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!
Are the Canucks okay? No. They passed “okay” a long time ago. They now occupy a space between “resigned acceptance” and “delusional optimism” that is perfectly fitting for March hockey. Take your pick on the path you would like to take. 
The close to their road trip perfectly exemplifies the baffling contradictions of the current Canucks. They did not even play awfully by this year’s standards, save for their unacceptable 5-2 loss against the Anaheim Ducks. A well-fought overtime win against the L.A. Kings was welcomed, and they played just fine against the Seattle Kraken before falling apart in the latter half.
The problem is they cannot seem to function as a whole unit. When they don’t have the scoring, their sturdy goaltending and low-event defensive hockey keep them in games, and when they have the scoring, their defence and goaltending fall apart.
Nothing about this year’s team has been fully “on” simultaneously. I don’t have to be the next person to wax poetic about Elias Pettersson turning into Casper the Friendly Ghost on the ice because everyone has an opinion, and no one knows the truth but him. Maybe he doesn’t even have the full picture. It might make it difficult when everyone in the market has their own idea of what’s gone wrong in your game, and absolutely no one has answers. 
That’s enough group therapy for this week. Let’s get on with the good news.

Tyler Myers

Tyler Myers is an enigma of a hockey player. Last week, he was one of my dishonourable mentions after what may be one of the worst periods of hockey I have ever seen him play. This week, Myers earned a third star after one of his best periods in recent memory. 
Tyler Myers’ game swings back and forth like a pendulum swings on an old grandfather clock. Alas, Tyler Myers, much like that grandfather clock, is a beloved family heirloom that belongs in the room, and we love it all the same.
He went down against the Kings after taking a puck to the neck, in a pretty scary sequence for anyone watching live or at home. Luckily, he returned the next night only to put up a stellar performance in a not-so-stellar night for the Canucks. He took an early penalty, only to break out of the box for a bonafide Tyler Myers insane moment. He scored and followed it up with a primary assist on Pius Suter’s goal. Were these the only two Canucks goals of the night? Sure. It was a great game of Tyler Myers versus the entire Ducks roster.
Myers followed this up with a solid night in Seattle – a likely place for him to do so – despite the team’s shortcomings. The third period against Seattle saw him take a nearly 164-kilometre-an-hour (102 MPH for you imperial system folk) shot. Welcome back to the classic Tyler Myers slapshot that would get him served a speeding ticket on the highway. What a week.

Filip Chytil

Filip Chytil has been one of the strongest forwards for the Canucks since their return from the 4 Nations break – truthfully, since he arrived in Vancouver. It is hard to tell whether this is recency bias, whether he hasn’t yet been bogged down by the game plan that Rick Tocchet loves to talk about, or some combination of the two. 
He has added an undeniable offensive edge that was desperately needed and clearly shines in even-strength scenarios. With the power play looking how it has been, having a reliable producer at 5-on-5 feels refreshing – add that to the list of things I never thought I would have to say this time last year. In fact, telling my March 2024 self that Filip Chytil is a Vancouver Canuck and J.T. Miller is not would probably be shocking enough. Understandably, there are still many raw emotions floating around about this trade. It is still far too soon to determine who won this transaction, but ultimately, Chytil is shaping up to be a very reliable addition so far.

Dakota Joshua

Dakota Joshua is well-deserving of a hat tip this week. Between overcoming surgery and treatment following his cancer diagnosis and dealing with further injury, he’s only managed to play 35 games thus far. Quite frankly, I’m willing to give him a lot of leeway. He overcame a very serious health scare even to play this season. I see no reason why he cannot return to unsung hero level territory in a better year for both the team and him personally.
The Seattle game was again an example of a solid effort that fell off the rails, but one of the highlights was a shorthanded goal from Joshua. Pius Suter and Kiefer Sherwood hold the only other two shorthanded goals this year, and it was nice to see him join their ranks. 
Joshua also found himself starting this game alongside Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser on the top line, which is the equivalent of your primary school teacher seating the quiet student with two of the problem kids to “keep them in line.” He clearly is a player who takes adversity in stride and puts in a full effort, no matter what situation he is asked to perform in.
Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!