After a goalless January that included nine games and only a single assist, the real Jake Virtanen appears to be back—or is he? With a goal and two assists in six February games thus far, the man they call Shotgun Jake has already topped his previous career highs and has almost gotten back on track…
As the Vancouver Canucks approach the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline—February 25, for those keeping score at home—the organization finds itself in a difficult position. The team is very much in the hunt for a playoff position, and that probably precludes GM Jim Benning from doing much—if any—selling off of assets. At the same time, the…
An unfortunate concussion—and a recent bout of illness—have combined to keep Sven Baertschi out of the Vancouver Canucks lineup for the majority of the 2018/19 season. In his absence, several other players have stepped into top-six roles—with varied results—and that’s raised the important question of Baertschi’s role with the team in the long term. Below,…
Several commenters on past editions of the Trade Market have mentioned their desire to see more actual trade proposals put up for discussion, and that’s the idea behind our newest column—Immodest Proposals. In each edition of Immodest Proposals, we’ll come up with a trade Concept—meaning the assets that the Canucks might be looking to…
Count this author in as one of the few in the Vancouver fanbase who were actually excited about the signing of Tim Schaller in the summer of 2018. While that opinion has aged about as gracefully as Keith Tkachuk, there was once plenty of reason for optimism. When he signed with the Canucks, Schaller was…
There’s little doubt that Quinn Hughes will be playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2019/20 season. The seventh overall pick in the 2018 Entry Draft has done everything he can at the college level and has demonstrated more than enough skill to jump into the NHL immediately. In fact, the Canucks reportedly considered signing…
If you’re a regular reader of CanucksArmy, chances are good that you watch enough hockey to have developed a serious habit. With the Vancouver Canucks on hiatus for a preposterous nine consecutive days between January 24 and February 1—due to a combination of the All-Star Weekend and the team’s scheduled “bye week”—there’s a high possibility…
The Rundown Games against the Carolina Hurricanes generally rank pretty low on the schedule when it comes to fan anticipation—but with the Vancouver Canucks about to take a nine-day break from hockey and struggling to maintain a playoff spot, this matchup suddenly had some serious implications. While both teams would enjoy a lengthy rest after…
Sunday’s matinee matchup against the Detroit Red Wings marked the 50th game of the 2018/19 season for the Vancouver Canucks, and just like high school students across British Columbia, it’s time for the team to receive their report card. As a whole, the team has already outperformed expectations this season. Most pundits—and even a large…
In the grand scheme of his brief career with the Vancouver Canucks, Erik Gudbranson is having a pretty good 2018/19 season. He’s limited his defensive miscues, is bringing consistent physicality, and has become the NHL’s undisputed king of uppercuts. Unfortunately, all that glitters is not Gud. As CanucksArmy’s own Jackson McDonald pointed out last week,…
Despite some understandable skepticism related to the large contracted handed to him this summer, Antoine Roussel has been an undoubtedly positive addition to the Vancouver Canucks organization. He trails only Elias Pettersson in both primary assists and penalties drawn—in addition to leading the entire NHL in penalty minutes—which is just a small sampling of the…
The faceoff circle has been the center of major discussion throughout the Vancouver Canucks’ 2018/19 season. Whether it’s Bo Horvat leading the league in draws taken by a ridiculous margin, the contributions of Jay Beagle, or Elias Pettersson’s continued struggles on the dot, faceoffs have been the focal point of multiple Vancouver storylines. That probably…
