Despite all the noise surrounding his 2014-15 campaign, it was a relatively good one for Chris Higgins. The middle-six regular provided the Canucks with solid production and stingy defensive play, which more than made up for the cold stretches and always made him valuable. 

Nothing new for Higgins, though. He’s consistently provided the Canucks with great play on the penalty kill and an almost unmatched ability to slide seamlessly onto any wing in the lineup and not seem out of place – save for the first, where Higgins would look so out of place in so many ways. What better testament to Higgins shorthanded prowess than his spot atop the shorthanded ice-time leaderboard for Canucks forwards since the 2012-13 campaign – his first full season as a Canuck. 

That’s not to say Higgins wasn’t of some use from beyond the vast expanses of his own zone. Despite extended dry spells of his own, his 36-points were good enough for fifth among Canucks skaters this season. A quietly productive showing, especially given all the noise that any of his “cold streaks” would bring on. 

While the right wing on the Canucks second line was somewhat of a revolving door, Higgins remained a constant alongside Nick Bonino. The valleys were especially pronounced, but overall, Higgins posted a very respectable campaign when looking at his production per 60 mins.

As has often been the case, some of Higgins best displays would often draw little, if any attention at all. At it’s best, this can be a great hallmark for a bottom-nine forward as this is often a side-effect of solid territorial play or defensive acumen. It made Higgins an easy target for those less initiated in the world of underlying metrics, but such is usually the case for someone that employs Higgins style. All things being equal, Higgins was the Canucks second best left winger this season and it’s not all that close between him and third. 

Higgins 36-points on the year are his lowest full-season total since joining the Canucks. That said, it’s only three points behind last year’s mark of 39, so the drop-off wasn’t massive by any stretch. Looking at previous campaigns, there isn’t a noticeable or massive difference in his goal to assist ratio, either. If nothing else, Higgins is pretty darn consistent.

The territorial play of Higgins took a significant step forward this season, as he posted positive numbers by both raw and relative Corsi for the first time since 2011-12. For all the defensive plaudits, it’s actually the shot attempt generation where Higgins makes his hay. At 57.3 CF/60, Higgins is fourth among Canucks skaters in that regard. Higgins also had a massively positive +41.27 dCorsi impact – a metric which tries to see how a player performs based on his environment (usage, teammates, competition, etc.)

Higgins season was even more impressive by goal metrics than it was those of the possession variety. Only Ryan Stanton (yes seriously), Henrik Sedin and Radim Vrbata posted a better Gf% Rel. than Higgins, who cruised to a 7% mark. Perhaps most encouraging is that this is the result of improvement at both ends of the rink.

Among Canuck regulars, there are only three players that had a higher SCF% than Higgins. As matter of fact, Higgins was part of a group of only seven Canucks players that registered a SCF% north of 50%. This was also Higgins first season in the positive for SCF% since 2011-12. Again, almost all the damage was being done in the opposition’s zone – only Bonino has a higher SCF/60 than Higgins among Vancouver regulars.

High-danger scoring chances have long been a struggle for Higgins. You have to go as far back as 2010-11 to see a positive number in this regard. Last season, though, Higgins comes out with his head just above water, at a positive 0.4%. 

While still impressive, Higgins SF% was just okay compared to some of the other underlying numbers at our disposal. He’s not necessarily awful in either regard where this is concerned. As a matter of fact, Higgins was quite middling in both senses, compared to his teammates.

As the Canucks inch further from contender status and closer to the basement, the long-term viability of carrying secondary pieces well into their thirties becomes increasingly less sound. Their continued inclusion on any middling to rebuilding roster will always represent a roadblock to younger, more affordable players that, in the most positive of senses, are an unknown quantity; consider for a second that Ronalds Kenins didn’t even make the cut as a “prospect” where Rhys was concerned before the season started as a hint to just how volatile player development can be. 

With several new advances in the field of analytic based scouting, we can get a rudimentary idea of any one players potential, ceiling and basement. New toys like “PCS” or Player Cohort Success, for example, take into account several factors and pit them against previous players performances to find close comparable players for a rough projection. That said, sometimes there is just no accounting for player development and that stab in the dark fifth-rounder can be just an opening with the big club away from blossoming into a star. As rebuilding teams often have nothing to lose, the ability to try and cash in on these lottery tickets can be vital.

Higgins, on the other hand, is a known quantity. From a prescribed middle-six role – which leans to the low-end – Higgins can be an efficient point producer and contribute on special teams. He’s not a core piece, not by any stretch, but as a tertiary scoring piece, he can provide immense value to a contending team. As you hear all too often around these parts: a contending team, the Canucks are not. Nor will they be for, optimistically, four-to-five years.

At that point in his career I can’t imagine Higgins will have much quality hockey left in him. Certainly not enough to make or break the Canucks. The second or third-round selection that the Canucks should, in theory, be able to acquire with Higgins very well could. Furthermore, a trade of Higgins would open up a roster spot for one of the Canucks younger pieces, some of which are knocking on the door for a full-time gig in the NHL. As such, it makes all the sense in the world to shop Higgins. There were murmurs that the Canucks might do this at last year’s trade deadline, but nothing came of it. 

Vancouver had to part with Eddie Lack to accomplish their goal of acquiring something in the mid rounds of this season, but 2016 projects to be of similar strength. Have to think Higgins could land the Canucks the Canucks at least a mid-round pick at the upcoming trade deadline. I would have to think that, despite strong play for a low-end middle-6 forward, Higgins’ long term viability in Vancouver is coming more and more into question.