Canucks: How does the offense stack up against the Wild?

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The Vancouver Canucks found success this season when they were capable of being an offensive force. How does that same offense stack up against the Wild?

Scheduled for a clash sometime this summer, the Vancouver Canucks will meet the Minnesota Wild in a best-of-five play-in series. The winner will advance into the final 16, or if you prefer, the first official round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As we know, the Wild are the superior team on defense, but thankfully the Canucks have a forward group that simply can’t be matched by the players Minnesota has to offer. That’s where Vancouver will need to be at their best if they wish to knock off their Western Conference enemy. Bo Horvat and company will need to find a way to do whatever it takes to outplay the Wild’s best defenders. That’s how they’ll win.

Even though the difference in goals between clubs is only eight (in favor of the Canucks), Vancouver proved to be the much more lethal team when they had control of the puck. The possession numbers for the Wild may have been much higher throughout the season in comparison, but the talent level in Vancouver’s top-six was enough to not only keep pace but actually lead the Pacific Division all together.

The Wild, on the other hand, play things by the book. Not too many passes, nothing too flashy. Just a simple all-around team effort mentality. Don’t get me wrong, interim head coach Dean Evason knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to get the best out of his players. With a team shooting percentage of 9.43%, Evason has his team ranked second across the league in that category as he makes sure his players hit the net and don’t waste any scoring chances. Markstrom best be ready, Minny is all about quality over quantity here.

On paper, the Wild appear to be the weaker team offensively. Where the Canucks have a plethora of skillful youth, the Wild match it with NHL experience. Something that can’t be overlooked. In order to see who has the offensive advantage, let’s dive deeper into the best players each team has to offer.

J.T. Miller Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Canucks’ best forwards

1. Elias Pettersson

The Canucks’ franchise centerman will be anxiously waiting to make his NHL Playoffs debut. His 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games this season mirrored the point total he posted in his rookie campaign, but don’t let that fool you. Elias Pettersson faced much more difficult competition this year and showed leaps forward in his overall awareness of the NHL game.

Through his first two seasons, Pettersson’s numbers rank extremely high amongst other elite talents under the age of 25. Bested by only Connor McDavid, Petey’s 132 points in 139 games ranks him second place in Points Per Game. His 0.950PPG% is mountains above Auston Matthews (0.910%), Mathew Barzal (0.886%), Brock Boeser (0.829%), and anyone else for that matter. It’ll be very intriguing to see how his numbers stack up in the playoffs. Don’t bet against Pettersson to do some serious damage against the Wild. He’ll be determined to be at his very best.

2. Brock Boeser

Say what you want about Boeser, but the fact of the matter is, he’s still one hell of a goal-scorer in the NHL, and when hockey returns the Canucks will be very happy to have him on their side of the fight. 16 goals was a new career low for “The Flow” this year, but given everything Boeser faced off the ice this season, Vancouver should consider the improvement to his overall game a big win.

Two years completely removed for a rockstar rookie season that was halted because of a scary season-ending back injury, Boeser still hasn’t proven to be the 30+ goal-scorer he showcased he could potentially be that same season, but the steps taken to round out his defensive game really came to the forefront in 2019-20.

Boeser will have nearly five or six months of time between the NHL pause and the NHL’s return to play to focus on his health, shake out the kinks, and dial-in his famous wrist shot. That has to be a cause for concern if you are the Wild. I’m giving Boeser the benefit of the doubt with my full vote of confidence that he will bounce back and return to form versus the Wild. He’s making his playoff debut versus the Wild, and that should benefit Boeser as the perfect hometown pick me he needs to boost his performance.

3. J.T. Miller

This season J.T. Miller was everything the Canucks ever dreamed he could be and more. Taking complete ownership of his game, Miller came to Vancouver with a goal in mind, leading to him bursting out offensively as a 200-foot player and ultimately leading Vancouver in scoring with 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games.

His 25 points this year on the man-advantage makes him the Canucks’ biggest power play force. He also made himself a worthy penalty killer, and my guess is Miller will see a big rise in minutes in the playoffs. He’s proven to be a strong player in all facets of the game, and his six consecutive years of playoff experience are too valuable to this young team. His shoulders will be forced to hold a lot of weight in the playoffs this year. But this is why Benning brought him here. Is he up to the task?

