The 2023-24 season is nearing its end and the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will start on April 20. The Vancouver Canucks have had a successful regular season and are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2015. The club has a 50-22-9 record and ranks among the top teams in the NHL.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has done a tremendous job transforming the team into a winner, while the club’s top players have been playing their best. J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko are having career years, while Elias Pettersson has played well for most of the season. Additionally, the front office has added multiple pieces to the blue line and upfront, which have improved the roster. As a result, the Canucks are Stanley Cup contenders and have a chance to win it all. Here are a few things they need for a successful run in the 2024 Postseason.
Elite Goaltending From a Healthy Demko
The Canucks have had ups and down without their starting goalie Demko since the knee injury he suffered on March 9 against the Winnipeg Jets. Since the injury, the Canucks have a 7-5-2 record with a 2.86 goal against per game (GA/GP). Casey DeSmith has a 4-5-1 record, with a 2.94 goals against average (GAA) and a .888 save percentage (SV%). Meanwhile, Artur Silovs has a 3-0-1 record but still has struggled posting a 2.47 GAA and a .881 SV%. Although the club isn’t scoring at the same clip as before, they also haven’t received the big saves they would get from Demko.
Before Demko’s injury, the Canucks had a 44-17-4 record, second-best in the league. Demko started 49 of those games, posting a 34-13-2 record in those games. He has a 2.47 GAA, .917 SV%, and five shutouts on the season. Before his injury, Demko was a likely Vezina Trophy nominee prior to his injury as he was one of the top goaltenders in the NHL.
Demko will play a massive role in any success the Canucks have in the playoffs. He showed he could carry the team and win big games before, especially in the 2020 NHL Playoffs. In his first and only playoff appearance, Demko played three games, posting a 2-1-0 record, .64 GAA, .985 SV%, and a shutout. He was the main reason the Canucks forced the Vegas Golden Knights to a Game 7 that year. He put together an impressive performance as a rookie goalie.
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The only worry that comes with Demko’s performance in the playoffs will be his health. Coming off a knee injury where he has missed a month causes a few worries. First, there’s a chance he could re-injure his knee. Also, with Demko being away for almost a month, it is unknown how long it’ll take to get back to speed. However, Demko doesn’t believe rust will be an issue and is confident in his rehabilitation allowing him to return to form. He played well in his first game back against the Calgary Flames on April 16, making 39 saves and posting a .975 SV% in a win.
“I’ve played close to 50 games this year and that was a month ago,” Demko said. “It’s not like coming off the offseason where you haven’t played a game in 3-4 months and then trying to get it back. I feel pretty much right where I was when I went down and I’m excited to get back in the net for some games.
“We’ve been working around the clock. A lot of these days the last four weeks have been double (rehabilitation) sessions coming in. I appreciate the [medical] staff that’s been around me, kind of matching my focus level and my determination to get back, and obviously it takes a village. We’re in a great spot right now and I feel very fortunate to be in the position I’m in right now. I’m excited to get back and see what games I can play.”
Re-Gaining Offensive Scoring Touch
The Canucks impressive season has seen the organization firing off on all cylinders. On the season, the club is sixth with 3.42 goals for per game (GF/GP). However, their scoring touch has dropped as the organization was the second-best team in the NHL with a 3.80 GF/GP from the start of the season until the All-Star Break. Since the break, they’ve posted a 2.80 GF/GP, 26th in the NHL.
The club has had inconsistent offensive play from their forwards, mostly since the All-Star Break. Their top players have had their ups and downs, while their role players have had injuries and struggled to score, as well.
Top Players Producing
The Canucks top players of Pettersson, Miller, Boeser, and Hughes have played an integral role in the team’s success this season. Miller has surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career, while Boeser registered 40 goals, and Hughes is the Norris Trophy front-runner and set another regular-season high for points by a Canuck defenceman with 91. Meanwhile, Pettersson regressed from his 100-point season in 2022-23 due to inconsistent play but still managed to score 34 goals and post 88 points in 80 games.
Miller and Hughes played consistent hockey after their hot start to the 2023-24 season, and there isn’t much doubt about how they’ll perform in the postseason. Similar to Demko, the two played exceptionally well during the club’s previous playoff appearance in 2020. Miller tied for first in points with 18 and had six goals, while Hughes was in second with 16 points and two goals.
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As for Pettersson, he started the season hot and was on pace to surpass the 100-point mark once again. However, he cooled down and will finish close to 90 points this season. Still, Pettersson has shown he can step up in big games. Similar to Miller and Hughes, he impressed during the 2020 Playoffs. He tied Miller for the team lead in points with 18 and had seven goals.
