Vancouver Canucks: Latest power rankings heading into February
By Alex Hoegler
The Vancouver Canucks have gotten healthier and slightly better over the past two weeks, but they haven’t moved up much in power rankings across the web.
Following a memorable All-Star weekend in Tampa Bay — courtesy of Brock Boeser winning the MVP award — the Vancouver Canucks came back strong with a 4-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
But the damage has still been done to the Canucks, due to an awful month of December and rough start to the new year. They enter play on Thursday with 46 points — which places them only ahead of the Arizona Coyotes in the Western Conference standings.
Injuries to key players like Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi and Chris Tanev put a promising season to a screeching halt. Instead of hanging around in a crowded Western Conference playoff race, the Canucks will once again be hoping to get lucky in the 2017 NHL Draft lottery.
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However, the Canucks place in the league standings doesn’t tell the story. This team has played a lot faster, and the ‘Killer B’s Line’ should be more dynamic as they develop more together.
It’s also worth celebrating Boeser’s magical rookie year, which could lead to a Calder Trophy at season’s end.
So has Vancouver’s recent play done enough to move them up in the power rankings? Not exactly. Let’s take a look at where they stand this week.
- Sportsnet: Luke Fox described all of his entries in four words. The Canucks placed 28th in his rankings. “Brock Boeser buzz cut,” Fox wrote.
- CBS Sports: Cody Benjamin also placed the Canucks 28th in his power rankings. “Going scoreless against Buffalo should tell you they’re far from where they want to be,” he wrote. That’s one way of recapping their season thus far.
- OC Register: Eric Stephens also has the Canucks 28th on his list. Interesting note here: He placed the Senators last instead of the Coyotes. At least the Canucks aren’t exactly failing to meet expectations like the folks in the nation’s capital.
- Yahoo Sports: Ryan Lambert has the Canucks 29th. Only the Senators and Detroit Red Wings were lower.
- The Hockey News: You guessed it. Ken Campbell concurs with many other of the experts, placing the Canucks 28th in his rankings. It is better than 29th, though!
- NBC Sports: J.J. Regan has the Canucks placed 30th.. He pointed out that Boeser “continues to be the lone bright spot for a Vancouver team with little else to cheer about this season.” That’s still a bright spot, though.
The Canucks have been playing better lately, but struggling teams like the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres are also turning up their games.
I’d personally have the Canucks higher than the Montreal Canadiens — who are enduring one of their worst seasons in history. I still think the Canucks are better than the Coyotes, Sabres and Senators, too. You can make a case that they’re better than the Red Wings and Florida Panthers, too.
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At the end of the day, power rankings are just for fun. But remember, the higher you are in power rankings, the better you are as a team. If the Canucks begin moving up again, that means they’re winning more games.