Goaltenders
Thatcher Demko
Louis Domingue
Jacob Markstrom (injured in final three games)
Vs
Thatcher Demko
Jaroslav Halak
Jacob Markstrom was voted by fans as the team MVP in 2019-20 and continued his form in the bubble. However, he got injured in game 4 against Vegas and that was the last time he appeared in a Canucks jersey. Then, the legend of Bubble Demko was born.
There were questions if Demko was going to be able to continue his bubble success the following year. After a slow start, he did and stole the Canucks games they had no business being in. Demko has grown his game since the bubble and next year should be a big one for him as he is now the full time starter.
Louis Domingue was the backup to Demko before the 2019-20 season was suspended and for the final three games against Vegas. He was mostly known for his baking skills rather than his goaltending with the Canucks.
Jaroslav Halak had a down year with the Boston Bruins last season but has been proven to be a capable backup throughout his career. Maybe Ian Clark could help him out with a few things.
This is a tough one because Markstrom was really good in the bubble before getting hurt and Demko has improved since then. Halak is a much more capable back up than Domingue however.
The edge: Current Canucks but just by a hair. This is a coin flip and it’s debatable.
Conclusion
I think the 2021-22 Canucks roster has the slight edge over the bubble Canucks. The forward core is much better and the goaltending is arguably better too. However, it’s the defence that got worse. Like the bubble Canucks, I expect the 2021-22 version to be a fun team to watch as well.
Do you think the 2021-22 Canucks are better than the bubble Canucks? Let us know in the comments below!
*Stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick and Hockey Reference