Canucks: What needs to happen to them to make the playoffs

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After a busy offseason, the Vancouver Canucks are looking to get back into the playoff picture in 2022 after missing out in 2021.

The Canucks did make the playoffs in 2020 (Probably wouldn’t have made it if the pandemic didn’t happen.) and they managed to knockoff the St. Louis Blues but bowed out in the second round at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights with Thatcher Demko pulling off stellar goaltending performances in the final three games.

The 2021-22 season will have (Thankfully) no more Scotia North Division and a return to the Pacific Division and an 82 game season. The only thing that is different in this year’s Pacific Division is that the Seattle Kraken has replaced the Arizona Coyotes who have moved to the Central Division.

The Pacific looks like it will be an unpredictable division. Vegas is the clear favourite to win the division. One of San Jose or Anaheim is going to finish last and Los Angeles has potential to surprise but doesn’t look like a playoff team yet. After that, it will be a dog fight between Vancouver, Seattle, Edmonton, and Calgary for playoff positions.

The Canucks are a much better team than they were last year on paper. If they don’t make the playoffs, general manager Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green won’t be back for the 2022-23 season.

Here are some things that need to happen for the Canucks to make the playoffs this season.

Thatcher Demko has to prove he is one of the better starting goalies in the NHL

You could say the above statement is already true and yes, you’re right.

However, this will be Demko’s first full season as the starter in the NHL. It’s his crease now and he has to own it.

Starters usually end up playing 55-60 games and it’s going to be a big test for Demko.

However, Demko has kind of had a taste of what that was like with the condensed schedule last season.

You can’t expect him to be an absolute brick wall every game and he is going to get tired and he will have to pave the way for Jaroslav Halak.

He has to show he can handle a full 82 game season and like any goaltender try to stay consistent and bounce back from a below-average performance from the next start.

The Canucks are going to be in good hands if Demko performs the same way he did last spring for a large chunk of this season.

VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 27: Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks celebrates with teammates Brock Boeser #6, JT Miller #9 and Bo Horvat #53 after scoring a goal against the Ottawa Senators during NHL hockey action at Rogers Arena on January 27, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Lotto Line has to be on the money.

When the “Lotto Line” of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser get going, they are one of the best lines in the NHL.

There is a lot to like about this line. Miller is a strong forechecker, a two-way player, and the leader of the line. Boeser is a goal scorer that can also do much more than score and of course, Pettersson is an elite playmaker with a deadly shot and also a solid two-way player.

Elias Pettersson, reportedly signed 3x$~8M by VAN, is one of the best centres in hockey, a creative playmaker and efficient sniper who can pick corners from a distance and drives play at both ends of the ice. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/EiARD9VPMd
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) October 1, 2021

Last season, the Lotto Line took some time to get going and they eventually did. However, it didn’t last long as Pettersson went down with a wrist injury that eventually ended his season.

In 2019-20, the line was consistent all season showcasing their forechecking and swift moving of the puck and of course, scored plenty goals. Per NaturalStatTrick, the trio had a 58.38 % Corsi for, 66.67% goals for, 58.40% expected goals for, and 54.41 % High Danger Corsi for. Yeah, those are pretty good numbers.

In 2021, the Lotto Lines had a 51.78 CF percentage, a 51.61 GF percentage, 55.34 xGF percentage, and a better 57.70 HDCF percentage. There was a drop-off in Corsi for, goals for, and expected goals for but expect those numbers to be higher in 2021-22.

With a healthy Pettersson, the Lotto Line has to hit the jackpot consistently.

Quinn Hughes has to have a better season defensively

The runner-up in Calder voting in 2019-20 had a poor defensive season last year despite putting up great offensive numbers.

Quinn Hughes was often turning the puck over and getting beat easily on the rush and the board battles. As a result, he was one of the worst players in the entire league defensively.

Obviously, the Canucks can’t have that this season. Brad Shaw is known for helping out young defencemen improve and he could be a factor for Hughes. He won’t have the same impact Ian Clark has with Demko but he could help teach Hughes some important defensive lessons.

Travis Hamonic was Hughes’ partner for the majority of last season but the situation with him is still unclear other than the fact that he is not opting out and is expected to miss the start of the season per CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal.

Other options for partners for Hughes are Tyler Myers, Tucker Poolman, and Brad Hunt.

Whoever his partner is, Hughes still has a lot to learn on the defensive side. Being only 21, (He will be 22 on October 14.) there is still lots of room for growth.

Hughes is going to be the biggest piece of the Canucks blue line for years to come and next season is an opportunity to make everyone forget how poor he was defensively the previous season.

Oct 3, 2021; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) checks Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports /

New acquisitions prove their worth

There are a bunch of new faces on the Canucks this year.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the biggest name. He’s had a rough last few years in the desert so a fresh start in a hockey-mad market could be the spark to getting back to form. He has declined heavily defensively and has a bloated contract but can still put up points, quarterback a power play, and is still an excellent puck mover. The Canucks don’t need him to return to his 2016 form but he has to be better than he was in the last three or four seasons in Arizona.

Poolman has been solid defensively so far in the preseason. (The pairing of him with OEL is likely going to start together on opening night.) He was in the right places at the right time and made simple but effective defensive plays. Fans (Well, not all) and media disliked his four-year contract and 2.5 million AAV. If he can prove everyone wrong with his defensive play, that would be a nice surprise.

Conor Garland is someone that can thrive in the top six with his forechecking, goal scoring, and feisty attitude and Jason Dickinson is a reliable third-line centre. Both players are great acquisitions and better come as advertised or be even better.

There are also the rookies, Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Rathbone looking to prove they can be impact NHL players and other depth signings such as Hunt, Luke Schenn, Phil Di Giuseppe, Justin Dowling, and Nic Petan who could become serviceable depth players.

Obviously, not everyone will impress but the Canucks will need their new acquisitions to show everyone what they’re made of.

Next. Canucks reduce 2021 preseason roster by 16 players. dark

Other things need to happen for the Canucks to make the playoffs. Staying healthy is one of them but injuries are inevitable and hopefully, the injury bug doesn’t go too hard on the Canucks this year. What are some other things that need to happen for the Canucks to make the playoffs? Let us know in the comments below!

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