Vancouver Canucks: How they stack up in NHL power rankings
By Alex Hoegler
The Vancouver Canucks finally busted out of their slump and pulled off two consecutive wins as they headed into their bye week. We look at where they stand in power rankings across the web.
Look away from the standings, and there are definitely some positives coming up for the Vancouver Canucks. Sven Baertschi, Chris Tanev and Brandon Sutter are all healthy again. Bo Horvat is practicing and should be back in the lineup soon.
Oh, and some rookie named Brock Boeser — whom you may or may not know of — is in the running for the Calder Trophy race. The Canucks also snapped a five-game losing streak before their bye week by defeating quality teams in the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild — both on the road.
Of course, an awful December month pushed the Canucks all the way out of the playoff race, and the eyes are already shifting towards the trade deadline — and eventually the draft lottery.
But that’s all for another day. Where do the Canucks stack up in power rankings across the web? Let’s take a look, and see if they moved up at all.
Ryan Lambert placed the Canucks 28th — only ahead of the Arizona Coyotes (31), Buffalo Sabres (30), and Arizona Coyotes (29). But amazingly, Lambert moved the Canucks up three spots after placing them dead last a week ago.
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- Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
- 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg
Conclusion
So the Canucks didn’t exactly get much love, despite reeling off two consecutive wins. But truth be told, they really are a bottom-five team in the NHL right now. Without Boeser, this team has struggled to score, while Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson have regressed significantly after excellent starts to the season.
All eyes will be on the trade deadline, with Vanek and Erik Gudbranson possibly being on the move. After that, fans will pay attention to the draft lottery — where the Canucks may earn the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin.
Next: Canucks roundtable: Gaudette, draft picks, Benning
We’ll see if the Canucks can continue their win streak when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Perhaps they’ll be able to move back up after poor placements in the latest NHL power rankings.