On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal analyzed the Vancouver Canucks’ disappointing 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday night, dissected the new line combinations from practice, and discussed Pius Suter’s surprising start to the season.

The game against the Islanders was frustrating from start to finish, but there was one silver lining for Canucks fans: prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki scoring his first NHL goal.

“When Miller was carrying the puck through the neutral zone, I loved how aggressively Lekkerimäki slashed across to the left wing, identifying the open spot,” said Harman. “One of the keys to his success will be finding open ice, supporting the puck, and getting into position to shoot. We saw the damage he can do when he has time and space. It was a quick, decisive, NHL-level read, followed by an off-balance, in-motion shot with velocity to that awkward spot above the pad. It was a really impressive goal.”

The result, however, underscored deeper issues with the Canucks’ performance.

“It’s one thing to get steamrolled by a contender like New Jersey or Carolina because of a lack of execution or being overpowered,” Harman said. “But this was an Islanders team that, even when healthy, is mediocre. They didn’t have Matt Barzal, Anthony Duclair, or their entire left-side blueline, and they caught a break with Varlamov starting instead of Sorokin. They’d only won six of their previous 16 games before this one. That context makes what unfolded even worse — they were simply outworked. It’s rare that I use that cliché, but it felt like they were soft defensively.”

Quads added, “And really soft in the neutral zone. Basically, everybody except Elias Pettersson, who had his legs last night. Nobody wants to hear it, but I’d say Pettersson was their best forward. It’s strange to be saying that, but here we are.”

The discussion shifted to Friday’s practice, where the Canucks experimented with fresh line combinations.

“It took one game of seeing Dakota Joshua for Rick Tocchet to want to go back to that trio,” Quads noted. “They shuffled lines late in the game against the Islanders, and the surprise was seeing Pius Suter back at centre. I thought that might mean Raty was heading back to the AHL, but he’s been winning faceoffs, so he’s sticking around for now. At practice, Elias Pettersson was skating with Jake DeBrusk and Kiefer Sherwood.”

Harman offered insight into the potential of this line:

“Now that Pettersson is starting to find his form and DeBrusk is settling into his groove, they don’t necessarily need to stack the line. Reuniting Garland and Joshua could spark the third line, giving the top-nine a more balanced attack. The onus will be on Pettersson to drive play on this line. This is Sherwood’s first legitimate top-six chance — he started on the fourth line, quickly moved to the third, and has been producing with energy. He loves shooting the puck and has decent zip on his shot. If Pettersson can create off the rush and find Sherwood in space, he’s shown he can rip it.”

The conversation then turned to Pius Suter, who has been outperforming expectations with six goals in his first 14 games.

“Eventually, someone’s going to pay him. Should it be the Canucks?” Quads asked.

Harm weighed in: “I’m not sure he’s going to get paid the way people think. Six goals in 14 games is amazing, but he’s shooting 23%, which is double his career average. That pace isn’t sustainable, and I don’t see him suddenly becoming a 20-25-goal scorer. Historically, he’s been consistent in the 14-15 goal range, and while he might exceed that slightly, I wouldn’t expect a major breakout.

“Plus, Suter’s profile—an undersized, slower player who isn’t physical—tends to be underrated by teams. His faceoff percentage is also just 42% this year, which hurts his case as a full-time third-line centre. He’s a versatile, play-anywhere type of guy, but he doesn’t have the traits teams typically overpay for. I think he’ll remain a cost-effective, underrated player.”

Check out the full replay of the show below.