2022-23 NHL team preview: Vancouver Canucks

Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

LAST SEASON

Last year was a rollercoaster ride for the Vancouver Canucks.

General manager Jim Benning was on the hot seat after the team finished dead-last in the All-Canadian Division in 2021, so he made a big splash to acquire Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland from the Arizona Coyotes.

The new-look Cancuks got off to a disastrous start in 2021-22. By the time December rolled around, the Canucks were 7-14-2 and were having internal drama surrounding their team leadership. A 4-1 pounding at home by the Pittsburgh Penguins ultimately resulted in Benning and head coach Travis Green getting sacked.

The Canucks named Bruce Boudreau their new head coach and the team immediately went on a seven-game winning streak to jump right back in the mix in the Western Conference. The Boudreau-led Canucks went 32-15-10 all told and wound up missing the playoffs by just a few points, an incredible shift for a team that appeared poised to compete for a top draft pick in December.

The big question for the Canucks as the trade deadline loomed was whether to sell high on J.T. Miller as he was in the midst of a career year. The Canucks hung on, Miller scored a career-high 99 points, and he wound up inking a seven-year, $56 million deal in the offseason, indicating that the Canucks aren’t interested in going through a rebuild.

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions
Ilya Mikheyev, LW
Andrey Kuzmenko, LW
Curtis Lazar, C/RW
Dakota Joshua, C/LW
Christian Wolanin, D
Wyatt Kalynuk, D
Collin Delia, G

Departures
Jaroslav Halak, G (NYR)
Juho Lammikko, LW/RW (Swi.)
Jayce Hawryluk, LW/RW (Ott)
Matthew Highmore, LW/RW (StL)
Nic Petan, C (Min)
Justin Bailey, RW (Edm)
Sheldon Rempal, LW/RW (VGK)
Brad Hunt, D (Col)
Madison Bowey, D (Mtl)

OFFENSE

The Canucks had a fairly top-heavy offense that finished 18th in the league with 249 goals in 2021-22.

J.T. Miller led the way with 32 goals and 99 points, 31 more than the next leading scorers. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes each scored 68 points. It was a nice rebound season for the former as he struggled through an injury-riddled season in 2020-21.

Somewhat overshadowed by Miller’s excellent season was Bo Horvat setting a new career high with 31 goals. Garland and Brock Boeser scored 52 and 46 points, respectively, and then there’s a decent drop-off until the Canucks’ next-highest scorer, which was Tanner Pearson with 34 points.

The Canucks figure to have a deeper offense this season thanks to the offseason additions of Ilya Mikheyev and KHL star Andrey Kuzmenko. Mikheyev and Boeser are currently dealing with preseason injuries, so we might not see Vancouver’s ideal lineup on opening night in October, but their fully-healthy lineup features more firepower this year than it has in previous years.

DEFENSE

Though they finished eighth in the league with 236 goals allowed, Vancouver’s team defense was middle-of-the-pack last season. Thatcher Demko, who we’ll talk about in the next section, was excellent for the Canucks and helped compensate for a spotty blueline.

The Canucks hovered right around the middle of the league in terms of shot attempts against, high-danger chances against, and expected goals against at even-strength, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The team saw positive results when its top defenders Ekman-Larsson, Hughes, and Tyler Myers were on the ice but depth names such as Tucker Poolman and Kyle Burroughs were in the red in terms of goal and shot differential.

Vancouver didn’t make any major additions to their blueline over the offseason so the hope is that some internal progression can help the team’s defense improve. A couple of interesting wild-cards to watch will be Travis Dermott, who played well in a small sample after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline, and top prospect Jack Rathbone, who should push for regular NHL playing time.

GOALTENDING

As previously noted, Thatcher Demko was one of Vancouver’s MVPs last season, as he posted a .915 save percentage over the course of 64 appearances.

Demko’s backup last season was veteran Jaroslav Halak, who left the team in free agency after putting up a .903 save percentage in 17 appearances. Demko’s backup this season figures to be Spencer Martin, who enjoyed a breakout performance in the Canucks organization after being acquired the previous summer from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for future considerations.

Martin, a third-round pick from the 2013 NHL Draft, posted a .914 save percentage in the AHL and a .950 save percentage in six games in the NHL.

COACHING

The Boudreau era in Vancouver got off to an excellent start last year as the Canucks were among the better teams in the Western Conference after he took over behind the bench.

Boudreau, who ranks 22nd in NHL history with 599 wins as a head coach, has always had regular-season success in his career, but his teams have never been able to get the job done in the playoffs. Unlike the Stanley Cup or bust days with the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks, getting the Canucks into the playoffs will be a win for Boudreau.

ROOKIES

The Canucks got a strong rookie performance out of Vasily Podkolzin last season, as the No. 10 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft scored 14 goals and 26 points over 79 games in his first go-around at the NHL level.

This year, the Canucks are hoping for a breakout rookie season from defender Rathbone. The team’s fourth-round pick from the 2017 NHL Draft had a huge season in the AHL last year, scoring 40 points over 39 games, and the hope is that he can grab a spot on the NHL club’s blueline and run with it.

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. How will Andrey Kuzmenko do in the NHL? Kuzmenko had a huge season in the KHL in 2021-22, scoring 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games, and generated a lot of hype as he toured North America. On paper, this is a big addition for the Canucks, but KHL success doesn’t necessarily mean NHL success.

2. Can Elias Pettersson find another level? Elias Pettersson broke into the NHL with a 66-point rookie season and followed that up with another 66-point season the following year. Pettersson’s 2021 campaign was derailed due to injury but he returned to form in 2021-22 with a 68-point showing and was well north of a point per game after the All-Star break. Pettersson finding another gear and getting up to the 80- or 90-point mark would be huge for the Canucks.

3. What’s next for Bo Horvat? The Canucks re-signed J.T. Miller to a long-term deal this offseason but they still have another key player in need of a new deal, as captain Bo Horvat is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 season.

PREDICTION

The Canucks simply ran out of time last season. This year, they’ll have a full season with Bruce Boudreau behind the bench and stronger team depth, so they won’t have to be playing catchup. Vancouver has a realistic shot to slide into the playoffs as a wild-card team.