The Vancouver Canucks can have not less than six new faces within the lineup when the puck drops on Oct. 9 in opposition to the Calgary Flames. Basic supervisor Patrik Allvin was busy early on in free company enhancing the group (not less than on paper) from what skated off the ice at Rogers Area after their 3-2 defeat by the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. Whereas they misplaced two massive items in Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to the Boston Bruins, they changed them with cheaper choices and now have far more depth up entrance and on the blue line. So, with that stated, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the brand new additions and what we are able to anticipate from them in 2024-25.
Word: I’m not together with Abbotsford-bound Nathan Smith and Jiri Patera since they probably received’t see many video games in Vancouver this season.
Jake DeBrusk
Jake DeBrusk was signed to play with Elias Pettersson (not less than to begin), so assuming they achieve fast chemistry collectively, he may hit the bottom working with objectives and factors proper out of the gate. Along with his dimension, pace, and two-way sport, he may be precisely what Pettersson has been searching for on his wing since he entered the NHL in 2018. He has succeeded with the likes of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, and Patrice Bergeron up to now, so he’s no stranger to enjoying with elite gamers. He can even take up store on the first-unit energy play alongside Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes, giving him an important alternative to enhance on the 19 objectives and 40 factors he put up final season.
Prediction: 30 objectives and 70 factors enjoying primarily with Pettersson and on the primary energy play unit.
Danton Heinen
Becoming a member of DeBrusk from the Bruins and yet one more participant with ties to Pittsburgh, Danton Heinen will likely be a Swiss Military knife for head coach Rick Tocchet and his employees this season. Able to enjoying in all conditions and up and down the lineup, I anticipate he will likely be a worthwhile piece of the Canucks’ efforts to repeat as Pacific Division champions. He’s additionally becoming a member of his hometown group as a local of Langley, BC, so he must be additional motivated to carry out in entrance of the Rogers Area devoted. Coming off a season the place he was nominated for the Invoice Masterton Trophy and scored 17 objectives and 36 factors after becoming a member of the Bruins on an expert tryout contract (PTO), his confidence must be sky-high as properly.
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Whereas Heinen is just not assured to play within the high six with an elite heart like Miller or Pettersson, he’ll probably be given a possibility with each of them in coaching camp. He performed 153:24 at even energy with DeBrusk final season, so he may associate along with his former Bruins teammate and provides Pettersson two new linemates as a substitute of 1. He may be a great match with Miller and Brock Boeser as he performs a high-energy fashion that may dig into the corners and retrieve the puck for the 2 30-goal scorers. Even when he doesn’t begin the season within the high six, he’ll nonetheless be a worthwhile piece of the roster enjoying on each the facility play and penalty kill ala the recently-traded Ilya Mikheyev – hopefully with far more manufacturing.
Prediction: 20-25 objectives alternating between the top-six and bottom-six. He can even see loads of time on particular groups, most definitely the second energy play unit.
Daniel Sprong
There’s a brand new combatant for the highest of the lineup in coaching camp, Daniel Sprong. The newest signing by Allvin and the Canucks may develop into among the finest as he has been a really efficient ahead within the NHL over the previous two seasons. A veteran of 344 video games and becoming a member of his sixth group on the age of 27, it’s stunning he wasn’t one of many first gamers off the board on July 1. Even he was confused by the shortage of curiosity in his providers.
“It’s type of a wake-up name, however on the similar time, I feel it’s additionally good motivation and type of put some gasoline to the fireplace”
Sprong has been criticized for his defensive sport up to now, and that’s most likely why groups had been hesitant to signal him. However, if any coach goes to show that a part of his sport round, it’s Tocchet. It’s additionally a great signal that he is aware of it’s a weak spot and is dedicated to enhancing it. Having stated that, the most important purpose he was signed was his skill to place the puck at the back of the web. In restricted ice time (he has by no means hit greater than 12 minutes) in 2022-23 and 2023-24, he had 39 objectives – 30 of them at even energy – and has by no means actually performed with loads of expertise. Now he’s a candidate to play on Pettersson or Miller’s wing and his shot may translate to a monster season in Vancouver at a budget-friendly variety of $975,000.
Prediction: 25 objectives enjoying largely within the top-six and second energy play unit.
