Six former Vancouver Canucks players have scored playoff goals already
Vancouver Canucks fans watching the NHL Playoffs will recognize some of the names on the scoresheet over the first few games.
Former Canucks players have been lighting the lamp for their new teams, and it’s not the guys you might be thinking of. Six Canucks castoffs have scored so far this postseason and they are as follows.
- Adam Gaudette
- Anthony Beauvillier
- Andrei Kuzmenko
- Jalen Chatfield
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
- Nate Schmidt (2 goals)
The former Canucks haven’t just been scoring playoff goals, they’ve been pulling through in huge moments for their clubs. Gaudette scored a third-period goal to send his Ottawa Senators to overtime in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s found new life under ex-Canucks coach Travis Green and scored a career-high 19 times this season.
Beauvillier has also come up in clutch moments. He picked up an assist on Alex Ovechkin’s Game 1 overtime winner to help the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens in overtime. Beauvillier became the first player in NHL history to record an assist on a goal from both Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in the same season.
Many of the six players were guys the Canucks were quick to move off from, often trading them when they had little to no value. A perfect example is Kuzmenko.
When the Russian arrived in Vancouver, he wowed everyone with his scoring touch and chemistry with Elias Pettersson. He was traded in January 2023 after being benched several times and bounced around the league before ending up in Los Angeles, where he now plays on the Kings’ top line.
Kuzmenko had three points in the Kings’ Game 1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. He’s helped revitalize their power play and seemingly found a home. While he still has deficiencies in his game, the Kings have found a way to maximize his strengths while minimizing some of his weaknesses.
Both Schmidt and Ekman-Larsson were players who didn’t work out in Vancouver but have found success afterwards. The Canucks are still paying Ekman-Larsson and will continue to do so until 2031 after they bought him out.
Chatfield is perhaps the only player the Canucks feel any measure of regret in letting walk. He broke into the NHL with the Canucks and eventually left to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. It took some time, but he’s developed into a reliable defenceman, and while he’s not known for scoring goals, he managed to get one already in these playoffs.
The Canucks aren’t losing much sleep over letting any of these players go. Most had worn out their welcome in Vancouver before moving on to their new teams. However, it’s still interesting to see a long list of former Canucks tearing it up when the games matter most.