The Canuck Way
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Canucks: 3 underdogs who could start 2021 in the top-six

By Brayden Ursel

VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 05: Alex Pietrangelo #27 of the St. Louis Blues moves the pucks past Bo Horvat #53 of the Vancouver Canucks while being checked by Tanner Pearson #70 at Rogers Arena on November 5, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 05: Alex Pietrangelo #27 of the St. Louis Blues moves the pucks past Bo Horvat #53 of the Vancouver Canucks while being checked by Tanner Pearson #70 at Rogers Arena on November 5, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
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Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

2. Tyler Motte

If Green decides to stick to a more defensive strategy on line two, I think Tyler Motte‘s endless work ethic has earned him a good look. Plus, other than good faceoff abilities, Motte would be a better defensive option over Sutter in nearly every aspect of what it means to be responsible without the puck.

Last season, he was the team’s spark plug in the bottom-six and he brings a heck of a lot a speed along with it. That could complement the likes of Horvat and Pearson just enough to keep them competitive. He doesn’t exactly have the firepower of a middle-six competitor, but he’d probably produce better results than the 31-year-old Sutter.

For the most part, he can hold his own against good offensive competition. He deals with the best offensive talents in the NHL as a member of the Canucks’ penalty kill, but his offensive output in the 2020 Playoffs took a big leap forward, especially against the St. Louis Blues. If he can play like that, he’d make for a great upgrade over Eriksson.

3. Zack MacEwen 

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of Canucks’ fans really liked what Zack MacEwen brought to the lineup during the 2019-20 campaign. He was the perfect underdog story. An undrafted small-town kid who fought tooth and nail for an NHL opportunity.

His journey to the NHL has had its ups and downs, but towards the end of last season, it really started to feel like “Big Mac” was finding his groove as an everyday NHL player. His game against the Colorado Avalanche on March 6th was proof of that. He scored twice and helped Vancouver stay in the playoff race.

His ice-time and performance levels were both low when the playoffs got started. He didn’t have the greatest showing, but for the players fighting for this position, nobody was outstanding. Above all, it’s his work ethic that’ll be the deciding factor on a top-six position. He has size that would be welcomed on Horvat’s wing, but he needs to become more confident against good competition.

Next. Canucks: Benning on Virtanen, Podkolzin, Green, more. dark

Don’t overlook MacEwen as an underdog to play inside the Canucks’ top-six next year. What do you think Canucks Nation? Which Canucks’ underdog has the best chance to play next to Horvat and Pearson?

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