For the past decade, the Vancouver Canucks have been lost in the NHL's wilderness. Now, a core led by the transcendent Elias Petterson at center and the dominant Quinn Hughes on defense have the Canucks squarely relevant in the league.
The retirement of legendary twin forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin at the end of the 2017-2018 season marked the end of an era. One that brought the organization to the precipice of the Stanley Cup in 2011, and one that ended in a string of roster mismanagement and poor planning.
Without the Sedins, the Canucks struggled to forge an identity, and though it has been clear for years that Petterson and Hughes are franchise-caliber stars, the team has failed to surround them with the talent needed to truly compete with the likes of Colorado, Vegas and Edmonton in the West.
The Canucks have made the playoffs just once since 2016, an appearance in the 2020 playoffs that took place in the bubble during the pandemic.
Vancouver Canucks: Emergent Stars Lead Team
That has all changed this year, as goaltender Thatcher Demko has emerged as one of the league's elite to give Vancouver a triumvirate of stars; a top-line center, top-pair defender, and starting goaltender, the three most crucial spots in the lineup.
Career years from J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek have helped produce supplementary offense, while depth pieces like Sam Lafferty, Tyler Myers, and Pius Suter have provided stability to the bottom of the roster that has been lacking in years past.
Veteran first-year head coach Rick Tocchet has adapted to the strengths of this roster and let the team really cook offensively.
Miller, Hughes, and Petterson each have over 50 points. Miller is tied for fourth in the league in scoring, Petterson is tied for sixth, and Hughes is tied for 12th.
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Vancouver Canucks: Recent Road Trip
While many question the team's ability to keep performing at this level due to the team's save and shooting percentages bordering unsustainably high, the Canucks put at least a few concerns to rest with a recent East Coast road trip.
The Canucks knocked off the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders in four nights, then took down the Penguins in overtime and the Sabres in shutout fashion in a game that started at noon due to the winter storm in Buffalo.
The five-game streak in a tough portion of the schedule helped buoy the Canucks to the top spot in the Pacific Division.
It's a loaded Western Conference this year with the Winnipeg Jets emerging as a dominant force along with the scorching-hot Oilers and the last two Stanley Cup champions in the Avalanche and Golden Knights still hanging around, but the Canucks are in the hunt and promise to be a tough out in the postseason.
Over the longer term, Vancouver will compete as long as Petterson, Hughes, and Demko are intact as the team's core and performing at a high level.
Hughes is on a sweetheart deal long-term, and the team still has three more years of Demko guaranteed, but Petterson's impending contract will be interesting. He's due a huge raise from his current salary of $7.36 million, and keeping his number long term under $12 million would be a win for the team's cap flexibility.
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