TSN's Mike Johnson makes an interesting comment on the Canucks: Taking a step back?

"I think they're more likely to take a step back. That doesn't mean they're not going to be good. That doesn't mean they won't make the playoffs and doesn't mean they won't go deeper in the playoffs. But to think about players who had career years last year, whether it's Quinn Hughes or Hronek or Miller or Boeser. The reason they're called career years is because they happen once in your career. They don't happen year after year after year. So it's very likely that those very good players who are incredibly talented maybe take a slight step back statistically. That's okay because they have Elias Pettersson, who should probably take a step forward because he had a down year. But I just think that some of their top players had such great years, they're probably going to take a little bit of a step back." Johnson said.

He added, "So how do they absorb some of that decrease around their offense. But maybe most importantly as well, any success Vancouver is going to have long-term in the playoffs is going to predicated on their excellent goaltending in Thatcher Demko and the reality is he's been very candid, very up-front about the injuries he's dealing with, he's not healthy."