Canucks were doomed by December swoon, long-term injuries

The Vancouver Canucks (25-37-9) were eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention after a 3-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
This is the third consecutive season the Canucks have failed to reach the playoffs since they lost the 2015 Western Conference First Round to the Calgary Flames in six games.

Here is a look at what happened in 2017-18 for the Canucks and why things could be better in 2018-19:

The skinny

Potential UFAs: Daniel Sedin, LW; Henrik Sedin, C; Jussi Jokinen, RW; Nic Dowd, C; Darren Archibald, RW
Potential RFAs: Jake Virtanen, RW; Sven Baertschi, LW; Markus Granlund, C; Reid Boucher, LW; Troy Stecher, D; Derrick Pouliot, D
Potential 2018 NHL Draft picks: 6

What went wrong

Injuries: Key players, including forwards Brock Boeser (back), Sven Baertschi (shoulder) and Loui Eriksson (rib), and defenseman Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), are out for the season. Defenseman Chris Tanev (leg) hasn't played since Feb. 8. Bo Horvat, a top-six forward, missed 18 games with a broken ankle, and forward Derek Dorsett (cervical disk herniation) retired from the NHL on Nov. 30. Boeser's injury in the final seconds of the third period during a 4-3 overtime win against the New York Islanders on March 5 was especially damaging. The Canucks are 0-5-0 without Boeser, who had 55 points (29 goals, 26 assists) to lead them in scoring, being outscored 14-3.

December doldrums: The Canucks surprised by going 6-3-2 in October and were within striking distance of a playoff spot at the end of November. But a nine-point December (4-8-1) tied the Montreal Canadiens for 30th in the League, two points ahead of the Arizona Coyotes, and started a fall in the standings.
Punchless offense: The Canucks are No. 27 in goals (183) and goals per game (2.58), and have been shut out three straight games. They're not much better at preventing goals either, ranking No. 27 in goals against per game (3.21) and No. 25 in penalty killing (77.5 percent).

Reasons for optimism

Bo and Boeser: The Canucks project to enter next season with their best two forwards poised to take big steps in their development. Boeser, 21, still leads NHL rookies in goals (29), power-play goals (10) and shots on goal (179). Horvat, 22, is in his fourth season and needs two goals to tie his NHL career-high of 20 set last season.

The pipeline: Boeser's breakthrough season could open the door for more top prospects to reach the NHL next season. Expect the Canucks to do everything possible to bring center Elias Pettersson, 19, the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, to North America after his 56 points (24 goals, 32 assists) for Vaxjo HC broke Kent Nilsson's Swedish Hockey League under-20 scoring record. Thatcher Demko, 22, took over as the top goalie for Utica of the American Hockey League and could bid to usurp Jacob Markstrom or Anders Nilsson. Expect defenseman Olli Juolevi, 19, and forward Jonathan Dahlen, 20, to get long looks.
Lottery ticket: The Canucks could win the NHL Draft Lottery with defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as the consensus top pick as a potential franchise defenseman in the 2018 NHL Draft.