4 Reasons to look forward to the Canucks 2022-23 season

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We are close to the end of August and that means Vancouver Canucks hockey is right around the corner.

There will be actual hockey to talk about in September. The Canucks will take part in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton for the first time in four years. That runs from September 14 to 18 and Canucks prospects will join the prospects of the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets in a round-robin tournament.

The Canucks will have training camp in Whistler on September 23 and 24. Their preseason begins with split-squad games against the Flames on September 25 and their season officially begins on October 12 in Edmonton.

After a long and hot summer, it will be good to have hockey back. The Canucks enter their first full season under a new regime and you should be excited for the upcoming season.

Yes, the team isn’t a contender, and needs to fix the defence but here are four reasons why you should look forward to the Canucks season.

Also, stick around for an announcement at the end regarding the future of this site.

#1: A full year of “Bruce, there it is”

Bruce Boudreau came in as the 20th head coach in early December and he brought new life to the Canucks.

They were a more exciting team under Boudreau. The heavy forecheck resulted in more goals and Boudreau’s tenure started with a seven-game win streak.

Under Boudreau, the Canucks went 32-15-10. That is 74 points in 57 games. On an 82-game pace, that is 106 points, which is pretty good.

Boudreau is heading into his first full year as a Canucks head coach and is one of the best regular season coaches in the NHL. He also has a track record of turning teams around and that showed last season. Could that trend continue this season? Well, the fact that Boudreau has turned the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild around in his first couple of years with them is no accident. So that means, there is a very good chance Boudreau takes the Canucks to a good record this year.

With a much deeper forward core, Boudreau’s heavy forechecking system could be a problem for a lot of teams. Bruce, there it is!

May 1, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Ilya Mikheyev (65) charges the net as Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) stops the puck during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

#2: New faces

The Canucks brought in plenty of new faces during the offseason.

These include Andrey Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, Curtis Lazar and Dakota Joshua. These four players are guys that could potentially make a big impact.

Kuzmenko was a sought-after free agent and Vancouver ended up winning the bidding war. In the KHL, he was an excellent playmaker and scored plenty of goals. There is potential he could replicate that in the NHL, but it will likely take some time before he does.

Mikheyev can also score goals as he got a career-high 21 with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. But his biggest strength is his skating because he is pretty darn fast. The Canucks needed that in their top six. Not only is he fast, but he can help out on the special teams as well.

Salmon Arm native Curtis Lazar chose to play for the team he grew up cheering for. I’ve always been a fan of this player. I think he is an excellent fourth liner and fans will love him too. Lazar is responsible defensively, can win faceoffs and is a physical player. The fourth line got better with him.

I think Joshua can really become a fan favourite. He doesn’t provide much offence but he can throw out some big hits and get under the skin of opponents.

#3: Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko are due for big years

The Canucks “big three” will only get better next season. They are Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko.

Pettersson had a slow start to last season but a nagging wrist injury played a part. The second half was a different story for him. Pettersson showed us that the second half is the real him: A dynamic playmaker, with a lethal shot that also has a very good two-way game.

Hughes broke Doug Lidster’s franchise record for most points by a defenceman (63 in 1986-87) with 68 points last season. Hughes isn’t done, he’s going to break his own record multiple times throughout his career. He is one of the best offensive defencemen in the NHL and we haven’t seen the best of him yet. Expect more great skating from Hughes next season.

Demko was named the Canucks MVP by the fans last season and that was the correct choice. He was making unreal saves night after night. Looking back, it’s unbelievable how much he kept the Canucks in games. At just 26, Demko is only getting started.

#4: Playoffs are possible

I wouldn’t say the Pacific Division is wide open but the Canucks have a decent chance at making the playoffs.

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are going to be the top two in the division. I do think, Edmonton has the slight edge over Calgary though.

The Vegas Golden Knights would have been a contender for the division title but with Robin Lehner going to miss the rest of the season, they might struggle. Their best option in goal is…Michael Hutchinson. Losing Max Pacioretty for future considerations hurts for them too. Could players like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone finally get healthy?

The team to watch is the Los Angeles Kings. With the addition of Kevin Fiala and having some good young players such as Quinton Byfield and Sean Durzi, the Kings are going to be much better than they were last season and will be a scary team for years to come.

Where does this leave the Canucks? With Vegas dealing with goaltending issues, the door is open for them to make the playoffs. There is also no guarantee that Flames will be as good as last season and if Jack Campbell will solve the Oilers’ goalie issues.

So the door isn’t super wide open, but it’s open for the Canucks to play in the playoffs at home for the first time since 2015. If Demko performs like he did last season or better, and the forward core lives up to expectations, playoff hockey will return to Vancouver.

Apr 26, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) watches fans during warm up prior to a game against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports /

Announcement

So for those that don’t know, I am resigning from my position as editor or Site Expert of The Canuck Way effective September 1st. (Thursday) This will be my last article for the site unless some big Canucks news breaks between now and Thursday.

I’ve been Site Expert for just over a year and I have been writing for The Canuck Way since October 2018. It’s been almost four years. Man, time flies. I was in my first year of Journalism School at Langara when I first joined The Canuck Way. That feels like 100 years ago and yesterday at the same time.

I really enjoyed writing about the Canucks on this site for almost four years. I think this site is a great starting point if you want to start writing about the Canucks. I have learned so much from writing for this site and really grew as a writer. There were so many great contributors that I have worked with over the past few years and I have learned from numerous Site Experts including Alex Hoegler, David Quadrelli, Brayden Ursel and Bill Huan.

Some of my favourite articles include the numerous post games, the Canucks being referenced in pop culture, the deep dive on Tyler Motte and ranting about why change was needed in the Canucks organization.

But, all good things must come to an end. I think it is best to move on for the sake of my career in sports media, which is just beginning.

You are likely asking, where will I be heading next?

Well, you might know that I also cover the Vancouver Whitecaps for the Area 51 Sports Network. (Watching them get destroyed 3-0 by Nashville SC from the press box at BC Place on Saturday and having to do post-game media after was quite the experience.) It is a relatively new website that covers all sorts of sports (mainly Pacific Northwest-based) from hockey (including the CHL and BCHL) to UFC to soccer in the form of articles, podcasts and videos.

Sean Warren, a former contributor here at TCW is the founder and CEO of the Area 51 Sports Network and he has big plans for the site. So I will be dedicating my spare time to helping him build Area 51 into a full-time media company. Sean has big plans for the site and I want to help him and the others there kick the door open into the new age of sports media. That’s where you can find my work. I will continue to be on the Whitecaps beat for Area 51 and yes, will write Canucks articles, especially when the season starts. I will also create more content there (we want to cover as many sports as possible) and help grow the website as well as host my soccer podcast, Terminal City FC.

I am also open to freelance work if I can find opportunities.

So I thank every single one of you for reading my articles. Thank you for pointing out my typos, scoffing at my takes, reading pop culture references you probably don’t get and sharing your grievances as a Canucks fan with me.

Regarding who will succeed me, that is to be determined. My boss Luis Tirado Jr and all the higher-ups at FanSided will start a search for a new editor once I officially resign. Will that be a current contributor or someone else? Who knows.

Zaahid Lalani has been taking a break from writing this summer due to his personal life but he hopes to get back into gear in September and I have no doubt The Canuck Way will be in good hands with him and whoever the new editor will be.

That being said, it’s been a fun ride. Farewell.

Next. 5 Canucks from the past 5 years you probably forgot about. dark

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