Myers: Young Canucks close to 'becoming a winning team'

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers believes his club is on the verge of something special.

"I think we have such a good, solid core group of guys," Myers said Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Ian MacIntyre. "You add in a piece here and there to keep developing your team.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is we're close. We're close to that point of becoming a winning team. It's just a matter of experience and getting that feeling of what it takes to win. And part of that is getting that experience in the playoffs."

The Canucks haven't made the playoffs since 2015, but they sit tied for the Western Conference's final wild-card berth with the season on hold.

Vancouver has a budding young core to thank for much of its success in 2019-20. Five of the club's top seven scorers, including blue-chip talents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, are 25 or younger.

"With all of our young guys, they're such drivers of the team right now," Myers said. "The development they showed this year, I think, was more than people were expecting. I think the mix of those young guys with a few more veterans we have in the room now, it came together really well."

The NHL suspended its season on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday any format for a return to action would need to be "fair" and give bubble teams - like the Canucks - the chance to battle for a playoff spot.

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