NHL: Ranking the seven Canadian teams from worst to best
By Jasmine Yen
4. Vancouver Canucks
Before this free agency period, I would have had the Vancouver Canucks number one or number two. However, after all their moves – or lack thereof, they have fallen down to number four. Last season, Jacob Markstrom was their undisputed MVP. If it weren’t for his incredible season, the Canucks never would have made it to the playoffs, never mind to the second round. Losing him is a big blow for the team on the ice as well as in the locker room.
Losing Chris Tanev was a huge loss for the team as well. He was a mentor for Quinn Hughes, and many of the younger players on the team called him “Dad” because of the leadership he offered to them. While adding Nate Schmidt helps out a lot on defense, the Canucks lost two huge character pieces in the locker room. Losing Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson is concerning as well as these were strong depth pieces for the team with Stanley Cup pedigree.
Brayden Holtby will be a good mentor for Thatcher Demko and a strong veteran presence in the locker room, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career in which he saw his save percentage go under .900 for the first time (.897). I think the Canucks took a step back this offseason, but they still have very talented pieces in Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Bo Horvat that they can build around.
3. Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have one of the best top-six forward groups in the league, a solid defensive core, and a Vezina-winning goaltender in Connor Hellebyuck. Brining back Paul Stastny was a great move as he has a strong rapport with Paul Maurice and has experience playing with Bryan Little and Patrik Laine. Re-signing Dylan DeMelo was also a great move as he was their best defenceman last season.
Building a strong NHL team starts at the goaltending position and expands outwards. The Jets have just that, and I don’t doubt that they will be a major competitor this upcoming season, especially if they get out of the Central Division that has the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars.