Which potential first-round opponents should Canucks be most afraid of?
The Vancouver Canucks are set to participate in the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2020. While the team hasn’t officially clinched a spot in the postseason yet, they will soon, barring a historic collapse.
This has many speculating over who the Canucks will face off against in the first round. A few teams could be that first opponent, with some offering a much larger challenge than others.
Here are their four most likely first-round playoff opponents, ranked from least frightening to most frightening.
Nashville Predators
- Current standings position: Wild Card (82 points)
- Goals-for: 13th
- Goals-against: 15th
- Power play: 19th
- Penalty kill: 25th
- Record against Canucks: 0-3-0
If there’s one team that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the Western Conference playoff teams, it’s the Nashville Predators. That’s not to say they’re a bad team, but they aren’t as scary as the other options on this list.
The Canucks have a perfect 3-0 record against the Predators so far this season, outscoring them 13-6. They’ve put together some impressive performances during those games and looked like the better team.
The Predators do not have strong special teams, something that will likely come to hurt them in the postseason. They rank in the bottom half of the league on both the power play and penalty kill.
If there’s a reason to be scared of the Predators, it’s because they have one of the NHL’s best goalies, Juuse Saros. The Finnish netminder can steal games and if he gets hot, he might be able to sneak out a playoff series victory for the Predators.
If the Canucks could choose their first-round opponent, it would likely be the Predators, and facing off against this Central Division team is the best-case scenario.
Los Angeles Kings
- Current standings position: Third in Pacific Division (79 points)
- Goals-for: 19th
- Goals-against: 3rd
- Power play: 14th
- Penalty kill: 1st
- Record against Canucks: 1-0-1
The Los Angeles Kings are one of the most frustrating Western Conference teams to play against, as evidenced by their strong rankings in goals-allowed and on the penalty kill.
Not many NHL teams boast better centre depth than the Kings. With Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, Pierre Luc-Dubois, and Blaze Lizotte solidifying the middle of their lineup, this is a very hard team to play against.
The strength of this Kings team was evident in a February victory over the Canucks which marked the worst home defeat of the season for the Western Conference leaders.
The Kings are currently ranked third in the Pacific Division but could easily be passed by the Golden Knights over the coming months as the two teams have the same amount of points. If the Kings are passed by the Golden Knights, they will slide into the second Wild Card spot, where they would face the Canucks who are currently in the conference’s top spot.
The Kings and Canucks have two more games against each other on the schedule over the next few weeks. Those regular season matchups will prove a preview of what could be a first-round playoff series.
Vegas Golden Knights
- Current standings position: Wild Card (79 points)
- Goals-for: 14th
- Goals-against: 11th
- Power play: 22nd
- Penalty kill: 11th
- Record against Canucks: 1-1-0
If the playoffs ended today, the Canucks would face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Despite their current position in the second Wild Card spot, the Golden Knights are one of the most dangerous potential first-round opponents.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have had their fair share of struggles this season but still boast a very deep roster. The trade deadline acquisitions of Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha only improved what was already a great team.
Captain Mark Stone is currently on long-term injury reserve for the Golden Knights but will likely be ready for the first round.
There are two games between these teams left to play in early April. The Golden Knights represent a sleeping giant that no team wants to face in the first round. If the Canucks draw up against this team, they’ll be in for a battle.
Edmonton Oilers
- Current standings position: 2nd in Pacific Division (84 points)
- Goals-for: 8th
- Goals-against: 7th
- Power play: 2nd
- Penalty kill: 14th
- Record against Canucks: 0-3-0
While it’s very unlikely that the Edmonton Oilers and Canucks face off in the first round, it’s still technically possible.
The two teams played three times this year with the Canucks winning every game. However, that was before the Oilers turned their season around and it will be interesting to see the result of the one remaining game between the two teams on April 13.
Any team that features two of the best players in the world, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, is going to be scary to play against. The Oilers have also dominated play at five-on-five so far this season, leading all teams in expected goals share.
The big question mark when it comes to the Oilers is goaltending. They were let down by their play between the pipes earlier in the season, but Stuart Skinner has managed to turn things around.
The Canucks don’t need to worry too much about facing the Oilers in the first round as the two teams should finish first and second in the Pacific Division. However, this is a scary team that would be an absolute juggernaut with more consistent goaltending.
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