Are the Canucks the team to beat in the Pacific Division?

Entering play on Friday, the Vancouver Canucks sit third in the Pacific. But are they the team to beat in this wide open division?

The Vancouver Canucks are off to an impressive 9-4-3 start on the young 2019-20 season, and they already look like a team that’s capable of capturing the Pacific Division.

Vancouver (16 games played ) is only a point behind the top-seeded Edmonton Oilers and the second-seeded Calgary Flames, who’ve played 17 and 19 games, respectively. With games in hand, the Canucks could very well move into first place in short time.

And while the Canucks continue to surge to the towards the top, their three long-time California bullies are beginning to slip. The Los Angeles Kings (5-10-1) are the worst team in the Western Conference, and the 6-10-1 San Jose Sharks aren’t faring much better. The Anaheim Ducks (9-7-1) have slowed down after a hot start, and goalie John Gibson can only do so much with a flawed team in front of him.

The stingy Arizona Coyotes (9-5-2) are getting by despite lackluster offence, thanks to a stingy defensive unit that’s allowed just 37 goals — third-fewest in the NHL. And you can’t discount the powerhouse Vegas Golden Knights, who’ve managed 21 points through 17 games despite fairly sluggish start.

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Entering play on Friday, Vancouver has the seventh-best offence (56 goals) and they’ve surrendered the fifth-fewest goals (41). No other Pacific Division club ranks in the top 10 for both goals for and goals against per game.

Their power play (22.1 percent) is eighth in the NHL, and their penalty kill ranks sixth (86.4 percentage). San Jose is the only other Pacific Division team that ranks in the top 10 for both categories.

Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko are giving the Canucks to win every single night, and there’s little doubting that this is the best goaltending duo in the NHL. If they keep this up, Vancouver will be in the running for the division crown until the very end.

There are six Canucks with double-digit points — while Brandon Sutter, Josh Leivo and Jake Virtanen have eight apiece. That is, quite frankly, incredible scoring depth that the Canucks haven’t had since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

And you can argue that the “Lotto Line” is the best in the Western Conference right now, too. Elias Pettersson (21 points) has to be considered an early favorite to win the Hart Trophy, while Brock Boeser (16 points) is in line for a career year.

So are the Canucks really the team to beat in the Pacific Division? The math doesn’t lie. The answer is a simple “yes.”

The Oilers are going to fall soon if they don’t get any scoring from their second to fourth lines. Calgary is still facing goaltending issues, which led to their early first round elimination last spring. And right now, none of the three California teams can be considered serious contenders. Arizona has to start scoring if they want to hang around in the playoff race.

I’d say the Canucks and Golden Knights are the two best teams, regardless of record. And recent history suggests Vegas is better, but Vancouver hasn’t displayed any real weaknesses right now. This is one of the most complete teams in hockey right now.

So for now, the Canucks are probably the team to beat in the Pacific Division. It’s still far too early, and a lot can happen. But the numbers tell the story. This team has no real weaknesses, and they’re primed to take more steps forward as the season progresses.