July 17, 2025: CBA helping Canucks keep Hughes? Kids or vets on D for opening night?

The Canucks look better and deeper on defence, but who will get the call on opening night and throughout the season? Matt and Blake take a look at guys like defencemen Elias Pettersson, Victor Mancini and Tom Willander versus veterans like Derek Forbert and P-O Joseph in the battle for minutes. The guys also tackle a particular new wrinkle in the CBA that may benefit the Canucks in their attempts to keep Quinn Hughes past his current contract. The Daily Hive's Rob WIlliams stops in to discuss the Canucks new ticket packages, big and small, and how two 8-game homestands may affect season ticket holders and the team on the ice. Rob also weighs in on the likely priorities for Adam Foote on defence, and whether making more trades to open cap space makes sense if it comes at the expense of guys like Blueger and Joshua. Postmedia's Patrick Johnston has thoughts on the defence setup as well, and strong beliefs on the impact Willander could have as early as this season. PJ dives deep into the retention of Hughes and thinks the Canucks certainly gained some ground with the new CBA. Patrick also stacks up the Canucks goaltending and defence corps against the rest of the league. The guys then finish up with a look back at the Whitecaps dominating win in Houston, the Lions' injury report, and the early results for the Canadians at The Open Championship!

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