Welcome back to Stars of the Week at CanucksArmy! Every week, we’ll be bringing you our Top Three best and brightest performers on the Vancouver Canucks that week. Disagree with our picks or have your own stars to nominate? Let us know in the comments below!
Look, the Vancouver Canucks had a fine week. It was good, even great, if you factor in the fact that they swept three consecutive California games for the first time since their inception. Or embarrassing, depending on how you look at it.
Yes, the Canucks were fine, and nothing that happens during a primetime Hockey Night in Canada matchup can ruin that. The status of this team is better than it appears, are if you are able to overlook the Edmonton Oilers-sized elephant in the room, or the Brock Boeser-shaped hole in the lineup (and in our hearts).
Despite a Saturday night beating from the Pacific Division’s perpetual eighth-grade bully with barely disguised self-hatred issues, there were some outstanding Canucks players this week regardless.
Quinn Hughes
I know I said I would be conservative with the weeks I would award Quinn Hughes a star, for reasons most evident with anyone who watches him on the ice for 30 seconds. However, it would be flat-out wrong not to have him here in a week where he showed up to say he’s him. 
Their stop in Anaheim saw him pick up three assists. He became the third-fastest defenceman in NHL history to hit 300 points (376 games), beaten out only by Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch, and edging out Paul Coffey by just one game. I would love to hear from anyone who is still on the Cale Makar train speak about this development, but they’ve gone suspiciously silent this year. 
His goal and assist against the L.A. Kings, though, was a gift, but he was on for the entire game. Take this fabulous sequence.
Vancouver was overall absolutely smothering against Los Angeles in this game as a whole, in what has so far been their best display of the season. Still, a minute straight of dancing around the Kings like a court jester making everyone else in the room look like the fool, all with elite puck protection that led to Jake DeBrusk’s third goal in as many games? That’s something you don’t see from anyone. With #43, it’s almost expected. 
I think I would rather walk barefoot over hot coals than play against Quinn Hughes. Either he’s snatching the puck from you, you’re blocking his shot with enough speed behind it to get a stunt driving charge, or he’s blocking your shot and smiling about it like he’s the Joker. It’s rare that someone is such an exhaustive menace on the ice and also rather polite about it, for the most part.
We can sing the praises of the captain while acknowledging just how much his talent and drive serve to cover up the severe lack of depth on the blue line this season – this isn’t to erase the efforts of his D-partner Filip Hronek, either, who compliments him excellently. That said, his individual accomplishments don’t just reflect personal glory, but elevate the rest of the team.
Jake DeBrusk
Jake DeBrusk has been having a Jake DeWeek. 
After having a somewhat slow start to his time in Vancouver, chugging along reliably like a study steam engine, DeBrusk has suddenly upgraded to high-speed rail. 
Following a two-goal night in San Jose that landed him a star last week, DeBrusk had goals in three consecutive games, also tallying one against the Anaheim Ducks and L.A. Kings, respectively. While defeating the current states of the Sharks and Ducks isn’t exactly an overwhelming aquatic challenge, the Kings are a different case altogether, seeing as they and their suffocating 1-3-1 system were the bane of Vancouver’s existence last season. But the Kings have abandoned this system this year, and also civility, apparently. 
DeBrusk faces a unique challenge moving ahead. With Brock Boeser out on an indefinite basis following Kings forward Tanner Jeannot catapulting into him for absolutely no reason, J.T. Miller having some very Miller-esque lapses with the puck, and Elias Pettersson improving but still not scoring to his level or contract, DeBrusk is going to have to step up amongst his typical linemates. Even if no one can replace Boeser’s own goal-scoring pace, making up for his absence by generating as many offensive chances as possible is critical. 
DeBrusk had 13 registered shots through the first 9 games of the season, ending with the game against the New Jersey Devils that we would all like to forget. The four games since then? He has 9 SOG.
Last night against Edmonton, Rick Tocchet shifted the lines, seeing DeBrusk on the right wing, reunited with Elias Pettersson down the middle and Nils Hoglander to the left. The questionable decision to go with seventh defenceman Noah Juulsen aside, it was an interesting shuffle. DeBrusk picked up the sole assist on Pettersson’s tip-in goal, the nod largely going to DeBrusk for his shot here, and Pettersson for his innate ability to read such plays in the moment. 
This was a great moment in a bad, bad game. Besides, he got to do it all in front of Pops Louie DeBrusk and appear on After Hours with him.
Genetics are working overtime here because, for a second, I thought there was a second, even more powerful Jake DeBrusk. 
Jake DeBrusk has been at a point a game for four games. Let’s see how he fares moving forward. 
Kiefer Sherwood
Sure, why not?
On a third line currently consisting of Danton Heinen and Teddy Blueger that continues to be incredibly solid, Sherwood is the RW who keeps on giving. Last night against the Oilers, their line each had two hits by the end of the first frame. By the end of the night it was 11, 5 for Sherwood and 4 for Heinen. While Vancouver doled out 34 hits against Edmonton’s just 10, it is hard for it to matter when they were out-shot 20 to 31.
Sherwood provides a kind of grit without sacrificing skill that compliments any bottom to middle-six, especially on a team like the current Canucks roster which should covet their scoring depth but could welcome an intimidating presence. Sherwood provides this without playing too dirty, avoiding becoming Public Enemy Number One. Moving forward, if this team wants to be a smothering presence to face, Sherwood being a one-man bumper car out on the ice is going to be a significant part of that strategy. Sometimes simply wearing the other team down is not the prettiest hockey, but when you’re a team suffering from chronic overtime disorder and third-period slow-downs, outlasting your opponent becomes a priority. I can imagine that most of your roster being shaken up like James Bond’s martini won’t help your attack. Personally, I know I would hate to see Sherwood coming for me on the ice. Besides, anyone who takes on Trevor Zegras’ ego in a 1v1 is a friend of mine.
Well, if you want a player to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kiefer Sherwood and the boards seem like a perfect solution.
Honourable Mentions
Honourable mentions this week could be plentiful, but I have opted for a dedicated in memoriam to Daniel Sprong, who was traded this week to his former team, the Seattle Kraken. Traded for future considerations, at that. Sea salt in the wound. 
Farewell, Sprong. You did two very cool things as a Canuck: that one insane preseason goal, and last week when you took on a one-man rush against the Carolina Hurricanes to pass to Pius Suter. 9 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, a -2, always in our hearts.
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