By: Izzy Cheung, Sports Editor
The Vancouver Canucks stunned their fans at multiple points last season, from starting their season with an 8–1 win against a division rival in the Edmonton Oilers, to winning the Pacific Division at the end of the year. Now, with a couple of departures and a few key additions, the Canucks’ audiences have been left wondering what kind of performance they can expect from their team this year. Keep reading to see who, and what, the Canucks will bring to the ice this year.
By the end of the 2023–24 regular season, the Canucks had a goal differential of +56, as per ESPN and NHL.com. This stat is calculated by taking a team’s goals-for count, and subtracting the amount of goals scored against them. A high goal differential typically signifies lots of goals being scored, and lots being kept out of the team’s own net.
An issue that arose during the Canucks’ playoff run, and towards the end of their regular season, was their offence. The team scored a season-high 56 goals in November 2023, permeated by a 10–1 victory against the San Jose Sharks. However, as February, March, and April came along, their total goals-for dropped to 36, 33, and 24 respectively. Star players such as Elias Pettersson were criticized for their lack of production in the postseason.
To remedy these offensive woes, Canucks management made four key offensive signings. They brought in former Boston Bruin Jake DeBrusk, who scored five goals in 13 playoff games this past postseason. Also arriving from Boston is BC-born Danton Heinen, a swiss-army knife who can put up 30–40 points and kill penalties. Former adversary Kiefer Sherwood has switched his colours from Nashville Predators yellow-and-white, to Canucks blue-and-green. He’s best known for his aggressive forecheck and backcheck, and his hard-hitting tenacity to separate opponents from the puck. Rounding out Vancouver’s offensive acquisitions is Daniel Sprong, a consistent 40-point, near 20-goal producer.
Vancouver also saw some shifts in their defensive core, as fan-favourite Nikita Zadorov was picked up by the Boston Bruins in free agency. As well, the team moved on from defenceman Ian Cole, who signed a deal with Utah Hockey Club. Taking these places are another former Bruin in Derek Forbort, and ex-Oiler Vincent Desharnais. Forbort brings a heavy physical presence to Vancouver’s blueline and isn’t afraid to jostle with the opposing team, making the Canucks that much harder to play against. Desharnais brings size to the lineup with his towering 6’7 stature, as well as a right-handed shot — something that’s of utmost value in the NHL. The team also acquired Erik Brännström from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade completed on October 6.
Currently, five of the Canucks’ top-six defencemen stand above 6 ft, with Forbort, Desharnais, Carson Soucy, and Tyler Myers measuring above 6 ft and 4 inches. From these signings, it’s clear that Vancouver sought to size-up their defensive-core. Bringing in bigger players who are more willing to throw their body around will make them tougher to play against, especially come playoff time. Being able to execute a good hit can turn the puck into the favour of the team committing the hit, resulting in an uptick in possession. It’s also important to keep hits timely, as making a hit at the wrong time can also cause turnovers, leading to goals against.
For the most part, Vancouver fans will be seeing a lot of familiar faces returning to Rogers Arena. With their new additions, they can also expect to see more offensive firepower and even more defensive checks.
