7 reasons the Vancouver Canucks will be better this season
If you’ve been following the Vancouver Canucks, you know there is something brewing on the West Coast.
As the Canucks prepare for their season opener against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, there is a sense of optimism that this year’s team will be much better than the 2022-23 edition.
Last year’s season ended with a 38-37-3 record, good enough for 83 points. That landed them in the sixth position in the Pacific Division, well out of a playoff spot.
After some key offseason additions and the continued development of the team’s young stars, there is hope that the Canucks are trending in the right direction. Here are the seven reasons why they will improve on last year’s middling results.
1. Canucks penalty kill will be better
Last season, the Canucks penalty kill was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. They finished dead last in the league and often dug themselves into early holes by conceding a goal while down a man.
General manager Patrik Allvin made it a priority to fix the penalty kill over the offseason, adding proven players that excel while shorthanded like Teddy Blueger, Carson Soucy, and Ian Cole.
The early returns through preseason have been nothing short of excellent. If the Canucks penalty kill can even finish in the middle of the pack, it’ll be a great help.
2. Thatcher Demko is healthy and rested
Starting goalie Thatcher Demko had a rough start last year that culminated in a groin injury that forced him to miss a few months. His backup last season, whether it be Spencer Martin and Colin Delia, did not do much better in his absence.
Upon his return to the lineup last spring, Demko looked more like the goalie that has routinely carried the Canucks in the past. In the 17 games following his February 27 return, he had an 11-4-2 record with a 2.52 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage.
He will now get to enter this season having gotten plenty of rest over the past 12 months, and Casey DeSmith is a more capable backup that should give him a breather in-season as well. A rebound to form will give the Canucks the elite goaltending they need to be competitive.
3. The revamped Canucks defence corps
The Canucks defence has been consistently viewed among the worst in the league over the past few years. This year, that should change as the organization will have at least a few new faces on the blue line.
Soucy and Cole were both acquired in free agency and will be trusted to play top-four minutes — though Soucy will begin the season with an injury.
In addition, Filip Hronek will also get to play his first full season with the Canucks. With the ability to have either Quinn Hughes or Hronek on the ice for two-thirds of the game, or create a super pairing featuring them both, the Canucks should be much more solid on the back end.
4. Full season of the new coaching staff
Last season, the Canucks got better after Rick Tocchet took over as head coach and finished with a 20-12-4 record. The team looked much more disciplined and structured under Tocchet’s new systems.
This year, Tocchet has had the entire preseason to get his team up to speed and familiar with his style.
In addition, the Canucks have a ton of big-name coaches helping out, including Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar who work in various roles with the club. Having this much NHL experience on the coaching staff should only help the team.
5. Pettersson and Hughes are hitting their stride
At the end of the day, the Canucks will go as far as Elias Pettersson and Hughes can take them. They are the two best players on the team and the real engines behind any success.
Last year, Pettersson put together a season that is among the best in franchise history. He scored 39 goals, had 102 points, and controlled all facets of play. Any improvement on that will put him in the Hart Trophy conversation.
Hughes also finished just two points shy of point-per-game as a defenceman. Having two of the top 10 players at key positions will greatly benefit the Canucks, and their continued development into their mid-20s should help the team reach higher heights.
6. Tocchet knows how to get the most out of Miller
J.T. Miller is one of the most divisive players on the Canucks. There’s no doubt that he’s a talented offensive player with a great shot, yet you can’t help but feel like he could be even better if his commitment to defending and playmaking weren’t so inconsistent.
However, if Tocchet proved one thing last season it’s that he knows how to motivate and get the most from Miller. The American-born forward had 41 points in 35 games after the coaching change and looked much better in his own zone.
It’s clear that there is a good bond between these two, with Tocchet being vocal in his support in front of the media.
7. Canucks bottom-six will be tougher to play against
For the past several years, it’s always felt like the Canucks were not that hard of a team to play against. Not only did they lack a physical presence, the bottom-six just never really managed to hold its own for long stretches of time.
That is changing. Blueger is one of the league’s top fourth-line centres, someone that can win faceoffs and play a shutdown role. New pickup Pius Suter also has the potential to score 20 goals and has put up solid defensive results in the past. Sam Lafferty, acquired by the Canucks over the weekend, should help bring added grit, speed, right-handed faceoff prowess, and additional penalty-killing help.
With the progression of players like Dakota Joshua and Nils Aman, the Canucks are putting together a group of bottom-six forwards who will actually be able to forecheck and tilt the ice in a positive manner.