Vancouver Canucks Mid-Season Report: What has turned this team around?

The Vancouver Canucks have identified themselves as one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. They currently stand at the top of their division and are only one spot back of the top of the league. 

The performance of the Canucks has taken many by surprise after finishing as a bottom-12 team last year. After finishing with 83 points last season, the team has already put up 59 points in half as many games. 

The question is, what has turned this Canucks team around? Let’s look at some key contributors to their season thus far. 

Head Coaching

The first key contributor to the success of the Vancouver Canucks is head coach Rick Tocchet. After replacing Bruce Boudreau in January of 2023 the team immediately seemed to play far more inspired and kicked off the season looking dominant on the ice. Tocchet is a former player known for his leadership, and physical presence on the ice, and his playstyle is reflected on the ice by his current team. Tocchet has also done an excellent job balancing his lines as the team has production across the entire lineup. Tocchet looks to secure his third Stanley Cup as a head coach, after previously winning two with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. 

Quinn Hughes Norris Season

After an incredible start to the season, Hughes never looked back and has stood out as one of the most dominant players in the league. In 41 games he has put up 51 points and has established himself as one of the best defensemen in the league. Hughes has shown an incredible ability to produce at even strength, collecting 34 even-strength points. Averaging just under 25 minutes per game, Hughes seems to be becoming the exact player the Canucks management knew he could become. 

Offseason Additions

The Vancouver Canucks front office should receive a lot of credit for the moves they made during the offseason. 

Firstly, although he was not acquired during the offseason it is too important to be kept off the list. At the end of last season, the Canucks acquired defenceman Filip Hronek in exchange for a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round selection. Hronek has been the perfect fit in Vancouver. He has 34 points in 41 games and has been fantastic on the defensive side, maintaining a league-leading +32 so far. Horonek has allowed Hughes to be more comfortable and the two complement each other very well and are certainly one of the best blue-line pairings in the league.

It is often the small transactions that have the largest impact on a team’s success. In October, the Canucks traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Sam Lafferty.  Despite his production slowing down since the start of the season, Lafferty has been a fantastic addition to the Canucks offense. Lafferty is a versatile player who is defensively responsible and is useful throughout the lineup. 

27-year-old Center Pius Suter is another sneaky addition to the lineup that has helped improve the team’s structure. Suter signed a two-year contract valued at $1.6 million during the offseason and is extremely reliable on the defensive end. Suter is a consistent 15-goal scorer who can move up and down the lineup and is currently on pace to pass his scoring records. 

Finally, goaltender Casey DeSmith has proven his value as a backup to Thatcher Demko. After experiencing goaltending issues last season due to the injuries Demko experienced throughout the season, Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin sought out Montreal in a trade that would send forward Tanner Pearson to Montreal in exchange for DeSmith. The veteran netminder has collected seven wins in 13 starts with a (2.53) goals against average, a (.916) save percentage, and one shutout. DeSmith has been steady for the Canucks and has been reliable when called upon. 

Demko Takeover 

On the topic of goalies, Thatcher Demko has been one of the league’s best all season long. Tied for second in wins with 21, Demko has been a key factor in the success of the Canucks this season. In 30 starts he holds a (2.55) goals against average, and a (.916) save percentage and three shutouts. Demko is certainly playing like a Vezina Candidate and is on pace for a personal best 40-win season.  

Boeser Bounce Back

After collecting 18 goals in 74 games last season, Boeser has bounced back massively. The 26-year-old winger has put up a total of 46 points scoring 27 goals in 42 games. Boeser has been a key contributor on the top line with Elias Pettersson, and J.T. Miller, as well as the power-play. Boeser is currently fourth in the goal-scoring race and is scoring at a 50-goal pace which would mark a career year for him. 

Dynamic Duo Dominance

Finally, the duo of Pettersson and Miller have been red hot all year long as they lead the charge for the Canucks offense. The two players have a combined 115 points and are deadly at both even strength and on-the-man advantage. Pettersson who is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year has the second most game-winning goals with eight and is top 10 in scoring with 22 goals on the season. Miller is ranked third in total points with 58 and has played fantastic on both ends of the ice. The two forwards have leveled up their play this season and are showing no signs of slowing down. 

Credit: All photos and statistics were retrieved from Sportsnet