The Vancouver Canucks were a mess in the 2002-23. Their poor play cost their head coach his job. It also cost them any hope of even really challenging for the post season.
Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers attempts to score during the shootout against the Vancouver Canucks Thatcher Demko #35
The Canucks were hoping to rely on new number 1 goalie, Thatcher Demko. Off season surgery to correct a knee injury cost him the start of the season, and a groin injury led to three additional months off the ice.
Demko flashed his talent starting in late February and went 11-4-2 with a .918 save percentage through 17 games. That was good enough to give the Canucks a jolt of enthusiasm something that has been missing on this team for years.
Demko will be leaned on, for too much, this coming season. The 27-year old will be asked to shoulder most of the crease patrol for 2023-24. The Canucks’ backups in net are inexperienced at best, unreliable at worst.
Rick Tocchet was hired to replace Bruce Boudreau in late January. Tocchet took over the bench duties and had the Canucks playing competitive hockey over the final weeks. Vancouver went 20-12-4, finishing the season at 38-37-7.
The fledgling penalty kill for the Canucks was bolstered by the signing of four free agents including defensemen Carson Soucy and Ian Cole, and forwards Teddy Blueger and Pius Suter.
“Their pedigree is being team guys, doing the little things, defending the puck, especially on the PK,” Tocchet said on NHL.com. “It really comes down to determination, details, the willingness to block a shot, the willingness to just roll your sleeves up and get the job done. I would call them system guys, and when you add players like that, it becomes infectious. It helps a coach teach things a little quicker because people follow people. That’s why those guys can help us.”
Vancouver bought four years of the eight-year deal they held with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It was better to take the cap hit for four years then saddle the team with his play.
By the end of the season, the Canucks’ penalty kill had improved to 78-.4 percent. That was nearly 13 points higher than before Tocchet took over.
“We took a lot of pride in that shutdown role really trying to free up opportunity for guys like Quinn Hughes, guys like (Lightning defenseman) Mikhail Sergachev to have free reign to play in the offensive zone and create and do what they do best,” Cole said on NHL.com. “If there’s an opportunity to play a shutdown role or certainly add in a lot of quality defensive minutes and free up guys like Quinn and (Canucks defenseman) Filip Hronek to go and create, then that’s where I think that trade-off can really help the team.”
Only goalie Arturs Silovs is slated to make the roster this season as a prospect. The rest of the Canucks’ future remains in Abbotsford with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate or junior ranks.
The Canucks will rely on the further development of Quinn Hughes on the blueline. Indeed, he is the only defenseman left on the roster from last year’s opening night slate.
Center Elias Pettersson is in a contract year, so there is hope he will step up his game for a better pay day. J.T. Miller will need to find another gear in his game as well for the Canucks to have some level of competitive play this season. Miller has averaged a more than a point per game over the last two seasons and the Canucks need every one of those points, and more this season.
Second year left wing, Andrei Kuzmenko, put up 74 points in 82 games last season. If he is not rushed the Canucks may have their future on the wing this season and into the next few campaigns.
If the Canucks are to challenge for a playoff spot in 2024, then they need to be gifted with the moving parts coming together in perfect harmony.
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