Stanley Cup Playoffs: Canucks vs. Wild series preview

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Kevin Fiala #22 of the Minnesota Wild (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Matchups

How do the Canucks and Wild matchup against each other?

Forwards

The Canucks have an underrated core of top-six forwards. Each of them scored at least 15 goals, including trade-deadline acquisition Tyler Toffoli. Elias Pettersson had an excellent season with 66 points in 68 games while posting outstanding underlying possession numbers. Miller led the team in points with 71. Boeser had 16 goals and 45 points in 57 games while Tanner Pearson quietly had a very solid season with 21 goals and 45 points in 69 games.

Though Vancouver’s top-six forwards steal most of the spotlight, they have a surprisingly effective group of bottom-six forwards. Jake Virtanen had a surprisingly strong season, posting career-best numbers with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points. The addition of Toffoli will likely push him into a third-line role where Virtanen could thrive.

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Adam Gaudette finally proved himself as an everyday player by putting up 33 points in 59 games. Josh Leivo’s quietly good season (19 points in 36 games ) ended in December, but he could be back in the postseason. Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Tyler Motte, and Brandon Sutter aren’t anything to write home about, but they provide some defense and penalty killing.

On the other side of the ice, Minnesota has an interesting combination of forwards. Each of their current top seven forwards in points are either over 30 years old or under 25 years old. Zach Parise had a healthy season, which is a rarity for him, and had 25 goals in 69 games. Eric Staal had one of his trademark quietly very good seasons with 47 points in 66 games.

Kevin Fiala had a breakout year, finally delivering on his massive potential. He finally turned his strong play with the puck into results, tying his career-high with 23 goals and setting a career-high with 54 points in 64 games. Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway, and Mikko Koivu stand out for various reasons in their bottom six.

Advantage: Both teams have solid depth, but Vancouver’s top forwards are better.

Defense

The Canucks got a significant boost from rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was recently named a Calder Trophy finalist. He might wind up winning the award, though Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche could win it too. Hughes made a significant impact in his first season, both in terms of points and as far as underlying numbers. Christopher Tanev was his primary partner, though it’s obvious Hughes was the stronger of the two.

Alexander Edler had one of his usual quietly solid seasons, though he’s on the decline. Tyler Myers and Troy Stecher each spent time as his partner, though the former posted better numbers. Jordie Benn’s status isn’t 100% clear, as he’ll be returning to be with his family for the birth of a child, but if he’s available, he’s a decent third-pairing defenseman. However, with Oscar Fantenburg, he might be the odd man out. Vancouver’s defensive numbers at 5v5 were among the worst in the NHL.

Ryan Suter is the leader of the Wild’s blueline. Every year, he plays a ton of minutes and remarkably, his body has yet to break down. Suter’s declining, but he’s still a quality two-way defenseman. Jared Spurgeon had a very nice season. Mathew Dumba’s numbers declined and his defensive numbers were a bit alarming.

Jonas Brodin is the running for the most underrated defensemen in the NHL. All he does is post strong underlying numbers and quietly put up points. Carson Soucy and Brad Hunt form a decent third-pairing.

Advantage: Minnesota

Goaltending

Jacob Markstrom took a while to develop, but this season, he finally delivered on his potential. He probably should have been a Vezina Trophy finalist, as he put up very strong numbers despite having a defense in front of him that bled shots against. Markstrom was injured at the time of the hiatus in mid-March, but he should be back fully healthy. Thatcher Demko is a solid backup goalie.

Devan Dubnyk had a poor season for the Wild. His .890% save percentage was by far the lowest of his tenure in Minnesota. Alex Stalock stepped up with a .910% save percentage, including a .920% save percentage after January 1.

Advantage: Minnesota

Coaching

I like what Dean Evason did in a small sample size, but it’s hard to judge how good of a coach he is because he only coached for 12 games. One thing I noticed is he seemed to utilize his younger players a bit more than Boudreau did. Evason put them in positions where they had success, even if it didn’t always show up on the score sheet.

Travis Green was in the running for the Jack Adams. However, this was a very strong year for coaches, so he wasn’t a finalist. I question Green’s utilization of certain forwards at times and the Canucks’ defensive numbers are alarming, but I think he did a good job considering he didn’t have the best roster to work with.

Advantage: Vancouver

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Stanley Cup Playoffs: Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild series preview

By Dave Stevenson | Jul 18, 2020