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Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Avs didn’t try to finesse their problems. They didn’t try to integrate younger players into their lineup while they slowly phased out veterans. Beginning at last year’s trade deadline, when they moved Iginla, they were all in with the rebuild, giving regular roles to Kerfoot, Compher and Jost, who are all rookies. The 19-year-old Girard was then acquired from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade and immediately plugged into the lineup.

The net effect? The Avs have been transformed from train wreck into a team with a future in the space of four months. Maybe Sakic didn’t have a lot of choice when he imploded his lineup. Or maybe, he was at the forefront of a new orthodoxy in the NHL, one that the Canucks have to fully embrace.

We’re not going to spend a lot of time going over old territory, but, for the last four seasons, the Canucks have tried to slow-play the rebuild. Yes, they’ve gotten younger and, yes, there is promise ahead. But look at this year’s lineup. The average age of their forwards is 27.25, the average age of their blue-line is 26.1 and their two goalies average out at 28 years.

The Canucks are also talking about extending the contracts of Thomas Vanek and Erik Gudbranson, and the presumption is they’ll bring back the Sedins for another year. How does that square with a young, rebuilding team?

Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

This goes way beyond messaging. The Canucks are finally at a point where their younger players look ready. Thatcher Demko, 22, might be the best goaltending prospect in the game. Adam Gaudette, 21, leads the NCAA in scoring and will likely be signed when Northeastern finishes their season. Elias Pettersson, 19, is third in the Swedish Elite League in scoring. Kole Lind, 19, is on pace for a 100-point season in Kelowna. Olli Juolevi, 19, is having a solid season in the Finnish Elite League.