Canucks: A make-or-break road trip as Vancouver waits on injuries

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As the Vancouver Canucks head out short-handed on a big six-game road trip — an away stint that’s increasingly feeling like a potentially pivotal stretch in the season — how are fans feeling?

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The Canucks are still missing a couple stars. J.T. Miller isn’t expected to play until after this road trip. But there’s some hope on the horizon.

Brock Boeser will hopefully make his return next week. Thatcher Demko continues to skate with his teammates and appears close to a return, although not necessarily imminent. He was notably upbeat in speaking to reporters before the road trip, not saying there’s a target for a return date, but still making it clear he is hoping it’s soon.

So how do fans think this road trip will go?

Not expecting to win many games, but do they show up every night? Might get a big boost if Boeser returns. But this team is not a contender with their current defence. — Jordan Spinks via Bluesky

The showing-up part is something that is baffling head coach Rick Tocchet to a degree. Most of the roster is back from last year, but they’re still struggling for consistency.

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Whereas last year’s team was relentless in how they applied pressure on the opposition, this year’s lineup hasn’t always done so.

The way the likes of Kiefer Sherwood, Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland forecheck stand out in a way that shouldn’t. You know they’re going to get in on the puck. But we should be thinking like this about every player on the team.

Newer players like Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk are still works in progress in this regard.

U.S. Thanksgiving (usually) doesn’t have much movement in playoff standings. Important trip, but still have big concerns on the way team is playing. Commitment and buy-in feels nothing like last year. — Aaren T. via Bluesky

Year in, year out, there’s eternal truth about the NHL standings at American Thanksgiving — three-quarters of the teams that are in playoff positions at the end of November will go on to make the playoffs.

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American Thanksgiving is Thursday. The Canucks are currently in a playoff spot, but only just.

They have work to do. This road trip is going to be very important for their prospects this season, both in the literal standings, but also in the team’s self-image.

They do need to commit more, to buy-in more, to what they’re doing. That’s plain to see.

It’s a big test for the leaders on the team.

It will end with a pretty decent trade. — Anthony Riglietti via Bluesky

There’s little doubt the Canucks are on the hunt for a defenceman. But are they in a rush? No.

They know they need another defenceman who can move the puck.

They also have faith in the prospects they have in the long run. But in the interim, with this team being close to a proper contender, they do need to upgrade.

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Last year, they made the Nikita Zadorov trade at the end of November. There was something of a necessity then: Carson Soucy was hurt.

Right now, there’s no injury, just a roster that’s creaking due to its own construction.

Will adding a new defenceman now pay immediate dividends and lead to more wins? In the long run, certainly. In the short run, probably not.

The moral here is that the Canucks are surely going to make a trade, but their past process has shown that they don’t leap before they have to.

I’m feeling really optimistic, expectations are much lower than I think they normally would be, and we always seem to do much better when the expectations are lowered! — Geordie Canuck via Bluesky

The eternal vibe of the Canucks fan is: Don’t expect things to go right, and hey, maybe you’ll be surprised.

This isn’t really what a fan wants. They want that 2011 feeling, or even last season’s feeling, where they just think the team is going to win every night.

Right now, that’s not the vibe.

The vibe seems to be anxiety. People are already feeling enough anxiety about the world at large, about their finances, about everything.

Canucks, these fans want you to get back to where you need to be.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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