Vancouver Canucks: 2019-20 season preview, predictions

The Vancouver Canucks added quite a few pieces this offseason to an already impressive core of young players. Is that enough to make the playoffs?

It’s been four seasons since the Vancouver Canucks last made the postseason. However, last season, the Canucks gave their fans hope. Specifically, it was Calder Trophy winner Elias Pettersson, who announced his arrival by quickly emerging as one of the most exciting players in the NHL.

Vancouver missed the playoffs, but it wasn’t by much (by nine points, to be precise). The emergence of Pettersson and the continued growth from Jacob Markstrom helped the Canucks improve by eight points.

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This summer was a rather busy one in Vancouver. General Manager Jim Benning continued his annual tradition by making a big move on July 1, signing Tyler Myers to a long-term deal. He also traded for J.T. Miller and signed Micheal Ferland. Benning cut it close, but he was also able to sign Brock Boeser to a bridge deal.

The Canucks moves suggest they’re ready to start making a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But even in a relatively weak Pacific Division, it won’t be easy.

Offseason Recap

Added: Justin Bailey, Jordie Benn, Oscar Fantenberg, Micheal Ferland, Tyler Graovac, Zane McIntyre, J.T. Miller, Tyler Myers

Lost: Markus Granlund, Ben Hutton, Derrick Pouliot, Tom Pyatt, Luke Schenn, Ryan Spooner

Benn was another addition from free agency. He posted impressive defensive results last year with the Montreal Canadiens. However, Benn’s track record isn’t that strong aside from last season, so the Canucks better hope the 2018-19 season wasn’t a fluke.

Fantenberg is a perfectly capable third-pairing defenseman, but he’ll likely be the Canucks seventh defenseman. Still, it’s nice to have an extra NHL-caliber defenseman lying around. Ferland should help the Canucks top-nine forward group, though his lack of success away from skilled players is a bit concerning.

Strengths

The Canucks have a nice one-two punch down the middle at the top of their lineup with Bo Horvat and Pettersson. Horvat has emerged as a true leader on the team, playing against tough competition while still chipping in at a solid rate. Despite starting 40.1% of his five-on-five zone starts in the defensive zone, he still put up 61 points, a career-high for him.

There’s not much more to be said about how great Pettersson is, but I think he really benefitted from having Horvat around. As the young Swedish center grows, he should be able to take on more responsibilities, which should ease the burden on Horvat.

Pettersson leads the Canucks top forward line, which has the potential to be one of the best in the NHL. On his left will likely be Micheal Ferland, who is a good role player. He’s big and physical, yet he’s skilled enough to hang with guys as skilled as Pettersson. Brock Boeser will play on his right. If Miller can retrieve pucks, do the dirty work, and do what it takes to allow Pettersson and Boeser to do what they do best, that could be an excellent forward line.

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom quietly had a strong year. In 60 starts, he posted a .912% save percentage for the second straight season. Markstrom’s 13.29 GSAA during all situations was seventh among goaltenders. His 0.21 GSAA30 ranked ninth. If promising young goalie Thatcher Demko can hold down a backup role, the Canucks tandem could be among the best in the league.

Quinn Hughes didn’t look out of place in a cup of coffee in the NHL last season. Nor did he look out of place playing against professional hockey players at the World Championships with Team USA. Hughes could be a dark-horse Calder Trophy candidate. He’s a fast, skilled, and exciting defenseman, which is something the Canucks have needed for years.

Weaknesses

Horvat and Pettersson are terrific. However, their center depth falls off quite a bit after those two. Brandon Sutter had just four points in 26 games and his underlying stats were poor. He’s likely either their third or fourth-line center, but it’s likely the latter with Jay Beagle around. Adam Gaudette struggled in his first pro season.

Vancouver’s defense has some nice pieces. Hughes should give them a nice boost, Alex Edler is still a quality defenseman despite his age, and Myers, though he’s overpaid for too long, is a capable top-four defenseman for the time being.

However, Chris Tanev’s injuries have caught up to him, as he’s a shadow of his former self. Benn and Troy Stecher should be good on the third pairing, but both have struggled when playing up in the lineup. Their defense lacks difference makers, which could cost them a spot in the postseason.

Projected Lineup

This lineup is with the help of CapFriendly and Daily Faceoff.

FORWARDS

Micheal Ferland – Elias Pettersson – Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson – Bo Horvat – J.T. Miller

Josh Leivo – Brandon Sutter – Loui Eriksson

Sven Baertschi – Jay Beagle – Jake Virtanen

Extra forward candidates: Tim Schaller, Adam Gaudette

Injured: Antoine Roussel

DEFENSEMEN

Alex Edler – Tyler Myers

Quinn Hughes – Chris Tanev

Jordie Benn – Troy Stecher

Extra defenseman: Oscar Fantenberg

GOALTENDERS

Jacob Markstrom

Thatcher Demko

Next. One Reason Each Team Should Be Excited For The 2019 Season. dark

Prediction

Ultimately, the Canucks have a bit too many question marks for me to pencil them in as a playoff team. That said, with improvements from their younger forwards, a postseason appearance is certainly possible. Goaltending is going to determine a lot for the Canucks. If Markstrom and Demko do a good job, the postseason should be within reach. But if they don’t, things could get ugly.

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