Canucks: 4 positives from the dreadful 2020-21 season

One of the worst seasons in franchise history is finally over for the Vancouver Canucks.

After losing key pieces in the offseason, it was expected that the Canucks would take a step back from their success in the bubble. The team took that idea and ran with it, eventually plummeting all the way to the cellar of the North Division by the end of the year. Vancouver finished the season with 50 points in 56 games, one point behind the Ottawa Senators. In a full 82-game season, they’d be on pace for 73 points.

The biggest story occurred when team went through a COVID-19 outbreak in late March and early April, which saw over 20 players and staff test positive for the virus. It was also reported that the P-1 variant was present.

It’s safe to say the 2020-21 Canucks season won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

As the team heads into the playoff-less offseason for the fifth time in the last seven years, there are a lot of questions surrounding the organization. What should be expected for the new contracts of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes? Which players will get exposed to the Seattle Kraken? What will the future hold for head coach Travis Green and goaltending coach Ian Clark, both of whom are on expiring contracts?

One thing that is clear is the role of general manager Jim Benning.

Although not officially announced yet, it appears that Benning will be returning for his eighth year at the helm, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Tuesday evening.

As you can imagine, Canucks fans on social media took the news with fury.

There’s no doubt that it’s been a turbulent year for the Canucks. However, in a season where a lot has gone wrong, there were also a few bright spots.

Let’s take a look at four positives from the 2020-21 season:

1. Thatcher Demko emerges as the number one

Thatcher Demko had a stellar performance in the bubble against the Vegas Golden Knights, almost sending the Canucks to the Western Conference Final while earning the nickname “Bubble Demko.”

Fortunately for Canucks fans, those performances were a glimpse of what was to come.

Prior to the season, it was expected that Demko and Braden Holtby would split the crease as a 1A/1B. After a slow start, Demko proved that he was ready to be a number one, showcasing that Bubble Demko was the real deal.

He kept the Canucks in games they had no business being in, making some really great saves along the way.

At one point, Demko was third in Save Percentage Above Expected, only behind Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevsky.

Demko finished the year with 16 wins, a 2.85 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. His efforts were rewarded with a five-year contract worth five million dollars per season.

Demko spoke about Clark after the Canucks 4-2 win over the Flames on Tuesday, singing the praises of his coach who helped transform his game to what it is now.

“Clarkie is unbelievable. I owe probably just about everything to him. I don’t speak too much about him in the media. Obviously, I’m putting in the work, but the way he’s guided me and mentored me, it’s been amazing. I desperately hope that they can figure something out and have him return. I think the momentum that he and I have right now is exciting and I think there’s still a ton of room for me to grow. The work that Ian and I have put in over the last two years, just the habits and routines and the way that we’re able to think the game and be on the same page, is something that I’d love to continue to do down the stretch here in the next few years. I really hope he gets back here.”

It’s great that the Canucks have Demko locked up for the next five years, and it would be even better to have his mentor locked up, too.

Jack Rathbone looks promising

Jack Rathbone was coming off a really good year with Harvard, leading to him signing an entry-level deal last July. After a brief but good stint with the Utica Comets, the Canucks called their 2017 fourth round pick up to the big leagues.

Safe to say he didn’t disappoint.

Rathbone managed three points in eight games, including his first NHL goal against the Edmonton Oilers on May 6th. He also provided good skating, spent some time on power play, made some nice passes and wasn’t too bad on the defensive side.

If there is one thing to look forward to next season, it would be that we could see a full year of Rathbone on the left side.

What were other positives you can think of from this terrible Canucks season? Let us know in the comments below!