Canucks brass sent all available protection to China as a junket for players like Gudbrannson, Dorsett and Andrey Pedan.
And the Canucks don't have anyone on their current roster to protect the kids like Boeser, Demko or Virtanen.
And as tough as Virtanen is - if he breaks a hand in a fight against an AHL goon that Calgary will dress then that's all three prized possessions for the Canucks gone.
In the 9-4 ass kicking to Las Vegas Golden Knights, their first game in the NHL, the blueline was exposed as bunch of marshmallows led by Nameless Guy Holm who was clearly on the verge of crapping his pants against a team that only dressed Clayton Stoner.
Imagine the fun the Calgary Flames are going to have with these prized undefended rookies?
The Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers have a duty to their franchises to dress 4-5 goons and to put away any thought of Boeser or Demko or Virtanen playing for Vancouver this year.
If I was their coach I'd target Boeser too.
Boeser could actually carry an entire franchise on his back.
He reminds one of Mike Bossy, but still waiting for Brian Trottier and Clark Gillies.
It's the latter player the Canucks are failing to dress right now.
And these kids are headed to a slaughterhouse in Calgary and Edmonton.
They won't survive the games to get to Utica if you were worried about them getting to Utica.
This is Lord Cardigan bravely leading his light horses to battle against Russian cannon in 1854, the charge of the Light Brigade. That didn't end well for the 4th and 13 light Dragoons.
If Holm and gang thought it was bad against Vegas, then they're in for a rude awakening against the Flames and Oilers.
What baffles the mind here is that the Canucks didn't sign anyone at least for a few games to protect the kids. There's nobody here on a PTO that could keep the Flames or Oilers from running roughshod on these ill-prepared kids.
I mean Clayton Stoner is a tough young man from Port McNeill, but the Flames are going to dress five of them.
It's going to be a bloodbath.
If the Canucks were smart they shouldn't dress any of their prized prospects for these two games. Sign people on a PTO. Scratch teams together.
But if they go into Calgary or Edmonton knowing Boeser's going to get run and his knees are going to be targeted and they lose him - then someone has to be fired.
Juolevi could very well leave these games the way Larsen did in New Jersey.
This could be a slaughter of epic proportions.
Now, to be fair, part of this blame is on the NHL for dividing the Canucks and sending them to China to play Los Angeles.
But most of the blame lies at the feet of management who should see what's coming down the pipe here at them. Hell, Jim Benning was at the receiving end of these beat downs from Calgary and Edmonton while playing in Vancouver.
He should know Edmonton and Calgary have a duty to beat the living almighty shit out of the Canucks here.
If they break Boeser's leg in 4 places - he may never see the NHL.
And that's good for Calgary and Edmonton, right?
And keep in mind - there's no suspensions in pre-season.
There's no league mandate to protect Vancouver.
It's open season baby.
And it's a two-way street. The Canucks could do themselves a favour and dress their goons and target McDavid.
But their too nice.
And so they're 50 years without a Cup and counting.
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