Vancouver Canucks: What should we expect from Tanner Pearson?

The Vancouver Canucks acquired Tanner Pearson at the trade deadline last season, and he had a decent 19-game run here. What should we expect from him next season?

Tanner Pearson was traded to the Vancouver Canucks from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Erik Gudbranson in the final minutes of the 2019 trade deadline. Canucks fans were happy with the trade mainly because Gudbranson was gone.

Pearson had a good 19 games with his new team, scoring nine goals and adding three assists while gaining chemistry with Bo Horvat.  Pearson was on pace for a 38-goal season.

Pearson last season

Pearson started the season with the Los Angeles Kings and things didn’t go well as he had only one assist in 17 games and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Carl Hagelin. He had many different linemates in his time with the Penguins including Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, but was unable to find much success in terms of offensive production. He had nine goals and five assists before being traded to Vancouver.

In Vancouver, he really started to pick things up. Horvat had 27 goals and 61 points (both career highs) and he did it without some suitable linemates.

There was talk on Twitter about how Horvat didn’t have any good wingers and how secondary scoring was an issue. When Pearson came in, people were saying that Pearson was the winger that Horvat needed.

Using charts from Micah Blake Mccurdy of HockeyViz.Com, Horvat score adjusted shots per 60 minutes against when he was with Pearson. What was quite surprising to me was that the chart showed Alex Edler and Alex Biega’s SAS/60 both for and against go way up when they were with Pearson on the ice. Biega’s SAS/60 went up even he wasn’t on the ice with Pearson.

The Canucks were much more a threat with Pearson on the ice, as their average shots on goal pretty much doubled.

According to an article from Daniel Wagner of the Pass it To Bulis blog, Pearson’s shooting percentage went up from 6.3% to 20% after the trade to Vancouver which was near twice his career average and his rate of individual scoring chances per 60 went up, which meant he was getting more scoring chances.

Pearson has a great wrist shot (especially on the rush) and knows how to get in front of the net and how to make plays around it.

What can Pearson do this season

I expect Pearson to play a big role with some secondary scoring. I do hope Pearson can continue his chemistry with Horvat.  He isn’t going to have the 38 goal season that he was on pace for but I do expect around a 20 goal- 40 point season from him because he has played well with the Canucks.

He had a career-high 24 goals and 20 assists in 80 games with the Kings in 2016-17 and I think reach somewhere close to those numbers this season.  Playing with Horvat or someone like J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland could make him get new career highs.

I think Pearson has to continue creating high scoring chances around the net and on the rush for his effective play to continue. He has been known to be inconsistent throughout the course of his career and he disappears for long periods. When he does get going offensively, he is very effective for secondary scoring which is something the Canucks have been lacking for some time now.

Pearson has looked good with Horvat and again I do hope it can continue. The Canucks top six has potential to be effective this season and Pearson is one of the factors that could make it click. I am predicting 18 goals and 23 assists.

What do you think of Tanner Pearson and how do you think he will do this season? Let us know in the comments below.