The Vancouver Canucks have missed the mark a lot this season. With one of the best young core groups in the NHL the Canucks have gotten off to a horrendous start.
On many a night the Canucks have looked, disjointed and uninspired. Hell they went has far as changing the dress code to see if that would spark something, it did, but only for a game or two. Obviously, there are bigger things to worry about than dressing casual for games.
The search for their game has led to a lot of questions being asked about coaching, player personnel and the direction of the organization. Ultimately, their horrific start has led to a search for their identity. It’s also evident that they have miss managed their players and assets, which just can’t happen at the NHL level.
Perhaps the Canucks biggest miss of the season is their subsequent treatment of Zack MacEwen.
The proud Islander is a skilled heart and soul type player that the Canucks need in their lineup every night. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case at all.
The undrafted free agent forward is coming off a new contract extension and has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the organization, but more importantly his teammates.
Unfortunately, the only highlights of Zack MacEwen we have seen lately capture merely one small aspect of his game, fighting.
The 24-year-old, is a hell of a lot more than just a fighter, he’s a skilled high character player and person that deserves or should be an NHL regular.
It seems like Travis Green, is treating MacEwen along the lines of “in case of an emergency break glass”
You see Zack MacEwen is the type of kid that would do just about anything for the team and teammate. As for standing up for his teammates, well he’s been doing that his entire career.
It’s downright ridiculous to see the Canucks parading him out there like a one dimensional tough guy. MacEwen is much much more than that. It all comes back to value and appreciation. Clearly the Canucks don’t value what MacEwen brings, which is incredibly shocking given the opportunity he was given before and his subsequent performance.
I don’t have to spout off a bunch of stats and analytics to see the true value of a player. We are seeing his value and character every time he’s in the lineup, but clearly that’s not enough right now for the coaching staff or organization.
Zack MacEwen would do and has done just about anything and everything to get to and stay in the National Hockey League.
You see that’s the type of person, leader and player he is.
The Vancouver Canucks are definitely missing the mark on MacEwen. The proud Islander is exactly what the team needs, but is still seeing his role and time on ice diminish.
We can all hope that someone within the organization can wake up to the notion that Zack MacEwen is more valuable than ever right now for a hockey club struggling to find its passion, character, grit and direction.
If the Canucks want to win and salvage their season, they should have #71 in their lineup for every game moving forward.
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