As for Boeser, he also started the season off hot and cooled down. He scored 21 goals in the first 29 games, but took 20 games to reach 30 and then took another 29 games to reach 40. Unlike the other four players, Boeser had an underwhelming performance in 2020. He scored four goals and posted 11 points. However, despite the scoring lulls at different points in the season, he’s shown he can score in different ways this season and should have a better performance.
Key Role Players Stepping Up
One of the biggest issues the Canucks had in 2020 was the lack of scoring from their bottom six. The club had their top-six producing and elite goaltending but didn’t receive secondary scoring. This season, the Canucks have had scoring from all four lines.
The main contributor has been the duo of Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua. Garland had the lowest point total in his tenure with the Canucks with 44 in 80 games but played his best hockey overall this season. Pairing him up with Joshua has created the Canucks’ best duo. Joshua has scored a career-high 17 goals and posted 31 points. Not only do both players provide the club with secondary scoring, but they also play with a physical edge. Garland is 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, but that doesn’t stop him from playing with an edge and fighting for the puck. Meanwhile, Joshua is the opposite in size, standing at 6-foot-3, 206 pounds, he leads the team with 235 hits, despite missing 19 games this season.
The duo has played well with any centre Tocchet decides to play along with them. Teddy Blueger spent the first half with the duo before Joshua’s hand injury. He has six goals and 28 points in 67 games. Tocchet has also played the duo with Miller, which has worked out as well. Recently, Elias Lindholm, who is the club’s key acquisition this season, has centred the duo, which has allowed them to be a key matchup line.
Among the three options, Lindholm or Blueger are the best, as Miller can serve as a play driver on his own line. Between the two, Blueger playing on the line would reunite a trio that can produce and shut down the opposition. Meanwhile, it would allow Lindholm to play with top-end talent and the Canucks need him to get going in the postseason as they gave up a massive haul for the forward. He has shown he can create offensive opportunities in the postseason with the Flames while playing with elite talent, scoring eight goals and posting 17 points in 27 playoff games. Additionally, he played his best hockey in the team’s last playoff appearance in 2021-22, scoring five goals and posting nine points in 12 games. Therefore, lining him up with Pettersson or Miller would be the right move.
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Reuniting the third line and placing Lindholm in the top six would leave the fourth line as the only line that the Canucks need to figure out. The top six should include Pettersson, Lindholm, Miller, Boeser and Nils Hoglander. The sixth forward should be either Vasily Podkolzin or Ilya Mikheyev, while the other will play on the fourth line. A fourth line centred by Pius Suter with Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty could become a productive line with veteran players. Playing the trio together could be effective as they’ve combined for 38 goals on the season and offer unique ability.
Points From Other Blueliners
Hughes will shine in the playoffs as he does in the regular season. However, the Canucks need the rest of the blue line to contribute if they’ll have success. Filip Hronek was the biggest addition to the roster before this season started, joining the club before last year’s trade deadline. This season, he started off by scoring three goals and posting 36 points in 44 games, but over the past 36 games, he’s scored two goals and posted 12 points. Getting Hronek going in the playoffs will be important for Tocchet. He is at his best when he is creating scoring opportunities.
Other defencemen, such as Nikita Zadorov and Tyler Myers, have also done a good job of producing. Zadorov joined the Canucks in December and has scored five goals and posted 14 points in 52 games. He also provides the club with a physical presence and stands up for his teammates. Meanwhile, Myers is playing his best hockey since joining the club in 2019-20. The club has the pieces on the blue line to create offensively, but those players need to perform, which will lead to good things for the Canucks.
Young Players Shining
Memorable runs from teams such as the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings in recent memory have seen young players step up and help win a Cup. The Kings had a 21-year-old Tyler Toffoli who posted seven goals and 14 points, while a 21-year-old Tanner Pearson scored four goals and posted 12 points in 24 games in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, the Penguins had help from Matt Murray (21 and 22 years old), Jake Guentzel (22), Bryan Rust (23 and 24) and Conor Sheary (23 and 24). All four players played a role in helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
With that being said, the Canucks need their young players to shine, and they have two of them. Hoglander and Podkolzin are those two players who can elevate their play in the postseason. Hoglander already is having a career season, scoring 23 goals and posting 35 points in 78 games, while Podkolzin has shown flashes as a skilled power forward. Hoglander has already secured a top-six slot, while Podkolzin should get a look, as his style of play suites playoff hockey and could lead to scoring opportunities. The Russian forward would round out the Canucks’ top six with another productive player.
Canucks Have the Pieces for a Successful Run
The Canucks have all the makings for a deep playoff run. With elite goaltending from Demko, he can steal multiple games for the Canucks in the postseason. Also, re-gaining their goal-scoring from their top players, key role players and blueliners will create the success they had earlier in the season. Additionally, younger players in Hoglander and Podkolzin could help by levelling up their game. Nonetheless, the organization has all the pieces they need to have a successful postseason.
