2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Phillip Di Giuseppe
A deep dive into the 2023-24 season of Vancouver Canucks forward Phillip Di Giuseppe.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Phillip Di GiuseppeWelcome to the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks player review series. Over the summer, we will be taking a look at Canucks players performances from the 2023-24 season. Today's player is Phillip Di Giuseppe, who had five goals and ten points in 51 games.
In his second season with Vancouver, Di Giuseppe showed not only that he can play in Rick Tocchet's system but also that he is capable of playing up the lineup for short periods of time. He was an effective penalty killer when called upon and, during the playoffs, became a human wrecking ball with 36 hits in 11 games. Ultimately, Di Giuseppe provided the Canucks with value in the bottom six and was one of the more consistent fourth-liners throughout the season.
As mentioned, Di Giuseppe played up the lineup for a significant period during the 2023-24 season. In fact, his two most common linemates were Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. While the analytics may not have gone their way, as most categories are below 50%, they did outscore their opposition in the 220 minutes they played together as a line, which could be why Di Giuseppe continually found himself skating in the top six.
When looking at Di Giuseppe's season as a whole, it is clear that he saved his best play for the postseason. Despite only averaging 10:23 of ice time, he was able to impact nightly, finishing all 11 games with at least one hit. Di Giuseppe also had a signature moment in the postseason as he scored what ended up being the game-tying goal in Game 5 versus the Edmonton Oilers. The goal was special as it not only helped Vancouver win but came in his first game since the birth of his second child.
The best way to describe Di Giuseppe is a player who works hard and does his job night after night. While he didn't put up a ton of points in 2023-24, Di Giuseppe found ways to contribute in other ways and became a valuable part of the bottom six. He also earned Tocchet's trust which is crucial for any player that wants to have success in the organization. Signed for one more season on a two-way deal, having a player like Di Giuseppe available to plug into the lineup will be beneficial for the Canucks in 2024-25.
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