The Vancouver Canucks will play their second game of the 2024 preseason when they host the Calgary Flames at the Abbotsford Centre on Wednesday, and with that, a number of interesting players will be making their 2024 preseason debuts.
Among those players are Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, fresh off of a 92-point season and a comfortable win of the Norris Trophy, and superstar center Elias Pettersson, who recently earned a massive eight-year contract extension.
No. 3: Hughes and Pettersson debut
Without question, Hughes and Pettersson are the driving forces behind the Canucks' successes and failures. J.T. Miller, who is equally a part of that conversation, isn't debuting just yet, so the other two Canucks stars will have to carry the load against a weak Flames team as part of their tune-up.
By extension, Hughes and Pettersson will not be playing with their usual wingers or defense partners as Canucks prospects and veterans on the bubble rotate into the lineup. It will be interesting to see how the franchise cornerstones mesh with new potential teammates and whether any jobs can be won or lost on Wednesday night.
No. 2: Canucks' goalie depth
Free agent signing Jiri Patera and goalie prospect Nikita Tolopilo figure to make up the tandem in goal for the Abbotsford Canucks this year, and for Tolopilo, this is a big opportunity to build on his first pro season in North America and really put himself on the radar.
As for Patera, he might be a career AHLer at the end of the day, but he has some NHL experience, too. The Canucks prefer to keep three goalies on the roster with Thatcher Demko recovering, so Patera could quickly find himself in the NHL again should something happen to Kevin Lankinen or Arturs Silovs.
No. 1: Depth scoring?
Snipers Jake DeBrusk and Daniel Sprong join the Canucks from Eastern Conference teams and offer the team a new look up front on the wings.
Both wingers play slightly different games, and it's possible one or both play on a line with Pettersson. In Sprong's case, he'll face competition from Jonathan Lekkerimaki in his role. That battle starts against the Flames and will likely continue for the rest of the preseason.