Kiefer Sherwood
The Canucks not solely added extra objectives and offence this offseason however loads of physicality. Main the best way on that entrance is former Nashville Predators grinder Kiefer Sherwood. He was a bee within the bonnet in final season’s first-round matchup and acquired onto Allvin’s radar as a goal as soon as July 1 got here round. He jumped on the probability to signal him, inking him to a two-year contract within the opening hours of free company.
“We noticed first hand within the playoffs how powerful Kiefer is to play in opposition to,” stated Allvin. “We like his quickness, tenacity, and the best way he competes in all conditions. Including one other bodily participant to the combo will work properly with the best way our ahead group is at present constructed.”
Sherwood threw 234 hits final season with the Predators, which might have positioned him second on the Canucks behind Dakota Joshua, who had 245. He additionally scored a career-high 10 objectives and 27 factors, so he may very well be good for some offence as properly. If nothing else, he’ll make the Canucks tougher to play in opposition to, particularly within the playoffs the place the worth of physicality and pest-like attributes are magnified.
Prediction: One other season of double-digits in objectives, and 200-plus hits.
Vincent Desharnais
After shedding the 6-foot-6 presence of Zadorov to the Bruins, Allvin changed him with one other monster in 6-foot-7 Vincent Desharnais. He received’t deliver the identical mobility or offence to the blue line, however he does hit and block pictures. Final season, he had 135 hits and 122 blocked pictures, all whereas enjoying his first full season within the NHL at 27 years outdated. He’s a little bit of a late bloomer, having bounced across the ECHL and American Hockey League (AHL) earlier than debuting with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022-23.
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Desharnais’ position on the Canucks will probably be the identical because it was in Edmonton. He received’t see time on the facility play however will likely be one of many main defencemen on the penalty kill. With the Oilers, he was the third-most utilized at 2:02 shorthanded time-on-ice per sport (SH TOI/GP), and with workhorse Ian Cole (2:39 SH TOI/GP) now in Utah, he may see much more time on the PK this season. He must be as much as the duty given he’s not afraid to place his physique in hurt’s method, whether or not it’s bodily or dropping in entrance of a shot.
Prediction: Offensively, Desharnais received’t deliver rather a lot, however the hits and blocked pictures classes will hit triple digits, probably 150-plus in each.
Derek Forbort
The Canucks added much more dimension and physicality to the defence with Derek Forbort. He was tormented by accidents final season that restricted him to solely 35 video games, however often averages 100 or extra hits and blocked pictures when he’s wholesome. He made an unlikely return to the lineup within the playoffs after being shut down for surgical procedure in March, which garnered loads of respect from his coaches and teammates.
“Large work ethic…I imply, he needed to return again and play you understand, handled loads of accidents this yr. And simply the truth that he’s an important locker room man, he’s acquired an important humorousness, he cares about his teammates. It’s a great add within the locker room.”
So, Forbort received’t solely deliver hits and blocked pictures to the desk, however character and management as properly. Like Desharnais, offence isn’t his calling card, however stout defence and a willingness to dam pictures and do the little issues defensively like boxing out in entrance of the web and enjoying bodily alongside the boards. He can even add rather a lot to the penalty kill, which he was an enormous a part of in Boston recording 3:01 SH TOI/GP within the 35 video games he performed. In truth, since he joined the Bruins in 2021-22, he noticed the very best common ice time on the PK of everybody on the roster at 3:05, simply barely forward of Brandon Carlo (3:01).
Prediction: Forbort will probably take Cole’s spot on the first-unit penalty kill and see comparable common ice time as he noticed in Boston. He can even return to the 100-plus blocked pictures and hits that he was identified for earlier than his bout with the damage bug.
Canucks Will Be a Higher & Deeper Workforce in 2024-25
Some folks might imagine the Canucks are worse off with out Lindholm and Zadorov. However, take into account this, Allvin wouldn’t have had the cap house to re-sign Joshua, Teddy Blueger, and Tyler Myers, or add two wingers that might probably thrive with Pettersson. Additionally, earlier than the Lindholm and Zadorov additions, the Canucks had been already an elite group close to the highest of the Western Convention. If nothing else, they’re returning an analogous, and probably larger and more durable to play in opposition to roster than they’d on the outset of 2023-24. Pettersson can even have two goalscorers on his wings in Sprong and DeBrusk, one thing he didn’t have on opening night time in opposition to the Oilers final season. Time will inform, however I see this new and improved lineup carrying out extra nice issues in 2024-25.
