Welcome to this edition of THN's Vancouver Canucks 2024-25 Report Card. This recurring 2025 off-season series features a deep dive into how each Canucks player performed last year. Today's article will focus on winger Drew O'Connor, who finished the season with nine points in 31 games.
O'Connor was acquired mid-season from the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Marcus Pettersson. After less than three weeks with the organization, he was signed to a two-year extension, which carries an AAV of $2.5 million. O'Connor also has a 12-team no-trade clause for the entirety of his new contract.
This past season, O'Connor was used in the bottom-six as well as occasionally on the penalty kill. He brought speed to the lineup and was an effective forechecker during the second half of the season. O'Connor was also able to show his durability throughout the season, as he was one of a handful of players to play more than 82 games during the 2024-25 campaign.
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As for the highlight of O'Connor's season, that came on February 6 against the San Jose Sharks. The 27-year-old drew a penalty shot in overtime, which eventually led to the game-winner. With his goal, O'Connor became the 22nd player in franchise history to score on a penalty shot, joining the likes of Elias Pettersson, Alexandre Burrows, Stan Smyl and Pavel Bure.
Overall, O'Connor's analytics were in line with most bottom-six players in the league. He finished with an Expected Goals For Percentage of 51.08 at five-on-five while posting a Wins Above Replacement of -0.2. If he can become more productive in 2025-26, his analytics should be better at the end of next season
In the end, O'Connor provided the Canucks with decent depth on their fourth line. As mentioned, he added speed on the wing, but struggled to produce offensively in the second half of the year. Based on his performance with Vancouver, O'Connor receives a C grade for the 2024-25 season.
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