Vancouver Canucks Top 10: Best Forwards of All Time

Today’s Best Of list covers the top 10 Canucks forwards. This is by far the easiest list to make. While the Canucks have had solid defence (through few game breakers) and good goaltending (from a very select list), there has been far more impressive offensive talent. While we all struggled (and ultimately failed) to find a way to keep Dan Cloutier off of the goalie list, we actually had to narrow down the forward candidates. Imagine that.

Let’s take a walk through the top 10 forwards in Canucks history.

Brendan Morrison was best known as the playmaker of the West Coast Express, a role he gained in January of 2002 when he stole the top line centre gig from Andrew Cassels. Although his setup abilities pale in comparison to what we’re used to these days with the Sedin twins, Morrison was an effective part of what was briefly considered the NHL’s most dangerous line.

Morrison sits 10th all time in Canucks assists and 12th on the all time points list. He had a penchant for clutch performances and is second all time in overtime winners among Canucks players, including a triple overtime playoff winner in 2004.

Alex Mogilny was both an incredibly gifted and incredibly frustrating player. Mats Sundin once called him the best player he ever played with. He was frighteningly fast, deviously evasive, surprisingly physical and his shot was one of the best in the league. He showcased all these talents in his first season in Vancouver leading the team in goals (55), assists (52) and points (107).

Yet after that, he was largely unnoticeable. He faded into the background, appearing every so often to score an impressive goal that mostly just left you wanting more. In fact, the best thing the Canucks got out of Mogilny after 1996 was Brendan Morrison, when Mogilny was traded to New Jersey. He went on to have impressive seasons for the Devils and Maple Leafs, while disgruntled Vancouver fans muttered angrily under their breaths.

Ryan Kesler was picked up by the Canucks 23rd overall in the fabled 2003 Entry Draft, and would go on to become one of their most popular players. He was agitator and one of the best shut down centres in the league for a short while, winning a Selke Trophy in 2011. But nothing pleased Canucks fans more than his wrist shot, which seemed to have the potential to be any goaltender from any distance on any given night. That left side one-timer easn’t too shabby either.

The image above was not chosen at random. Many players have a signature playoff series, and this was Kesler’s. He had a number of good years in Vancouver and no shortage of impressive moments, but his NHL career peaked in May of 2011, 7 and a half minutes into the 3rd period of Game 4 against Nashville when he scored this goal. Kesler was a broken man for the Finals against Boston, and has never come close to the production he saw that year. While the Ryan Kesler that now resides in Anaheim is still a threat, he is but a shadow of the God-like figure we glimpsed in that Nashville series.

Ryan Kesler is currently playing the role of the villain, but it still seems possible that in the very, very distant future, he will once again be revered for his legendary contributions to the best Canucks team we’ve seen.

Never before had the Canucks seen a draft pick step in and make an immediate impact, yet that’s what Stan Smyl did in 1978. Over the next 12 seasons, became the face of the franchise. He embodied all the qualities that a Canuck is supposed to represent: he was a tireless worker, active in the community, and loyal to the fans, with a modest amount of talent to boot. He led the 1982 Canucks to their first ever Stanley Cup Final, amidst his tenure as the longest serving captain in Canucks history.

Smyl retired as the Canucks all time leading scorer, and was the first player to have his number retired by the franchise. He’s stuck with the Canucks ever since, working as an NHL assistant coach, a minor league head coach, a Director of Player Development, and most recently as the Senior Advisor to the General Manager. 

We all have good memories and bad memories of Todd Bertuzzi. Simply put, Big Bert was a force out on the ice. At 6-foot-3 and well over 200 lbs, Bertuzzi was as dominant a power forward as you could ask for, putting up big numbers in the hey-day of the West Coast Express, including 97 points in 2002-03. It’s been ten years since Bertuzzi left, and this market is still clamouring for a replacement.

He was tough, powerful and downright scary at times, and he could put the puck in the net to top it off. Unfortunately, everything fell apart in February of 2004 when he attacked Steve Moore from behind. If it wasn’t for that incident, things might have turned out a little differently for that iteration of the Canucks core.

You don’t get much more Canuck than Trevor Linden. The current prez was once one of the Canucks greatest ever players. He didn’t do it with pure skill (though he wasn’t bereft of talent), but with will, effort and determination. He became the youngest captain in Vancouver history and held that mantle for 6 season.

Linden had at least 30 goals on 6 separate occasions. He was, for a time, the Canucks all-time leading scorer, though he’s since been supplanted by a trio of Swedes. Linden’s biggest contributions have always taken place in the playoffs – he tied for the team lead in playoff points in his final playoff run in 2007. It was in ’94 where he really shined though, with 12 goals during the team’s magical run, including 2 (the only 2) in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Markus Naslund arrived in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history, from Pittsburgh in exchange for Alek Stojanov. Stojanov went on to play 45 games and score 2 goals, retiring at age 29. Naslund went on to play 884 games for the Canucks and become the franchise’s all time leading scorer.

As a player, his most dangerous weapon was his wrist shot, which he unleashed with startling velocity and accuracy. He led the team in scoring for 7 straight seasons, hitting the 40-goal mark 3 times (in consecutive years). But for an unfortunate turn of events in game 82 of the 2002-03 season, he likely would have become the first Canuck to win an Art Ross Trophy. That year, like many of his era, ended in disappointment. However, he was instrumental in mentoring the Canucks two actual Art Ross winners, who occupy two of the top three spots.

Daniel Sedin, long known as the shooting twin, occupies first or second place in nearly every offensive category on the Canucks all time list. Few Canucks have taken the amount of abuse from opponents, critics and even fans that Daniel and his brother have withstood. Through it all, they are far and away the two most successful players to ever wear Canucks uniforms.

Daniel is slightly faster and more physical than Henrik and his shot had always been his calling card. Some of the oomph has left his wrister, as a result of either age or post concussion effects (likely both). Still, his on ice vision, hockey IQ, effort level and residual skill allow him to remain an elite player even in his mid 30s.

Henrik Sedin is easily one of the greatest playmakers of his era. He led the league in assists three straight seasons from 2009 to 2011, winning an Art Ross as the league’s top scorer in 2010 (the first Canuck to do so). His passing abilities are second to none and his creativity has led to some of the most awe inspiring goals in franchise history. He currently leads the franchise in points and assists, and continues to build on this lead year after year. His ability, along with his brother, to make professional hockey players look downright foolish time and time again is one of the many great treasures he afforded Canuck fans.

In the twilight of their careers, we will soon see a Canucks team with 22 and 33 in it. Undoubtedly though, those numbers will be swiftly raised to the rafters of Rogers Arena, likely even more deserving of such an honor than any that currently reside there.

When I said that Daniel and Henrik Sedin were the most successful players in Canuck history, I meant it. However that doesn’t necessarily mean they were more talented. While they augmented their skill levels with an incredible understanding of the game, Pavel Bure was simply overflowing with raw talent and ability. He was electrifying and awe inspiring. The sight of Pavel Bure with the puck on his stick was enough to bring any fan up out of their seat, and rarely did he fail to do something special with it. His speed was unmatched and his hands were sublime.

Bure led the Canucks in points 4 times, and is the only Canuck to reach 60 goals in a season – a feat he managed in back to back years. He held the single season Canucks points record of 110 until Henrik Sedin broke it in 2010. He is currently the only member of the Hockey Hall of Fame that spent his best years in Vancouver.

Despite the drama that unfolded at the end of his time as a Canuck, Bure is beloved among Vancouver fans. This is particularly true among the 25-35 age group, a cohort which, in all likelihood, he had a large part in igniting a love for the sport.