The Canuck Way
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North Division: How the Canucks stack up versus the Jets

By Bill Huan

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JULY 29: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets makes a save against Brock Boeser #6 of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period in an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on July 29, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JULY 29: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets makes a save against Brock Boeser #6 of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period in an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on July 29, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /
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Canucks versus Jets. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
Canucks versus Jets. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /

Goaltending comparison

Unfortunately for the Canucks, this section is a clear win in favour of Winnipeg.

Connor Hellebuyck ran away with the Vezina last season, and deservedly so. To put things into perspective, the Jets only allowed 2.83 goals per game last year, which was the 10th fewest in the league. Even with a superior blueline and an outstanding year from Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver gave up 3.10 goals per game, ranking 21st out of 31 teams.

The Jets might not have a backup as good as Thatcher Demko, but Helleybuck can singlehandedly drag his team through an entire season while playing behind a tattered defence corps, making Winnipeg the clear winner in this category.

Special teams

Both teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of their penalty kill last season, with the Canucks and Jets placing 16th and 22nd, respectively.

The bigger difference comes on the powerplay, as Vancouver converted on the man advantage 24.2% of the time, good for fourth overall. Winnipeg wasn’t bad either, scoring 20.5% of the time, but that was only the 15th ranked powerplay in 2019-20.

The Canucks’ penalty kill might take a step back this year due to the loss of Chris Tanev, but the gap between the two team’s powerplay prowess means that Vancouver is still likely to be better than the Jets when it comes to special teams.

Jets player to watch: Connor Helleybuck

Helleybuck is an obvious and uninteresting pick, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Jets season rides on his performance. Without him, Winnipeg would’ve finished well outside of the playoffs last year and might’ve been in the running for one of the top picks in the 2020 draft.

More importantly, there are still some questions about his consistency. Helleybuck was also nominated for the Vezina in 2017-18 but struggled the following season, before bouncing back and having a historic 2019-20 campaign. He was also subpar for his standards during the play-in tournament, so the Jets could be in a world of hurt if Helleybuck’s struggles with his consistency.

Next. Canucks Prospect Report: Vasili Podkolzin is NHL ready. dark

Finally, it’s also worth noting that Winnipeg was 9-3 against Canadian teams last season, while the Canucks struggled to the tune of a 5-10 record against the same clubs. Even with this stark contrast, Vancouver should still be able to finish above the Jets this year given that they’re better in every aspect outside of goaltending. Let us know if you agree in the comments below!

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