3 areas the Canucks are aiming to improve on in 2024-25

2) Helping Hughes and Hroenk be more effective

On a peripheral level, It is understandable if people wonder why any focus on improving the offence needs a deeper look at Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. After all, they both enjoyed their best respective seasons yet in the NHL, highlighted by having the best two +/- ratings on the team, at +38 and +33 respectively.

For Quinn, his 92 points led all defencemen and were a career high, as he took home the Norris Memorial Trophy. For Hronek, his 48 points were also a career high, as he played well enough to earn an eight-year, $58 million extension to remain in Vancouver.

However, what was also noticeable was that opposing teams gradually worked out that the Canucks' offence was being run from the back through Hughes and Hronek. As per Dance, this resulted in the two blueliners being checked high in the zone more and more, as the 2023-24 season progressed.

Unsurprisingly, all of this resulted in the duo not being quite as effective offensively, during the second half of the regular season. Hughes went from 62 points and a +34 rating during 49 games in October to January, to 30 points and a +4 rating during 33 games between February and April.

As for Hronek, he went from 36 points and a +33 rating in 49 games during October to January, to 12 points and a 0 rating in 32 games between February and April. In fairness to the 26-year-old though, even though he denies it, speculation is he was playing with an injury during the second half of the season.

Moving forward, the way opposing teams dealt with Hughes and Hronek will provide Tocchet and the Canucks with the opportunity to adjust and expand their plan of attack more effectively. However, still expect them to find ways to heavily involve Hughes and Hronek again, given their respective offensive talents.