2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Projection: Three Keys to Successful Season & Worst Case Scenario

Team in tough again in powerful Pacific Division

The Hockey News Pacific Division Order of Finish Prediction (click on links for individual team projections)

1. Edmonton Oilers

2. Vegas Golden Knights

3. Los Angeles Kings

4. Calgary Flames

5. Seattle Kraken

6. Vancouver Canucks

7. Anaheim Ducks

8. San Jose Sharks

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Last year: 38-37-7 (83 points), 6th in the Pacific (failed to make playoffs for third straight season)

Projected: 6th in the Pacific

Keys to the Season

1. The Canucks will go as far as Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko can take them. If all perform to elite levels, the Canucks have enough top-end talent to scare opponents on any given night. But on those nights when players who could earn Hart, Norris and Vezina consideration aren’t at the top of their games, is there enough depth to pick up the slack? Pettersson (102) and Hughes (76) combined for 178 points last season but ultimately that wasn’t nearly enough to get the Canucks close to the playoffs. The team believes it has improved its depth in the off-season. We’re about to find out if that’s the case.

2. An off-season overhaul of the blueline combined with Rick Tocchet’s detailed defensive system has to help the Canucks prevent more goals. Only seven teams surrendered more goals than the 296 the Canucks allowed and no team was worse on the penalty kill (71.6%) last season. Adding a healthy Filip Hronek along with veterans Ian Cole and Carson Soucy gives the Canucks a beefed up blueline. But Soucy will miss first few weeks of the season with a knee injury. Still, the Canucks want to believe they will be tougher to play against and spend less time in their own zone this season making life easier on their goaltenders.

3. Thatcher Demko has to stay healthy. He was limited to just 32 starts last season due to a serious groin injury in December. As a result, he delivered only 14 victories. When at the top of his game, the 27-year-old has flashed the kind of form to put him on the cusp of joining the conversation of the top netminders in the game. He has had stretches and even months where he has been a difference-maker. But he has yet to do it for an entire season. Two seasons ago, he made 61 starts and posted a 2.72 GAA and 91.5% save percentage behind a terrible defense. But the workload ground him down and was unable to finish the season due to injury. It’s going to be interesting to monitor his workload. The Canucks will need him, and need him a lot, but they also must be sure they don’t overplay their star goalie.

Most Likely Scenario: The Canucks will show overall better form than in recent years, particularly in their own end, but it will be proven that their supporting cast still needs an upgrade. Better, yes. But not good enough to make the playoffs.

Worst-case Scenario: The team sputters out of the gate again (they went 0-5-2 to start last season), they chase the playoff pack all season and come up short. And pending RFA Elias Pettersson decides he wants a change of scenery and a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup somewhere else