The holiday season is the season of joy and giving and receiving. Christmas has gone as quickly as it came, and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are underway. Due to the NHL roster freeze and other extraneous factors, the Vancouver Canucks have not received any gifts yet, but they should, at least, have a lengthy holiday wishlist to pick from.
A 17-10-7 record at the holiday break is not the most flattering record for a Canucks team with aspirations of repeating, then exceeding last season's successes. As mentioned ad nauseam, the Canucks, who have accumulated 41 points thus far, are holding onto a playoff spot by a measly two points.
The 16-11-7 (39 points) Calgary Flames, meant to be a rebuilding team, are one point from a Western Conference wildcard spot and within two points of the Canucks. Right behind them is the Utah Hockey Club, who have 38 points and a 16-12-6 record.
As currently constituted, the wildcard race in the West is between the Canucks, the Flames, Utah, and the Dallas Stars. The Canucks and the Flames each have a 4-3-3 record in their last 10 games, which is the worst recent stretch of those four teams.
So, what is it going to take to help the Canucks push themselves over the edge? What is general manager Patrik Allvin and Co. shopping for this holiday season?
No. 3: A bottom-six forward
The Vancouver Canucks have struck gold with a lot of their bottom-six forward additions in the past. Kiefer Sherwood, one of the most recent signings, has proven to be a godsend through the first half of the 2024-25 season.
Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger have been great adds as versatile, experienced veterans, and Danton Heinen has been a steady contributor throughout his NHL career. And with all of these players playing good hockey, why should the Canucks add another one?
Depth is important, and at various points this season, we have seen Conor Garland, Sherwood, Suter, and Heinen all get bumped into the top-six with varying degrees of efficacy. If the Canucks would like to keep a Suter, a Sherwood, or a Garland in the top-six permanently, they need to add another dependable center or winger to play the checking roles.
When one guy is slowing down, head coach Rick Tocchet dips into the aforementioned pool of players to make a change, whether it's at the top or bottom of the lineup. It's had a push-pull effect on other players, like Elias Pettersson, for example.
Additionally, the Canucks have not gotten much from Nils Hoglander this season, even after the 24-year-old exploded for a career-high 24 goals last season and subsequently inked a three-year contract extension on Oct. 6. If he is traded, as some rumours have suggested, then the Canucks will need to find another NHL-caliber winger regardless of wanting to add additional depth.