Screen Shots: Canucks and Celebrini, Mike Babcock, Flames and Jets

Welcome back to Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which we analyze a few hockey topics in shorter bursts. On to things we go:

With junior hockey phenom Connor Bedard about to embark on his NHL career as the cornerstone of the Chicago Blackhawks, the next name on the horizon as a No. 1 overall draft pick is 17-year-old forward Macklin Celebrini. 

Like Bedard, he is a Vancouver native who would look great in a Canucks uniform for the next decade-and-a-half. However, Vancouver squandered its 2022-23 season by not tanking properly, and the Canucks wound up with the 11th overall selection. The same scenario could take place in the 2024 NHL draft, with Celabrini potentially going to a full-on rebuilding franchise – say, the Philadelphia Flyers or Montreal Canadiens – and Vancouver once again ending at or near the 10th overall pick next summer.

We know many NHL fan bases are beside themselves with angst over the direction of their team, but it’s difficult to envision any scenario more frustrating than the one the Canucks are about to be dealing with again. Even if they’d only landed Bedard or Celebrini, at the very least, they’d have a foundational player to build around. Instead, a homegrown talent could once again wind up far away from Vancouver, and regret will mount over every passing year.

As we’ve noted before, the type of talent possessed by players such as Celebrini and Bedard cannot be acquired by normal means like free agency or trades. The best way to secure the services of an elite competitor is through the draft. 

Now, not every first overall pick becomes a superstar, but many, if not most, superstars get picked at No. 1. And considering the money they get paid is essentially the same under the salary cap, you need to capitalize on a young player’s emotional connection to their hometown. But you’re never going to get anywhere near a top performer unless you undergo the pain and tumult of a full rebuild.

If, at this time next summer, the Canucks have another mid-tier first-round draft pick, Vancouver supporters will have every reason to be irate. The hockey gods are offering them needle-movers, but their drive for mediocrity all but assures they’ll be short on them until further notice.

In other news, new Columbus coach Mike Babcock is feeling the heat after former NHL player Paul Bissonnette alleges Babcock was being intrusive with Blue Jackets players, asking to see pictures on their smartphones. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and The Athletic's Katie Strang reported on Thursday that NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey went to Columbus to meet the Blue Jackets about the allegations.

Bissonnette strongly opposes what he perceives is Babcock crossing a line with players, while Babcock and the Blue Jackets strongly challenge the veracity of the story. Either way, it appears Babcock has the eternal ire of many players he crossed paths with in his NHL career. 

That in and of itself shouldn’t be shocking, as you’ll be hard-pressed to find a coach who had the admiration and devotion of each and every player who played for them. Just as one person’s feast is another person’s famine, the coaching style of any given bench boss could, in theory, rub one player the wrong way while hitting all the right notes with other players.

Now, it may come to light that Babcock’s alleged request to look at players’ phones to learn more about their families is utterly harmless. But given Babcock’s history and admitted errors in dealing with players at every one of his NHL stops, he should be fully aware he has to be more delicate in his machinations than he’s ever been prior to being hired by Columbus. If that means he has to reinvent himself and find other ways to connect with his players, so be it.

Babcock wouldn’t be the first coach who faced such a crossroads; some coaches adapt and stay in the game, while others fade into history. But although he’s getting another chance with his Columbus gig, he must be mindful that there’s a gigantic magnifying glass on him – not just for the moment, but for every remaining day he has as an NHL coach – and conduct himself accordingly. If he proves to be his own worst enemy, Babcock will be involuntarily retired, and no other teams will take a chance on him.

Finally, two of the NHL’s tougher markets, Calgary and Winnipeg, are in the early stages of dealing with similar predicaments – namely, the fact they're entering the season without key components having signed contract extensions to remain with the team. In Winnipeg, we’re talking about center Mark Scheifele and goalie Connor Hellebuyck, while in Calgary, we’re referring to center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin.

The aforementioned players haven’t come out and made a public stink demanding trades, and Lindholm appears more open than last April to re-signing in Calgary, but every day that passes without their signature on an extension could end up being a de facto trade request if hasn't already. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and Flames counterpart Craig Conroy know full well they can’t allow Scheifele, Helllebuyck, Lindholm and Hanifin to walk away for nothing at the end of 2023-24, so a day of reckoning is coming for all of them.

Players earn their free-agency rights, so you can’t fault them for wanting to decide their place of employment in the later stages of their careers. But you can take a hard line about needing a commitment or moving on, and Conroy and Cheveldayoff will be lambasted if they don’t do so. And that’s why we have a tough time envisioning the Jets and Flames making the playoffs this season. One of them might be able to win in spite of their personnel problems, but both? Nope, we don’t think so. They need a clear direction sooner than later or find themselves severely disappointed.