The Vancouver Canucks have one goal from a defenceman through their first six games of the 2024-25 season.

While the Vancouver Canucks have had a strong start to the 2024-25, there are still some areas that need to be improved if the team wants to match their success from last season. One of the biggest issues has been offensive production from defenders, with the Canucks only receiving one goal from the blue line through six games. While the lack of scoring hasn't caused significant issues yet, Vancouver's defence needs to find a way to get on the scoresheet at a more consistent rate. 

So far this season, the Canucks have received one goal and ten assists from defenders. Of those 11 points, Quinn Hughes has six, with Filip Hronek being the only other defender with multiple points. Vancouver is also one of six teams with only one goal from the blue line, while their 19.3% point percentage from defenders ranks 30th, with only the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars having a lower percentage. 

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The Canucks lack of scoring from the blue line is perplexing, considering how strong they were last season. In 2023-24, Vancouver ranked third in points by defenders with 208, while their points percentage of 35.3% was also top three. Yes, Hughes' 92 points played a significant role in the high point total, but overall, the entire blue line was able to step up and produce some level of offence. 

One explanation for why the point totals are so low is that Vancouver's defensemen aren't shooting the puck enough. While Hughes has been shooting the puck plenty and actually leads the team with 57 attempts, the other seven defenders who have played this year have combined for only 69 total shot attempts. Ultimately, having a shot attempt total this low is not ideal, especially as only 36 of the 69 have hit the net. 

While it is still early, this is a concerning trend that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. As special as Hughes is, he can't be the only defender who consistently generates offence. Whether it is defenders becoming more selfish with the puck or jumping up in the play more consistently, Tocchet and his coaching staff need to find a way to get more offence from the blue line.