Canucks: A look at rookie sensation Nils Hoglander’s season so far

While it is early and the Vancouver Canucks have had their struggles, one of the bright spots of the season so far has been rookie Nils Hoglander. At the time of this writing, Hoglander has four points in eight games, which puts him in a three-way tie for second in the rookie scoring race with Pius Suter of the Minnesota Wild and Josh Norris of the Ottawa Senators.

Canucks fans and media have been raving about the 20-year-old Swede, especially after the Canucks’ 7-1 win over the Senators on Monday night.

Hoglander himself says he feels good out on the ice in every game he has played per Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor.

“I feel strong out there, and heavy on the puck. I can battle out there,” said Hoglander per The Athletic’s Thomas Drance.

Let’s take a look at why Hoglander is having a good start to his rookie campaign so far.

Why Hoglander is having a good start

Hoglander has been consistent this season. He gets more confident every game. His exceptional stickhandling and hands as well as his ability to battle along the boards have been put on display.

The winger has started the season with a 50.70 Corsi for percentage according to Natural Stat Trick. He has been on the second line with Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson which has pretty much been the best forward line for the Canucks this season. The three of them have a 62.31 Corsi for percentage and a 65.15 expected goals percentage.

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Without Hoglander, Horvat and Pearson have a 37.50 Corsi for percentage with an expected goals percentage of 42.36.

Let’s take a look at some clips of Hoglander this season, starting off with a one for the highlight reel. Hoglander makes a smart play by banking the puck off the boards and uses his speed to chase it. Then he makes a diving pass for the streaking Pearson who makes no mistake. Great effort on this play which shows that Hoglander is full of confidence.

Despite his small frame, Hoglander has worked well when battling along the boards this season. Here is one example. Despite being the smaller player, he is determined to win the battle and get the puck out.

Here, Hoglander shows his excellent vision and skating by making a nice pass from the corner while getting away from Slater Koekoek.

Hoglander displays good hustle here. His stride provides a good scoring chance down low.

The winger has been one of the best players for the Canucks this season. His skating looks great and he has made clean passes and isn’t afraid to battle along the boards and even in front of the net. Overall, he has settled nicely in the NHL and has looked great in the top six. Canucks fans can only hope the rookie continues his strong play for the rest of the season.