4. Bo Horvat

Considering everything thrown his way this season, Horvat’s first year as captain of the Canucks went quite well. With Loui Eriksson attached to him at the hip, Bo still persevered and found a way to be offensively productive. 53 points on the shortened season, but still another consecutive career-high in points per game for the 6-year pro. On top of that, he handled more than his share defensively, and always found a way to fend off the opposition’s best players.

He may be considered the Canucks second center behind Pettersson, but at this point in his career, his game goes far beyond what some people give him credit for. He’s confident in himself, and he’s good enough to get the best of any centerman Minnesota has to deploy. At 35 years of age, Eric Staal presumably still has a couple of playoff tricks up his sleeve, but even then, he’s a questionable matchup against Bo.

5. Tyler Toffoli

Tyler Toffoli‘s sample size in Vancouver is only 10 games, but what an amazing 10 games it was! Six goals, four assists, and he was nothing short of a clutch performer when the Canucks needed him most.

Now, entering the playoffs with a healthy roster, Vancouver will be thick with capable 20+ goal scorers, and Toffoli will be one of them. He’s the final piece that makes this offense a worthy playoff contender. With Toffoli now inside the top-six, the Canucks have plenty of firepower. His Stanley Cup ring will be a welcome addition inside the trenches of playoff war.

Mikko Koivu #9 of the Minnesota Wild (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Wild’s best forwards

1. Eric Staal

A change of scenery has turned out to be the key to Staal’s ongoing success this late in his career. He just completed his fourth season in a Minnesota Wild uniform, and I have to admit, he’s aged like a fine wine, much better than I would have originally thought.

Although the 42-goal version of himself from two years ago is likely in the rearview, his 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) this season proves he’s still capable of being the man who needs to take care of business. He shouldn’t be underestimated, but with that being said, when it comes down to it, the Canucks best forwards should still be able to outplay the aging Staal.

2. Kevin Fiala

Kevin Fiala finally bounced back to be the player the Wild knew he could be. At 23-years-old, Fiala surpassed Ryan Suter and took over as the Wild’s newest points leader. The Switzerland native recorded an impressive 23 goals and 54 points in 64 games this season playing on the top line.

Playing on the right side of two veterans with a combined 31 NHL seasons, and more than 1800 points, Fiala is striving and shouldn’t take his foot on the gas. The Wild have an aging core, and Fiala is next in line for the passing of the torch, and his performance in this play-in series will be a good way to prove he can measure up.

3. Zach Parise

It’s been more than 10 years since Zach Parise was a 90-point player in the National Hockey League. However, Parise is still one of Minnesota’s most relied on players. 25 goals this year may not be the 45-50 he used to be capable of, but it was enough to make that his 10th season with at least 20 goals.

At 35, Parise is slowing down but is still experienced enough to cover up the holes that age begin to show in hockey. His 47 points finished 4th amongst Wild skaters, and Parise still has what it takes to keep up and be a positive contributor within the Wild’s top-six. He may not be 25, fresh and young, but he’s one of the best Minnesota’s got.

4. Mats Zuccarello

Even though he’s been a 20 goal-scorer just once over the span of his 10-year NHL playing career, Mats Zuccarello is an exceptional top-six contributor. Averaging 15:57 in ice-time over his first season with Wild (which is a fair amount less than when he was playing in New York), Zuccarello still managed to pot 15 goals and 37 points.

He’s four years removed from being a 60 point player, and he’ll need to elevate his game back to those heights if he wishes to help himself and the Wild fight against the Canucks’ infinite amount of scorers.

Final thoughts

When you put everything out on the table in front of you, it becomes crystal clear that the Canucks have a very distinct advantage over the Wild offensively. Throw the best player that the Wild have on their roster at the Canucks, and they simply can’t keep up. Any player inside the Canucks top-six could handle themselves against the Wild’s best forward.

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

Minnesota may hold the advantage in terms of age and playoff experience, but that’s it. With the Canucks youth having fresh legs, clear heads, and multiple players who know how to finish, this is clearly where the Canucks can earn a competitive advantage over the Wild.

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