Canucks: 5 predictions for play-in series vs. the Wild

3. Zack MacEwen will make an impact 

The Canucks 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on March 6th was a statement game for Zack MacEwen. To say that the undrafted old-school hockey player from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island went off that night would be an understatement. Big Mac scored twice and added four hits in just over seven minutes of ice time. He had arrived!

MacEwen was on the brink of becoming a full-fledged NHLer when COVID-19 shut everything down. It’s unfortunate, but MacEwen will need to re-establish himself all over again if he wishes to be a part of the Canucks moving forward in the playoffs. It’s okay though because MacEwen is used to scratching and crawling for every second of NHL ice time. Every shift is a blessing, and that’s what will drive MacEwen to prove himself once more.

MacEwen’s efforts to stick inside the Canucks bottom-six this season will be the same reasons he becomes an impact player for them in the playoffs. He’s a rare breed in the modern-day NHL, but his rough and tough playing style is something that the Canucks desperately need. He has all the tools to get the job done. The playoffs are where he’ll find the most success.

Confidence: 5.0

4. Quinn Hughes will lead the Canucks in points 

Right out of the gate this season, Quinn Hughes was an elusive magician on the blueline for the Vancouver Canucks. And that never stopped. His vision on the man-advantage was second to none, and he proved highly capable of shutting down the NHL’s most coveted players. Hughes became noticeable at every aspect of the game, and you can only expect that to continue when he gets his first taste of NHL playoffs.

He’s the team’s best defender in any situation, so do you think he’ll get an even bigger workload from Travis Green once the games really matter? It’s almost a guarantee. Expect his average ice-time of 21:37 to almost jump off the page in a playoff atmosphere. Vancouver will need a strong five-game performance from their entire top-4 if they stand a chance of keeping up defensively with the Wild, and Hughes will need to be the guy to accept that challenge head-on.

A rise in minutes will lead to a bump in points for the Canucks’ best rookie. He’s believed in his own capabilities from the start, and up to this point of this young NHL career, he’s done nothing negatively to make the fans think otherwise. Add the simple fact that his legs will be more than fresh once playoffs begin, and suddenly there is really no telling what this kid could do. That’s why I am putting my money on Hughes to evaluate his game once more, lead the Canucks past the Wild, and lead the team in overall points as well.

Confidence: 7.0

5. Jacob Markstrom will struggle early on

Jacob Markstrom was a darkhorse candidate for goalie of the year this season, that’s how good he was for the Vancouver Canucks. But it doesn’t really matter how good a goaltender was, it matters only how good a goaltender is. And six months away from the net can change almost anything for an NHL netminder, especially when he’s coming back from an injury that required surgery.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but in his last game, Markstrom and the Canucks trumped the Bruins 9-3 on Feb. 22. Four days later, it was Boston who, unfortunately, got the last laugh. The Canucks MVP suffered a tear to his meniscus, missed eight weeks, was eventually cleared to play, but because of COVID-19, he hasn’t played a professional game since. That’s a cause for concern in my books.

Not only will Markstrom have been away from hockey for six months once playoffs begin, but the 30-year-old All-Star still has zero NHL playoff experience. Normally, I wouldn’t be too concerned about that given the fact that Markstrom’s play was stellar all season long, but tack on the fact that he actually hasn’t played competitively since winter, and suddenly there’s a red flag.

Confidence: 8.5

Don’t expect Markstrom to be a top-caliber goaltender when the puck drops for game one. He’s going to need some time to find his bearings, but once he does, the Wild will be in hot water.