Canucks: Who is the unsung hero of the 2019-20 season?
Bo Horvat
The first-year captain has had his ups and downs this year. Through the first couple of months of the season, he struggled mightily to find the back of the net on home ice. In November the team fell off the face of the planet and all hope was failing in Vancouver. Later, the injuries struck and who was left to answer the bell?
Bo Horvat has been here since day one, and he’s doing a heck of a job in his first year with the “C” stitched on his sweater. Despite struggling to score early on, he’s racked up 53 points, (22 goals, 31 assists) in 69 games. Only two other players have more points than the captain.
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After that, when the team was struggling to win, Horvat goes out and finds the back of the net three times to pot a hat-trick and get the team’s engines fired up. He turned that into some momentum to get the team back in the playoff picture.
You can’t give him an unsung hero nomination without mentioning the fact that he’s the go-to shutdown guy in Vancouver. If the opponent’s best players are on the ice, Horvat is there to take down the competition. He’s done an incredible job forming chemistry with Tanner Pearson, and you can’t forget the fact that he’s more or less had to drag around the dead weight of Loui Eriksson all season long.
You add that all together and it gives you a lot of reason to look at the captain as the unsung hero of 2019-20. He’s got all the tools to be the captain, a darn good one I might add. He’s proved it this year and in my opinion, he isn’t getting enough credit. He would be a solid choice for the award if the season is in fact over.
Alex Edler
What’s not to like about the game of Alex Edler? The Swedish defender that all Canucks’ fans know and love has been lights out defensively this season. He’s been handling over 20 minutes a night quite easily in his mid-thirties, he didn’t complain when his first unit power play time ended, and he’s been the same old “Steady Eddie” on the penalty kill.
Talk about a guy who will do anything for a chance to win in Vancouver. He wants to play hockey in BC, and nowhere else. First, despite more money calling from across the league, he signs a very generous discounted contract in Vancouver. A two-year deal with a cap hit of $6 million annually. What a steal for a franchise leading blueliner.
The inevitable injury bug struck the eagle, but it was a blessing in disguise. His minutes were too high, and finally after a lot of complaints from the fans, Travis Green dropped him from the man-advantage altogether to make sure his average ice time wasn’t too high. He didn’t complain, he didn’t get hurt anymore and he still found a way to put up some big numbers. In a full season, it wouldn’t have been surprised to see him hit 40+ points. That’s insane for a 33-year-old without time on the ice up a man.
The smaller workload approach has been perfect for Edler. The credit he deserves might be shadowed by the offensive explosion of the rookie, Quinn Hughes, but the fans of Vancouver don’t take Edler for granted. His defence is still sound and he rarely makes the wrong play. The Canucks aren’t the same team without him, and that’s why he’s a top-three nomination in my books.
Chris Tanev
The marathon man, Chris Tanev! What an accomplishment for the injury-riddled defensive defenceman. For the first time in his professional career, the kid managed to play from start to finish (if the regular season is over) without being scratched from the line-up due to injury. He found his defensive partner this year in Hughes, and it completely rejuvenated the career of the Canucks’ top puck eater.
He went from trade bait to a “must keep” for most of the Van-city fans. His long list of injures has been a big reason a lot of people would like to see him shipped out of town, but this year he managed to make it all the way to game 69 before announcing an injury that would have him miss games. But maybe this time around, he’ll manage to heal up and get back in time whenever the coronavirus “break” comes to an end. That would mean he plays a full schedule of games without injury for the first time ever.
Not only that, but Tanev is tied for his career-best in points. He managed to hit 20 and it has a lot to do with the chemistry he’s found in his linemate. The duo of Tanev and Hughes has been a sight for sore eyes. Never before has the team had such a fantastic pair? Although Hughes is the team’s best defender, the complete shutdown game of Tanev allows Hughes to breakout and be more offensive, ultimately creating scoring chances. Hughes has benefitted the game of Tanev, and Tanev has done the same for Hughes.
There is still more in the tank when it comes to Tanev, and that is why he deserves some credit towards being an unsung hero of this team. What a season for Tanev. If he returns to Vancouver, you can bet your bottom dollar the Hughes/Tanev pairing is just beginning.
Prediction: Bo Horvat
Next. If NHL season is over, Quinn Hughes is the Calder favorite. dark
No shade thrown towards Edler and Tanev, they both had excellent years, but Horvat was better. He faced the responsibilities of being a captain in one of the toughest hockey markets head-on. He made Pearson a top-six forward again, and he could have easily finished the year with 60+ points at the same time as having Eriksson as one of your wingers. Purely amazing work from Bo. The captain arrived, and he showed up in a big way.