Don’t I talk about this team enough? Jeez.
I have watched the Vancouver Canucks more than any other team in the league since, you know, I was indoctrinated into Canucks fandom at a very young age. I started watching right around this team’s glory days: The Sedins in their prime; Ryan Kesler being a two-way monster; Bobby freakin’ Lou! And, of course, the 2011 run that ended in complete ruin at the hands of Vancouverites…
But 2011 has been rehashed more than enough over the past several years: This city has been starved off a high quality Canucks team for over a decade-plus.
That’s exactly why – in my opinion – this is the single-most fun season of Canucks hockey in my lifetime. The buzz in the city is palpable and it really does feel like Vancouver is at the epicenter of the hockey world again, which is great news for Canucks fans and horrible news for the rest of the league.
If you’re a younger fan who thinks Canucks fans are the worst, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait a few more weeks and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
We know why this season has been such a blast: The Canucks are a Stanley Cup contender this year. Now, it is the most Canucks thing ever that the year when they finally break free is the year where there are, like, 10-12 legitimate contenders in the NHL (more than usual) but I think it’s more fun that way; the stakes are always high.
The Canucks come in at #4 in my Top 7 Western Conference Teams ranking, but the gap between 4 and 1 are smaller than 4 and 5, in my opinion: Whoever makes it out alive between the top four is practically a coin flip. So, here’s why they rank high on the list:
Reshaping the depth
Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford deserve gold plated statues if the Canucks are able to do the thing this year.
Almost every single one of their moves has turned out to be a boon. Carson Soucy’s three-year deal was a sharp bet at the time but has proven to be even better as the season’s progressed. His defensive metrics have been incredible all year and it’s no coincidence that the team’s few rough stretches line up with his injuries. Soucy was the biggest hit from free agency, but the likes of Teddy Blueger, Pius Suter and Ian Cole have all provided surplus value given their cap hits. Trading for Sam Lafferty prior to the regular season has also proven to be a solid investment: A perfect plug n’ play bottom sixer with blazing speed and defensive chops.
But it hasn’t only been guys brought in from this past offseason that have been key contributors. Dakota Joshua has blossomed into a bonified middle six forward who also provides a ton of value on the penalty kill. Oh, and he’s got that AURA, much like Nikita Zadorov, who’s pretty much come as advertised since his arrival.
Internally, Noah Juulsen and Nils Aman have been key extras when called upon. I’d actually like to see Aman get more games because of his penalty killing chops and reliable defensive play at 5v5.
The way the Canucks were able to re-shake their depth is worthy of a masterclass lesson to those wanting a career in sports management, and is maybe the biggest reason as to why the team’s performance has spiked so significantly.
The Hughes effect
Okay, I lied: Quinn Hughes becoming the best defenceman in hockey (this year) has been the biggest asset for this team.
Some are calling it a “two horse race” when talking about the battle for the Norris Trophy, but it’s not; Hughes has been the a top ten player in the world this season.
When you watch the Canucks, the guy you’re looking for is Hughes: The way he’s able to control the flow of a game is both mesmerizing and electrifying. The spin moves; the pivots; the dangles; the occasional play where decided to take a full lap around the offensive zone before wiring a top cheddar, short side snipe. It’s all there!
Before the season began, I said that I wanted to see Hughes create more chances than in years prior. Low and behold, his play-driving ability has improved drastically from years past and he’s added the defensive acumen to his game that many didn’t see him ever having.
He also puts up stupid results with everyone on the team.
Quinn Hughes without Elias Pettersson, J.T Miller, or Brock Boeser:
– 520:21 TOI
– 56.82 CF%
– 53.41 SF%
– 56.00 GF%
– 56.56 xGF%
– 59.35 SCF%
– 57.52 HDCF%There aren’t many players in the league who are elite and drive play with any player they play with. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/UEuJHpIZZF
— y – Hughes is the GOAT (@Hughes4Norris) March 20, 2024
I wonder who he’ll pass the cup to first?
What the numbers say
This team’s identity can be boiled down to one thing: Defence.
Unless you keep track of multiple models, this may surprise you given the offensive weaponry at the Canucks’ disposable. I hope you’re holding on to your seat, because as per JFreshHockey’s model, the Canucks only rank 20th in xGF, which basically means that they don’t tend to generate a ton of scoring chances. What’s crazy is that the team’s xGF% is ranked 6th on this model, 11th on moneypuck.com, and 7th according to Data Driven Hockey’s model.
You want to know how this is possible? The Canucks are a top five defensive team in the league – potentially even top three. They rank 6th on moneypuck.com and 3rd (!) per JFresh. You may initially attribute this to Thatcher Demko, but you’d be mistaken; the Canucks are just a juggernaut defensively. Demko’s numbers have been great this season – 2.47 GAA, .917 SV%, and an outstanding 20.4 GSAx – and it’s no secret that the team is much better with him, but the team’s defensive results have been steadily elite since ~early-mid January.
Every single model is bullish on the Canucks’ defensive chops and not so keen on loving their play-driving ability. While the likes of Hughes, Pettersson, Höglander and Garland are all great even strength players, there isn’t enough juice (offensively) at 5v5, which can be attributed to the system they play.
What head coach Rick Tocchet has done this season is nothing short of brilliant; turning one of the league’s most laughed at teams into a bonified cup contender. It’s good enough to where he basically has the Jack Adams Award on lock…
But even a soon-to-be Jack Adams winner isn’t perfect.
The Canucks’ lack of attack off the rush could be an issue against other elite defensive teams (hence why the Kings give them so much trouble) and it’s my main concern for this team going into the playoffs. The dump and chase style works only if you actually maintain possession, which the Canucks do a fair bit, but adding that second gear of being able to attack off the rush with east-west movement would ultimately make the Canucks a complete world beater and maybe a bonified top three team league-wide.
Regardless, they’re still an elite team, which is something I didn’t think was in the cards this season. With the return of Thatcher Demko and a (hopefully) fully healthy Elias Lindholm, Vancouver could be well on track for a deep run. What they’d do on said hypothetical deep run is up to them, but I am of the belief that they have the arsenal to win it all and I don’ even think it’s their time yet.
There’s no easy out in the west this year and their run will be a gauntlet, but Vancouver continues to impress me as the season progresses and I hope they continue to do so come April.