#so many thoughts...

There is little doubt that getting through the trade deadline was an emotional release for the players in the Vancouver Canucks’ dressing room.

The doubt, the worry, the stress of not knowing where you would wake up on March 7 had been present for weeks.

With players’ minds clear of that stress, the task now is to set a culture that will drive them forward, toward a brave new future they hope is filled with winning.

Habits are at the base of those ambitions. But so is setting standards for each other, to keep everyone working toward a new goal.

“I think we can all be better teammates,” Max Sasson said at practice on Wednesday. That means pushing each other to be the best they can be.

On the flight home from Winnipeg last weekend, Sasson said Filip Hronek and Teddy Blueger came to him and asked about the culture of the Abbotsford Canucks’ room last spring, as they roared to the Calder Cup. One thing that Sasson noted was how vibrant the chatter on the team’s bench was last season — night in, night out.

And so that became a talking point leading into Monday night’s game against Ottawa, which the Canucks lost 2-0. But Sasson said the spirit on the bench was much closer to where they need to be than where it has been in recent times. With the trade deadline now passed, that is what they can work on, he said.

“Guys were talking to each other in the right way, talking to each other about plays, hyping each other up, saying you’re good, you’re good,” he said. “A lot of talk. So I think if we can continue that over the course of time — more positive, more success can come out of that.”

Brock Boeser said his teammate’s point was well made.

“Sass makes a good point,” he said. “Everyone in the room has the power to be a leader, no matter how prominent their role is.

“You don’t have to be an older guy to talk and communicate. We need communication. We need guys getting into the game and being loud and positive. We don’t need negative energy.

“We talk about how, even young guys that are uncomfortable, it’s OK to speak up,” he went on. “When I was young, some days you would show up to practice and you’re like, ‘I don’t got it.’ But that’s the part of maturing, growing up. So be, ‘Alright, I got two hours here. I gotta work hard and work on my game. I gotta give it my all.’ Because habits and practice translate to the game.”

Boeser had the Sedins, Chris Tanev and Alex Edler in his rookie year. Now he’s one of the few veterans in the group, and he knows he needs to help them set their own standards. It’s also incumbent on him, he said, to encourage younger players on the team to speak up, to know they can share their voice. A confident culture will mean everyone on the team knows they can show leadership, even if they are a spare forward. They don’t have to be a star player to contribute to the culture.

“On a recent trip, Sass said something in front of everyone, under his breath,” the veteran winger said. “And I thought, ‘What did you say? Speak up!’ And then he said it in front of everyone, and everyone loved it. So have some confidence. Have some confidence to say it. And it will give another guy confidence to say it.”

Zeev Buium is just 20, but he understands what Sasson is talking about. The deadline is past. This is now the group that is going forward and they need to come together on their own terms. They have clarity in who they are as a collective. It comes down to the work ethic they show each other, he said.

“This is our group now,” he said. “And I think it’s all about setting that tone, culture, setting standards, rules, whatever it is. Push each other, hold each other accountable — all the things that you need to do. I think that everyone in this room agrees with that and wants to do that, and it’s good. Should be a good starting point.”

For young players, time can seem like it will go on forever. But the veterans know they have to press the young players who actually don’t have time, that what they do today does matter for tomorrow, for next season, for the years to come.

Marcus Pettersson turns 30 in May. He is suddenly a wise old hand for this group. He knows about time.

“Make sure, every day, you don’t waste time,” he said has been his message to his younger teammates. “That’s something we’ve talked about here for a few days, since after the deadline. We’re stuck building now, and every day you ‘gotta attack today.’ You have to attack because you’re not gonna get that day back.”

“Confidence is fleeting,” Pettersson added. “It comes and goes. You create your own confidence by preparing the best way you can. Nobody’s going to give you confidence.”

There is also a simple task they’ve set out for themselves, Sasson said.