Tocchet plans to use Pettersson and other Canucks stars less on penalty kill

If there’s one indisputable area that the Vancouver Canucks have to improve, it’s the penalty kill.

The Canucks admitted as much in free agency, with their top three free-agent signings all having extensive penalty-kill experience. Vancouver has been terrible while shorthanded for years now, under three different coaches.

The Canucks were dead-last on the PK last season, ranking 32nd in penalty-kill percentage (71.6%), and were tied for second last (74.9%) in 2021-22. The team improved a little after Rick Tocchet took over as head coach, posting the 21st-best penalty kill (78.4%) after he took over on January 24.

But it’s clear that things need to change next year, and Tocchet admitted as much this morning in an interview on Sportsnet 650.

One thing the 59-year-old coach revealed during an interview with Mike Halford and Jason Brough was that he plans to use his stars less while shorthanded going forward. That may be a counter-intuitive notion for some, given the success Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller had scoring shorthanded goals last season. Quinn Hughes was also one of the team’s most-used penalty killers.

It’s especially counterintuitive with Pettersson, who was arguably Vancouver’s best penalty killer last year and even picked up Selke Trophy votes.

But the additions of Ian Cole, Carson Soucy, and Teddy Blueger, along with some already-in-house options, will bump Pettersson, Miller, and Hughes down the pecking order.

“It’s hard to keep them off [the penalty kill]. Obviously, acquiring the three guys we did, there’s a couple other guys on our team I think that will take a little bit more of a bigger bite on the penalty kill,” Tocchet said.

“We’ll save those guys. Save some miles on Petey. Save some miles on J.T. and Quinn, yes. I can sporadically put them out there, obviously situational. But I’d be crazy not to use [them]. You saw those guys when I put them together, J.T. and Elias.”

Pettersson and Miller led the league in both shorthanded goals (5) and points (9) last season, but the minutes they played were probably unsustainable. Miller ranked 11th among NHL forwards in average ice time (20:41) last season, while Pettersson ranked 13th (20:33). Hughes, meanwhile, ranked fourth among all defencemen (25:40).

When asked about what made the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights successful, Tocchet highlighted their depth.

“Nobody got an individual award, but they got the team award,” Tocchet said. “That team from 1-28, so solid. Their 5-6 defencemen, their coaches aren’t nervous when they’re on the ice against the other team’s top line. Their fourth line was playing against Tkachuk’s line straight up in the Finals. When you have that kind of depth, it makes your job easier as a coach.”

The Canucks are hoping their depth has improved.

Cole, Soucy, and Blueger figure will be PK regulars next season. So should Ilya Mikheyev, who was slowed by injuries throughout most of his 46 games with the Canucks last season.

Tyler Myers played the most shorthanded minutes under Tocchet last season, followed by Miller (2nd), Pettersson (3rd), and Hughes (4th). Dakota Joshua and Nils Aman ranked third and fourth in shorthanded ice time among forwards after Tocchet took over.

Filip Hronek is also a good bet to play on the PK next season.

All of that should help spread the minutes around more evenly.

Did free agents take less to sign with Canucks?

Tocchet seems thrilled with the three new free-agent additions, who he says wanted to play in Vancouver. He even hinted they may have taken less money to sign with the Canucks.

“All character guys. All can penalty kill, which obviously we have to shore up,” said Tocchet. “Those guys wanted to come here. I don’t know specifically, but I know they had some offers, maybe some offers that had a little bit more money, but they decided to come here, and I think that goes a long way.”

Tocchet was an assistant coach during three of Cole’s four years in Pittsburgh. Perhaps that gave him extra incentive to sign a one-year deal with the Canucks.

Blueger was a member of the Penguins organization during Tocchet’s time in Pittsburgh, but the Latvian native didn’t make his NHL debut until after Tocchet had left to coach in Arizona. Blueger signed a one-year deal, which Tocchet viewed as “betting on himself.”

Soucy doesn’t have prior experience playing for Tocchet, but it’s clear the Canucks coach is excited to have a player of his profile on the roster. He described the 6-foot-5 blueliner who signed a three-year contract as “a long defenceman” and “aggressive.”

“A ton of attributes we need back there.”

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