The strong season Conor Garland is having for the Vancouver Canucks is probably going under the radar in every other city in the NHL.
Garland, 28, has somehow already managed to rack up 21 points in 22 games, including eight goals. Garland is notably riding a seven-game point streak dating back to Nov. 16, and his three-point outburst on Friday helped carry the team to a 4-3 overtime victory in Buffalo against the Buffalo Sabres.
On Friday, Garland recorded a power play goal, a primary assist, and the overtime game-winning goal, almost single-handedly powering the team to a crucial victory in a game where the Sabres recorded 34 shots on goal. The final outcome seems strange when you consider that the line of Garland, Dakota Joshua, and Pius Suter was out-attempted 11-4 at 5-on-5 on Friday and out-scored 2-0, per Natural Stat Trick.
And despite all of that, Garland, individually, was ruthless with his opportunities, stuffing the stat sheet and adding six shots on goal and a season-high 23:37 of ice time.
Canucks unlocked the best version of Connor Garland
For context, Garland has reached 50 points in his NHL career exactly once. Garland scored 19 goals, 33 assists, and 52 points in 77 games in his first season in Vancouver back in 2021-22. The former Arizona Coyote has not reached 50 points since, though Garland did score 20 goals last season for what was only the second such time in his NHL career.
What happens once J.T. Miller returns is unclear, but what is clear is that the return of Brock Boeser clearly has not affected Garland's ice time or performance thus far. This Canucks forward group is probably deeper than most give them credit for.
The holes on defense, as we know, are the issue at hand, especially after the Filip Hronek injury. As long as Garland keeps playing like this, though, the Canucks will always have a chance to steal a game.