The season is finally upon us. After being the NHL's biggest surprise last season, the Canucks look to overcome adversity, the doubters, the haters, and their own sad legacy with a team that should be considered a Cup contender.
Vancouver Canucks (0-0-0) vs. Calgary Flames (0-0-0)
7pm PDT; 10 p.m. ET
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet One
Radio: Sportsnet 650
It was a long summer for the Vancouver Canucks, but one that we weren't really used to.
For pretty much the past decade, the summer consisted of misery over another wasted season, followed by angst over the inability of the management at the time to do anything to make the team better. Things are different now, and it shows by the work off-season by Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford. Free agency decisions that would have seemed insane a couple years ago are now being looked at as necessary, because the end result is what matters, and this management team has earned the trust of the fan base.
In a season where most had the team either battling for a Wild Card slot or missing the playoffs yet again, the Canucks came within a goal of a date in the Conference Finals, and if not for the injury to Thatcher Demko, would have won that series over the Oilers.
And there's the rub as we head into Game One tonight at Rogers Arena. Demko is still not ready to go, and that means it will be up to Arturs Silovs and new addition Kevin Lankonen to hold down the fort for the first month or so until Demko is ready to roll. Both looked good at times during the preseason, but will need help from the back end to ensure success.
It's not just in goal that the Canucks have a new look heading into the season. A top line of Jake De Brusk and Daniel Sprong with Elias Pettersson, as well as Keifer Sherwood and Danton Heinen in the bottom 6, and Vincent Desharnais and Derek Forbort on defence will add some speed, some goal scoring ability in De Brusk and Sprong, and a lot of grit. Like last year, this Canucks team is going to be tough to play against for a lot of different reasons, and I am here for it.
As for their opponents tonight, the Calgary Flames are in the midst of a rebuilding cycle that saw them move out some major pieces last season. Jacob Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane, and Dillon Dube are gone, and they'll start the season without Yegor Sherangovich, who's on the IR. They're going to see if Dan Vladar and their star AHL prospect Dustin Wolf can give them the kind of goaltending they need to be competitive, but in a division with the Canucks, Oilers, Golden Knights, Kings and what should be an improved Seattle Kraken squad, they'll be hard pressed to make the post-season.
The Canucks will be without the aforementioned Demko as well as Dakota Joshua, who will miss at least a month after a breakout season last year, following his diagnosis with testicular cancer in the off-season, but it does appear that Pius Suter will be good to go for tonight, meaning Aatu Raty will sit after making the jump from Abbotsford, thanks to a strong pre-season performance.
LINEUPS
We found this lineup spray-painted on the latest sign outside Chip Wilson's house. Or was it on the nhl dot com? I can't remember. Anyway...
Flames projected lineup
Samuel Honzek -- Nazem Kadri -- Andrei Kuzmenko
Connor Zary -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Martin Pospisil -- Anthony Mantha
Ryan Lomberg -- Kevin Rooney -- Adam Klapka
MacKenzie Weegar -- Daniil Miromanov
Kevin Bahl -- Rasmus Andersson
Jake Bean -- Brayden Pachal
Dan Vladar
Dustin Wolf
Scratched: Matt Coronato, Joel Hanley, Tyson Barrie
Injured: Yegor Sharangovich
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Daniel Sprong
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Aatu Raty -- Conor Garland
Nils Aman -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Vincent Desharnais
Arturs Silovs
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Noah Juulsen, Pius Suter
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Dakota Joshua (testicular cancer recovery)
While this Flames team isn't gonna be a pushover, this isn't a team that should give the Canucks the night sweats in preparation for this meeting. Surprised they didn't give BC boy Tyson Barrie the start after making the team on a PTO, but I gave up trying to figure out the Flames years ago.
For the Canucks, it looks like it will be a game time decision on whether Pius Suter is ready to roll, if he's not, then Aatu Raty gets his first NHL game action since Feb of 2023. Langley's Danton Heinen will have his family in the crowd tonight as he plays his first regular season game for the team he grew up cheering for.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
The Canucks are back. Tune out the noise, the talking heads are going to be as wrong this year as they were last time, and better days are here. So get ready, because the sorrow ends soon.