The Canucks’ offence is legit, and their young stars are leading the way
The Vancouver Canucks’ offence has been firing on all cylinders to begin the new season, with the likes of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes leading the way.
Just a little over a year removed from when head coach Travis Green said he was concerned about his team’s offence, the Vancouver Canucks are second in the NHL in goal differential — trailing none other than the 2019 Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins. Life hits you fast.
The Canucks are finding ways to score, and they’re finally getting some help in the form of secondary scoring — something that was certainly lacking last season. J.T. Miller has six goals and nine assists. Tim Schaller, a fourth line player for the Canucks, has added four goals to his team’s goal totals.
The Canucks are finding offence all throughout their lineup, which in turn, enables their young stars to thrive. The Canucks roster has picked up 141 total points this season, with 56 of those coming from players aged 23 and under — only the Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten more (58).
Only the Maple Leafs have gotten more point contributions from players aged 23 and under than the Canucks. Exciting to think about what this team could look like when EP40, Hughes, and Brock continue to improve, with guys like Podkolzin and Hoglander arriving soon. pic.twitter.com/OR8Lin4l4O
— David Quadrelli (@QuadrelliD) November 3, 2019
Those 56 points from their 23 and under players account for 40% of the team’s total points. The Canucks are getting contributions all throughout, and are currently fourth in the NHL in total goals scored. As a result of this help in the goal-scoring department, the task of putting up goals is made easier and isn’t solely put on the backs of their young guns.
Brandon Sutter has already matched his goal total from last season. Jake Virtanen has looked solid so far, and has found the back of the net four times already, adding three assists on top of that. Bo Horvat has proved to be a great captain, and scored the first hat trick of his career earlier this season.
All three players on the Canucks’ top line, “The Lotto Line” sit in the top 20 for scoring in the NHL. Miller has been a catalyst alongside Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and the three have formed undeniable chemistry with one another.
Pettersson is currently up there with some of the league’s best when it comes to the NHL scoring race, as his 20 points put him in sixth-place league-wide. Some players with fewer points than Pettersson are Alex Ovechkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mark Stone. That is some elite company, and Pettersson is still just 20 years old.
Like Pettersson, Boeser has looked great to begin the new season, and what can you say about Quinn Hughes? The rookie defenceman is currently a front-runner for the Calder Trophy and has given the Canucks’ power play new life thanks to his dynamic skillset and superior skating abilities.
Currently, the Canucks’ point leaders are as follows: Pettersson (20), Boeser (16), Miller (15), Bo Horvat (13), Alex Edler and Quinn Hughes (10), Brandon Sutter (8), Josh Leivo and Jake Virtanen (7). There’s a lot of offence coming from young players, with the Canucks’ veteran players getting in on the fun as well.
If there’s one word to describe this team, it’s fun. There has rarely been a shortage of goals during a Canucks game this season, and the fast-paced brand of hockey that the team is playing right now is quite simply, fun. Fun for the players, but also extremely fun for the fans.
With prospects like Vasily Podkolzin, Tyler Madden, and Nils Hoglander arriving in the coming years, there’s no question that the Canucks will be getting offensive contributions all throughout their lineup for years to come. Let the fun continue.
It feels as if this is just the beginning of something special, and to that I say, let’s all sit back and enjoy the ride.