Player to buy: Brandon Duhaime
While the Canucks haven’t been as consistent in scoring lately, they are still third in the league with 224 goals as of March 3rd, and you can expect them to rediscover their rhythm following a pedestrian February. Therefore, why not add a young, defensive-minded forward like Brandon Duhaime?
The winger won’t score, and he’s someone you set and forget on your fourth line, but he’s a cost-effective piece who will get into an opponent’s mind with the kind of hits he makes.
During his first season in the league, Duhaime crossed the 200-hit threshold, and he followed that up with 146 in just 51 games last year. He takes a simple approach, and it’s one that works well with Vancouver’s physical game. Yet, at the same time, his style is still a sound complement to the high-scoring team they have been. Duhaime would also help the Canucks out when they’re shorthanded, as their penalty kill still lags below the NHL average.
Opponents have also had a tough time scoring when he’s on the ice at even strength and 5-on-5, and that has been a theme since the 26-year-old entered the league. The Minnesota Wild have never seen their on-ice save percentage drop lower than 91.0 percent in the aforementioned situations, and with better goaltending in Vancouver, he can make an even bigger difference.