5 Canucks players poised to have a career-best season
The Vancouver Canucks enjoyed one of their best seasons in franchise history last year, powered largely by several key players putting up career-best numbers.
Heading into a new NHL campaign, they’re going to need more internal development to continue to improve.
The good news is that there are several players who seem destined to put up career-best numbers for the Canucks this year.
1. Arturs Silovs
- 2023-24 stats: 3-0-1, 2.47 GAA, .881 SV%
Last year’s playoff breakout star is getting a huge NHL opportunity this season. Thatcher Demko is injured, and there’s no timeline for his return, leaving a huge hole in the Canucks crease.
While Silovs will face competition from veteran Kevin Lankinen, the young Latvian has a great chance to seize the net as his own.
Barring disaster, Silovs will definitely set a new career-high in games played this season. If he can perform similar to how he did last year in the playoffs — where the team’s wins overshadowed some at-times shaky goaltending — then he’ll be well on his way to a career year.
2. Kiefer Sherwood
- 2023-24 stats: 68 GP, 10 G, 17 A, 27 PTS
Kiefer Sherwood was signed by the Canucks this summer, and while he figures to start on the fourth line, he could quickly move up the lineup.
Sherwood impressed at training camp and was drawing rave reviews from his new teammates. He’s fast and skilled.
The 29-year-old put up incredible offensive numbers in the AHL, suggesting there might be untapped potential. Just a few years ago, Sherwood scored 75 points in 57 AHL games, which is not an easy task by any means.
With a bigger role and talented linemates, Sherwood could easily exceed the 10 goals and 27 points he put up last year.
3. Vincent Desharnais
- 2023-24 stats: 78 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 PTS
The Canucks coaching staff have proved themselves to be very adept at working with a specific type of player: big, tall blueliners. Their latest project fitting that mold is 6-foot-7 Vincent Desharnais.
Desharnais is set to start the year in the team’s top-six and will play regular minutes. If the Canucks catch the injury bug, he could find himself moving up the lineup quickly.
Under the guidance of Adam Foote and Rick Tocchet, Desharnais will have the leadership and instruction he needs to take another step forward in his development.
4. Daniel Sprong
- 2023-24 stats: 76 GP, 18 G, 25 A, 43 PTS
Daniel Sprong signed with the Canucks late in the summer on a cheap one-year deal. The sniper is one of the most intriguing players around the league, as he’s always been a top offensive producer but hasn’t been able to stick in any team’s lineup.
While he had an impressive 43 points in 76 games last year, his season before was even better, with 46 points in 66 games.
If there’s any coach who can get the most out of Sprong, it’s Tocchet. The reigning Jack Adams Trophy winner transformed the team’s defence last season. He’s proven to be very good at simplifying instructions for players and helping them thrive in their own zone.
Sprong has also been skating on a line with Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson, two proven offensive dynamos. He’ll get plenty of scoring chances playing with those two and tons of opportunities to rack up points.
5. Dakota Joshua
- 2023-24 stats: 63 GP, 18 G, 14 A, 32 PTS
The 6-foot-3 forward burst onto the scene last season, providing scoring and size in the team’s bottom-six. He was rewarded with a new contract this summer and will be given even more opportunities this year.
One obstacle to overcome is the fact Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer and still hasn’t skated as he recovers from surgery. He’s expected to make a full recovery and should return to the team soon.
“Dak’s not going to be out that long,” says head coach Rick Tocchet.
Is quick to clarify that he doesn’t have a target date but says Dakota is “going to be back soon.”#Canucks
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) September 19, 2024
When he does, we’ll likely see Joshua get more power play time than he did last year. He had just a single point with the man advantage last year, a number he should be able to improve on.
If he can appear in more games than last season, all the building blocks are there for Joshua to break 20 goals for the first time.