The Canuck Way: Excitement around playoffs is brewing with fans

The Canucks have stamped their ticket into the first-ever playoff dance of 24, and with that, there is a lot of exciting things to look forward to if you’re a fan of Vancouver. For instance, Who’s going to be the most exciting player to watch? Who have you been dying to see in a playoff game? Who’s going to make a bigger impact? These are all big and important questions! The people have spoken. The results are in. Let’s take a look.

Challenged really only by Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson came out on top as the star player that people are most looking forward to watching in the playoffs. Not much surprise here. You don’t earn the nickname, “The Alien” for nothing, and through his first two seasons, Pettersson has done a fine job establishing himself as a bonafide No. 1 center in the National Hockey League.

The two-year pro already has great personal stats, but at such a young age he proved capable of being the man and did a remarkable job fast-tracking Vancouver’s rebuild. On the west coast, his high-level skill is second to nobody, and rightfully so, he’s earned the chance to show everybody what kind of damage he can dish out when the games truly matter.

Players like Petey are a whole different kind of animal. Driven by the need to always be at his best, Pettersson’s results on and off the ice have already gained him the full confidence from his fans to be the man who can make a difference in the playoffs. Finally, Pettersson will get his chance to make his mark in the playoffs, and the fans will get to see why they believe he’ll be the most exciting star player to watch.

Jake Virtanen has long been a player on the Canucks roster that people can’t wait to see in the playoffs. Shotgun Jake is thought of by many fans as a player who could one day be known as a playoff performer. Six years as a Vancouver Canuck and Virtanen will get his opportunity to make a splash in the playoffs. He’s a big body guy, and fans across BC are expecting him to break out and unleash the fury. He has the size, speed, and skill to be the next Todd Bertuzzi. He just has to learn how to put it all together.

Adam Gaudette‘s season was positive enough for him to narrowly miss out on taking the top spot for this poll. He’s energetic, goes off like a cannon, and has the size to lay someone out with a thunderous hit. He played a lot of hockey with Virtanen on his wing this season, and Travis Green will be looking for the duo to up the intensity another notch for the playoffs. Watch out!

When it all begins, outside of the very talented Hughes, four defensemen on the Canucks will be expected to carry a heavier workload. Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, Tyler Myers, and Troy Stecher are all capable top-four guys, but according to the fans, the 34-year-old Edler (who isn’t getting any younger) is still the man of the blueline in Van-City.

Coach Green handed Edler fewer minutes than last season and a lesser role behind Hughes and Myers offensively. The result of it all was a healthier veteran defender with a positive upswing in his overall game. Despite seeing minimal time on the man-advantage, his point production didn’t waver and he was able to focus on putting more of his energy into the defensive end.

Cards were played very well by Green this year, and now, he has a well-rested franchise defender who can log big minutes when it matters. With Hughes and Myers taking care of things in the offensive zone, expect Edler to see a spike in defensive zone starts, and a rise in ice-time. This is still his blueline, and the fans know he’s still the man in Vancouver defensively.

Final thoughts…

The Canucks have a lot to look forward to when the playoffs get underway. The roster is loaded with talent and there are a lot of really entertaining players yet to make their playoff debut. It’s always fun doing polls with the fans, and the best part is there are no wrong answers when it comes to the people.