We can talk all we want about good players who haven’t performed to par this season. So, why don’t we turn everything upside down and discuss a few whose overall outings so far in 2024-25 have been memorable, even if their names aren’t?
There isn’t a single player listed below who would have been the focal point of many in the NHL universe when the season began. And that still may be the case. But Canucks fans everywhere are probably glad to see the following three players made their way to British Columbia.
Kiefer Sherwood
Just to let you know, I would’ve listed Kiefer Sherwood here even before his memorable outing vs. the Colorado Avalanche. That’s certainly inflated his number of goals scored this season. But it’s also a career-high for the newcomer to British Columbia.
During Sherwood’s two seasons in Nashville, we already saw some rumblings that he could break out into a mid-tier star, especially after he logged 10 goals and 27 points in 68 games last year.
Now, he’s well on pace to snag a new career-high in overall points. And he’s doing all of this with more average time on ice than he’s gotten at any other time. Add in the fact that the Canucks have scored 13.1 percent of the time when Sherwood has found himself on the ice at even strength, and you have a well-rounded player.
Kevin Lankinen
I’d be lying if I said Kevin Lankinen hasn’t been catching my attention often in 2024-25. And right now, I would argue that the Canucks must keep him in the crease more often than Thatcher Demko. At least until Demko develops and maintains some consistency.
Yeah, that may sound like a stretch to some of you, but when Lankinen has pitched three shutouts, owns a 14-4-3 record, a 2.52 GAA, a 0.912 save percentage, and a 0.619 quality starts percentage, you have to keep him in there. And do we really need to look further than his last four starts?
Danton Heinen
Ah, yes, Danton Heinen is someone who I thought was going to man the lower lines as a defense-first forward. But so far, he’s proven me wrong. Heinen has four goals, 12 points, and a plus-6 rating so far in 2024-25, and a 14.8 shooting percentage.
He has shown multiple times throughout his career with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Anaheim Ducks that he’s not one to be counted out as a scorer. That’s something I should have accounted for but didn’t. And even in yet another new city, he may not find the net 17 times, but I can see something roughly around 12 goals in his future.
Heinen has also held his own at even strength, with the Canucks finding the net 13.6 percent of the time when he’s in the game and 20 times total. His on-ice save percentage of 91.4 is also more than respectable.