Canucks: 3 players that will take on bigger roles next year
The Vancouver Canucks said goodbye to a lot of talented players this offseason paving the way for a few players to step up and take on bigger roles next year.
The Vancouver Canucks got a whole lot better last season and they have the resume to back it up. Thanks to tremendous team play, the Canucks made it to the dance for the first time in five years. After they survived the play-in round against the Minnesota Wild, they knocked off the St. Louis Blues and took the Vegas Golden Knights all the way to the dying minutes of game seven of the Western Conference finals. They were one win away from the final four and the last Canadian team to be eliminated.
Now, what feels like half of that successful roster, has up and left in free agency to sign with other NHL teams. Thankfully, the core of the Canucks franchise remains intact, but with very few fresh faces making Vancouver home, certain players are being counted on by management and coaching staff to take the next step in their development and fill bigger roles on the team moving forward.
Who are those players exactly? Sure, it’s been said that any one person can rise up and become the man, but in this specific case, management already has a pretty good idea of which guys they have primed for their upcoming role. The coaching staff already has a good idea on who exactly they’ll be turning to, to pick up the slack and help Vancouver remain competitive next season. Let’s dive into who those players might be.
1. Jake Virtanen
Despite performing well below expectations in his first-ever NHL playoffs experience, Jake Virtanen‘s season as a whole has to be considered to be quite successful. Without much time spent in the team’s top-six, “Big Tuna” found his scoring touch and was able to pot 18 goals and 36 total points through a 69-game schedule.
Consistency has always been in question when it comes to Virtanen’s game, and if he hadn’t shown up to training camp out of shape (twice), who knows what he could have accomplished last season. However, his accomplishments in 2019-20 were enough for the Canucks to sign him to a two-year extension and they believe the best is yet to come from the New Westminster native.
With not much depth on the right side behind Brock Boeser, it appears Virtanen could be the best available option for a full-time top-six position next season– something Virtanen has never truly had. With that in mind, if he does get a long hard look next to either Bo Horvat or Elias Pettersson, the sky could be the limit for “Shotgun Jake”.
With him averaging just a touch over 13 minutes a game last year on the third line and with no first unit power play time, just imagine what he could do playing first-line minutes next to one of the greatest players in hockey. Maybe, just maybe Virtanen could become that 25-goal, 50-point guy who can crash and bang with the best of them on a night-to-night basis.
2. Thatcher Demko
The Canucks sent a message and Thatcher Demko received it loud and clear. Demko is the goalie of the Canucks’ future, and that future is upon us. Jim Benning made that choice when he decided to move on from MVP Jacob Markstrom and hand the net over to the 24-year-old netminder who had himself quite the showing through 3 playoff games versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
Yes, Vancouver agreed to terms with a former Stanley Cup champion back-stopper, Braden Holtby, but Demko put the entire hockey world on notice with his God-like goaltending versus the Golden Knights.
The rookie almost single-handedly defeated a team that, to be completely honest, was making the Canucks players look pathetic in a matchup of boys versus men. Demko made more saves than I could count and his performance alone got deep inside the heads of Vegas’ best shooters.
Demko is ready for a more prominent role in Vancouver, and if his playoff performance was any indication, he’ll get every chance he needs to steal the crease from his new Vezina Trophy mentor. It won’t be something that is just handed to the San Diego native, but Vancouver is banking on him to be a legit 1B option with the ability to take over as the true starter.
3. Adam Gaudette
Whether it’s playing centre on the third-line or if it’s moving to the wing inside the top-six, Adam Gaudette will be needed for a larger role in his second full season with the Canucks.
At some point or another, a decision will have to be made on whether Gaudette is better to serve this team as a shutdown centre on the third-line or to contribute as a scoring winger. From what he showcased last year, Gaudette has the tools to bring energy on every shift and score the occasional goal. His game on the defensive side of the puck needs work but could be promising under the right set of circumstances.
But how will Gaudette decide to roll with that? Does he want to take the time and put in the work to adapt his playing style to be more defensive and to learn the ways of a true centre? Or does he want to sharpen his offensive abilities and be a winger with a scoring punch? Either way, the Canucks need him to step up and be a bigger contributor to the overall success of the team.
Next. Canucks need to offer an extension to Travis Green. dark
Brandon Sutter has failed time and time again to be an effective two-way third-liner. Jay Beagle can’t do it, and after that, the options just aren’t there. The days are numbered for Sutter and Beagle, and Gaudette has to be ready to take on more responsibility. The passing of the torch is underway.