Like hundreds of young actors every year, the Canucks went to California in search of stardom. And they’ve come out of that journey with three straight wins against the Sharks, Ducks and Kings with some early award buzz for their brightest star.
Shockingly, in the 30 years that the Canucks have been playing these three teams, this was the first time they’ve swept the Golden State series. More friendly scheduling might’ve played a factor — historically, the Ducks and Kings games have been stacked as back-to-back  — but it’s still an accomplishment that even the greatest Canucks teams couldn’t reach.
They might not be coming off playing the toughest competition the Pacific Division has to offer, but they’ve put together three games of increasingly strong play. And what better time to build that kind of momentum than before their biggest test of the season yet: a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers team that knocked them out of the playoffs in May.
Here are three takeaways from the Canucks’ road trip and how they’ll factor in against Edmonton.
The defence is finding its footing
The Canucks dramatically improved defensively from game one in San Jose to game three in Los Angeles.
In the opener against the Sharks, the Canucks’ inability to break the puck out cleanly would’ve cost them the game against a stronger opponent. Mikael Granlund’s game-tying goal in the third period was the product of bad zone coverage in front of the net.
But as the games went on the Canucks got stronger in their own end, culminating in arguably their best defensive effort of the season against the Kings. Despite being outshot 28-23, the Canucks allowed just four High Danger Scoring Chances at 5v5 to the Kings while earning nine of their own. And if you think that’s good, they only gave up one high-danger scoring chance to the Ducks compared to 10 chances.
While the Ducks game arguably says more about the Canucks’ opponent, their win over the 2nd placed Kings showcases real improvement at limiting big scoring opportunties. There’s still work to be done improving the blue line as far as the front office is concerned, but the players already here are at least returning the overall defence to a middle of the pack unit.
Quinn Hughes is everything
If there was any doubt that Quinn Hughes couldn’t reach the heights of his Norris winning 2023-24, he’s proving he can exceed it.
In their second game against Anaheim, Hughes potted three assists and became the third-fastest defender in NHL history to reach the 300-helper plateau. Only Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch — two half-decent defencemen, I’ve been told — have gotten there faster.
But the biggest improvement we’ve seen from Hughes (a thing we didn’t even know he needed) this year has been finding the back of the net. And in the game Thursday against Los Angeles, Hughes showed off his now lethal slap shot that ended up as the game-winning tally.
Hughes has been otherwordly on a blue line that’s looked overwhelmed at points around him, and he’s been the Canucks’ undisputed most valuable player so far. If he keeps playing at this high a level (and I’m willing to bet he will), award voters are going to have an impossible time leaving him off the Hart Trophy ballot in April.
The Oilers didn’t get to see Quinn Hughes at 100% of his power during their second round matchup, but on Saturday night they’d better be prepared for the full experience.
Scoring by committee is possible
Thanks to some completely unnecessary head-hunting by Tanner Jeannot, the Canucks are suddenly without their leading goal scorer, Brock Boeser. With Boeser out that scoring will have to come by committee, and the Canucks are finding that depth at the right time.
Pius Suter scored twice in San Jose, including the game winner in the final minute of play. Kiefer Sherwood and Danton Heinen each had key goals against the Ducks. And perhaps most importantly, Jake DeBrusk went from zero goals in his first nine games to scoring in all three California games.
DeBrusk recapturing his scoring touch is undoubtedly the most helpful to replacing Boeser’s output, and he couldn’t come at a better time. But now with Daniel Sprong gone to Seattle, some other players will have to take up the mantle.
One potential game-changer is Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who’s expected to be called up and make his NHL debut on Tuesday when the Flames visit Vancouver for the second time. Lekkerimäki’s five goals and seven points for the Abbotsford Canucks are both team-leading markers (though tied in points with Aatu Räty and John Stevens), but the former World Juniors MVP is a true X-factor.
Looking at the glass half full, if Lekkerimäki’s hoping to play his way into a permanent spot in the NHL lineup, helping soften the blow of losing Boeser with goal-scoring prowess is the perfect opportunity to prove he belongs. And he should get plenty of runway to do it once he puts on the jersey for the first time.
As for the players that are already here, the options are abundant. Elias Pettersson found the back of the net for the second time against Anaheim, but getting more goals from him will be absolutely essential. Nils Höglander has settled into more of a playmaking role, but he’s due to heat up with a bigger shooting role.
The Canucks haven’t had scoring depth this deep since the early 2010s. The only thing left is to put it all together, and there’s no better place to start than a revenge game versus Connor McDavid & Co.
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