Where does the Canucks’ blueline rank in the North Division?

The Vancouver Canucks have significantly upgraded their blueline during the offseason, but where does it rank in their division?

At the start of the offseason, many Vancouver Canucks fans were concerned about the team’s blueline following the departures of Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher. This was understandable, since it left two gaping holes on the backend with no adequate replacements on the roster.

Thankfully, Jim Benning was able to trade for Nate Schmidt soon after and recently invited Travis Hamonic to join the team via a PTO, so it’s safe to say that Vancouver not only replaced Tanev and Stecher, but found an upgrade for both.

The question now becomes, where does the Canucks blueline stack up in the North Division?

Looking at the depth charts for all the Canadian teams, it’s evident that none have an elite backend. Thankfully, Vancouver won’t play against any American clubs this season, so we only need to measure their defence relative to teams north of the border.

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On paper, it’s quite evident that the Jets, Senators, and Oilers have the three worst bluelines in the division. Winnipeg’s defensive issues have been well-documented over the past year, as they essentially lost their entire right side last offseason and Connor Hellebuyck is the main reason why they didn’t finish in the bottom five in goals against per game.

Even with Thomas Chabot, Ottawa’s backend is severely lacking, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that they’re going through a rebuild at the moment. The Senators have lots of good prospects in the pipeline, but not all of them are ready to step into a top-six role yet. Meanwhile, the Oilers will be without their number one defenceman for the entire season, as Oscar Klefbom recently underwent shoulder surgery.

That leaves us with the Canucks, Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Flames as the remaining teams vying for the best blueline in the division.

Let’s start with Toronto. Personally, I believe that Quinn Hughes is better than Morgan Rielly, but it’s certainly possible to argue for either player. After that, Schmidt is probably the best defenceman on either team, so the Canucks have more elite talent at the top. Vancouver is also deeper, as Alex Edler, Tyler Myers, and Hamonic all have experience playing in the top four. On the other hand, the Leafs’ depth chart really falls off after Rielly, T.J. Brodie and Jake Muzzin, so I’d give the Canucks the win here.

Next, we need to talk about the Flames, who signed many of Vancouver’s free agents in the offseason, including Tanev. At this stage of their careers, it’s pretty clear that Hughes has the edge up on Mark Giordano, and Nate Schmidt is a better option than all remaining blueliners on either team. With that said, Calgary has better depth since Tanev, Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin are a more reliable trio than Edler, Myers, and Hanifin. The Flames also have Juuso Valimaki on their third pairing, who would likely get top-four minutes on lots of other teams. Ultimately, it depends on whether you prefer high-end talent or depth with this comparison. Personally, I’m partial to the former so I’d give Vancouver the edge, but the margin is very close.

Finally, we need to talk about the Canadiens. Again, I think that Hughes is a better option than Shea Weber, but there is a case that could be made in favour of the Habs’ captain. However, the depth of Montreal’s blueline should give them a slight advantage. Jeff Petry is pretty comparable to Schmidt not in terms of style but their overall abilities, and the Canadiens still have players such as Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Brett Kulak, and Victor Mete after their top two options. Many of those players are overqualified to play on a team’s third pairing, and that doesn’t even include Alexandar Romanov, who is one of the best defensive prospects in the entire league. So, I believe it’s fair to say that the Habs come out on top in this case.

Taking everything into consideration, I believe that the Canucks have the second-best blueline in the North Division, only behind the Canadiens. This is definitely a surprise given the state of Vancouver’s backend only a few months ago, and the team has seemingly transformed their biggest weakness into a possible strength in a single offseason. Let me know if you agree in the comments below!