6 best Canucks forward trios of all-time, according to the numbers

The Vancouver Canucks look like a juggernaut right now, and it starts at the top of their lineup.

J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser all belong at the NHL All-Star game. They’re undoubtedly three of the best skaters in the league this season.

Think about this: Miller, Pettersson and Boeser are on pace to combine for more than 300 points this season. Here are their current paces at the midway mark:

• Miller: 113-point pace
• Pettersson: 111-point pace
• Boeser: 89-point pace

In total, Miller, Pettersson, and Boeser are on pace for 313 points.

We’re witnessing three of the best players in Canucks franchise history work their magic right now. And although this franchise has had some great talents, are we currently witnessing the most dangerous forward trio in 54 years of Canucks hockey?

Let’s see how they stack up previously lethal forward trios in Canucks history.

This list won’t necessarily look at linemates, but seasons where three Canucks forwards were among the most dangerous in hockey.

We’ll also look at their total combined points, and how many points they would have registered in today’s NHL based on the average amount of goals scored per game.

6. Smyl, Gradin, Rota (1982-83)

• Total combined points: 255
• Era-adjusted total combined points: 208

Although the Canucks made their first Stanley Cup season the year prior, their regular season story wasn’t highlighted by offensive success. The 1982 Canucks were a steady defensive team with a good goaltender who caught fire in the postseason.

However, there were talented players in the organization who hit offensive peaks in 1982-83.

Stan Smyl, Thomas Gradin, and Darcy Rota were the first trio of Canucks to all register more than 80 points in a season.

Still, you can see that by adjusting for points by era, this trio is far behind what Miller, Pettersson, and Boeser are on pace to accomplish.

5. Sundstrom, Tanti, Gradin (1983-84)

• Total combined points: 255
• Era-adjusted total combined points: 203

Smyl and Rota were still with the Canucks in 1983-84, but two other players emerged as offensive threats.

Patrik Sundstrom broke out offensively in a big way this season. At the time, the 22-year-old set the single-season Canucks record for points.

Sniper Toni Tanti also had a career year in 1983-84, setting highs for goals and points that he never matched again throughout his 11-year NHL career.

4. Bure, Ronning, Courtnall (1992-93, 1993-94)

• Total combined points/season: 259
• Era-adjusted total combined points: 237

During the 1992-93 and 1993-94 campaigns, the trio of Pavel Bure, Cliff Ronning and Geoff Courtnall were at the apex of their powers for the Canucks.

Of course, that was led by Bure. His 120 goals over a two-year stretch was tops in the NHL, and he did finish with the most goals in the league during the 1993-94 campaign.

Although Trevor Linden was obviously a big part of these teams, he finished fourth overall in points on the Canucks during both of these seasons.

3. Mogilny, Linden, Ronning (1995-96)

• Total combined points/season: 254
• Era-adjusted total combined points/season: 255

If only Bure and Alexander Mogilny were at the heights of their powers at the same time for the Canucks.

Bure missed all of the 1995-96 season due to injury, but fellow Russian Mogilny stepped up in a big way with a 107-point campaign. This was the second and last time that Moginly surpassed 100 points in a season throughout his 16 year NHL career.

This was also the best offensive season of Linden’s career, and it’s impressive that he managed to accomplish despite the fact that scoring was beginning to trend downwards across the NHL. Offence in the 1995-96 season was eerily comparable to today, but it was really the last season before the low-scoring, dead puck era took over.

Ronning managed to be productive in 1995-96 during his last year with the Canucks. He signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1996 offseason, ending his six-year Canucks tenure.

2. Naslund, Bertuzzi, Morrison (2001-02, 2002-03)

• Total combined points/season: 257
• Era-adjusted total combined points/season: 307

When we talk about dangerous forward trios, this one is undoubtedly the most iconic one in Canucks history.

What Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison accomplished together for a two-year stretch during the early 2000s was remarkable. The West Coast Express managed to produce offence at an elite rate in an era where scoring was way down.

While neither Naslund or Bertuzzi won a scoring title, they were first and second in cumulative points respectively over a two-year stretch from 2001 to 2003.

Adjusting their point totals by era makes the West Coast Express trio look even more lethal, however they’re still behind the what the Lotto Line is on pace to do.

Is it worth nothing that in 2002-03, the best statistical season for the West Coast Express, they posted a combined 272 points, which would equate to 325 points in today’s NHL.

That does put them ahead of the Lotto Line, for now…

1. Sedin, Sedin, Kesler (2009-10, 2010-11)

• Total combined points/season: 271
• Era-adjusted total combined points/season: 303

Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Ryan Kesler gave Canucks fans plenty to cheer about during their tenures with the Canucks, but they were all at the height of their powers from 2009 to 2011.

This trio managed to post points at a similar rate to the Lotto Line, and they accomplished that even though Daniel missed a quarter of the 2009-10 season.

And even though the Canucks had their most memorable season in 2010-11, this trio’s best statistical regular season performance came in 2009-10, when Henrik won the Art Ross with 112 points.

That season, Daniel was on pace for 114 points over a full 82 games. At that pace, coupled with what Henrik and Daniel accomplished, this trio would have registered 301 points, or 332 points in today’s NHL.

Despite what the West Coast Express accomplished, the 2009-10 season might arguably stand out as the best season from a trio of Canucks.

However, the Lotto Line has an astounding 32 points in six games played since the start of 2024, and I don’t think any Canucks fan would be surprised if they did cement themselves as the most productive forward trio in team history by the end of the season.

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