and Miller stepped up with a command shutdown performance in a 3-2 victory at Rogers Arena.
It only made the noise louder about whether Miller should be dealt or not.
“I don’t want to comment on any specific players, but I was really pleased with J.T.’s performance Saturday and he was excellent against (Connor) McDavid and (Leon) Draisaitl,” lauded Allvin.
That could give Allvin reason to hit the trade pause button amid league parity. No team wants to part with a top player unless it acquires someone of similar stature. After all, how do you replace a first-line centre in Miller without getting one in return — especially in a window to win now?
Any team hoping to go anywhere needs a strong one-two punch down the middle.
A healthier Canucks’ roster has the capacity to at lest secure a post-season position, especially if it can combine accountability with consistency. But being ranked last in shots and 22nd in goals isn’t going to cut it. And that’s where the curiosity lies.
“We’ve all seen when they’re playing at their best what they’re capable of,” added Allvin. “Age-wise, it’s an intriguing group and committed and I still believe we have a good core here. I see the resilience and the hunger. The fact they were able to shake off tough losses and come back the next game is an indication of them all wanting to be here.
“We all know that winning solves a lot of issues. If everything goes right, I’m very confident this is a playoff team. We’ve had our challenges and we need to have a stronger second half and pick it up.”
As for the constant noise surrounding the club — widely reported disconnect between Miller and Pettersson in the room, or constant trade rumours — Boeser hasn’t seen anything like this. And he has been included in plenty of past speculation.
“I’ve been through a lot of seasons with this (speculation) stuff happening and this might be one of the worst years with all the injuries and distractions,” admitted Boeser. “It’s been hard. But we have to find a way around it and stick together.”
Tocchet has had to push and prod and also demonstrate a level of patience and understanding to keep his club from going off the rails. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by management that believes he’s a long-term fit behind the bench this season.
“The way we communicate to make the team better and the way he pushes the right buttons, I do believe he’s a good coach and I see him here long-term, but it’s obviously a two-way street there,” said Allvin.
“Up to his point, there hasn’t been anything for us to do anything with the (contract) club option. I’m sure we’ll talk about it.”
Said Tocchet: “My 24/7 energy is how can I get this team to play consistent? Honestly, I don’t think about my future our worry about it. I’m day-to-day, especially where we’re at.”
Myers states suspension case
Myers received a match penalty and had a hearing Monday with the NHL Player Safety department to state his case for a suspected suspension.
“Things were getting heated there at the end and I’m not ignorant to the fact of how it looked in real time,” said Myers. “If you slow it (video) down, I start lower and as he brought his hands up, it kind of redirected my stick up.
“I never intended to hit him in the face and I’ve never cross-checked anybody in the face in my whole career.”