What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vancouver Canucks

We’ve made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful for. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this season comes with a bit of a change. Typically at this time of the calendar year, the trade deadline is fast approaching but now, we’re only at the one-quarter mark.  Still, we’ll analyze what they’re happy about so far and what they can be hoping for in the months to come.

What are the Canucks most thankful for?

Their young and controllable core up front.  Of their current top-six forwards from last game (Tanner Pearson being the exception), five are 27 years of age or younger and all have at least two years of team control remaining.  On the back end, Quinn Hughes has already established himself as a core defender while Olli Juolevi has worked his way into a regular spot in the lineup.  Over the weekend, when team owner Francesco Aquilini gave his management team and coaching staff a vote of confidence, he referenced the core of young talent.  It’s an impressive group regardless of how much the team has struggled through the first quarter of the season.

Who are the Canucks most thankful for?

Elias Pettersson.  Let’s look past his slow start to the season (one he has quietly come back from with 11 points in his last 11 games) and look at the bigger picture.  He has established himself as a consistent offensive threat and after spending most of last year on the left wing, Pettersson now finds himself down the middle again, his natural position.  He’s already a key cog in their attack but if he can stick at center, he could become a homegrown top pivot which is something that many teams covet but not many have.  Yes, there’s a pricey contract extension on the horizon as his entry-level deal is up this summer but they shouldn’t be too worried about locking up a franchise cornerstone to a long-term contract that buys out some UFA years.

What would the Canucks be even more thankful for?

Jake Virtanen rediscovering his offensive touch.  There’s being in a slump and there’s being in worse than that which is about where the winger is.  After scoring a career-high 18 goals last season, he’s at just one in 14 games while failing to record an assist.  Not surprisingly, he’s been bumped down the depth chart and has been scratched multiple times already.  At some point, they need to get more from him.  And since his name is out there in trade speculation, a return to form would make finding a palatable trade a whole lot easier than trying to land full value at a point where Virtanen’s trade value likely has never been lower.

Beyond that, they’d be quite thankful if Thatcher Demko bounced back as well.  This was supposed to be the season where he took a big step towards establishing himself as a legitimate starting goaltender but that hasn’t happened yet.  Instead, he has basically platooned with Braden Holtby with neither of them playing particularly well most nights.  They need to know if Demko can indeed be their goalie of the future (and present).  He’s not building himself a strong case right now.

What should be on the Canucks’ wish list?

Veteran defensive depth.  They lost some depth over the offseason and then early-season injuries tested that depth early on with their struggles helping contribute to the team allowing the most goals in the league.  While Juolevi and Jalen Chatfield have had some good moments, a capable fourth or fifth defender would go a long way towards shoring things up.  The cap will be a challenge with several veterans on pricey, above-market contracts but GM Jim Benning will need to find a way to make it happen if they want to get back into a playoff spot in the North Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.