Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column that comes to you live from earlier in the week.

Speaking of earlier in the week and being live, we’re reporting to you live from the height of “Kiefer Sherwood Mania,” otherwise known as the Tuesday after he scored his first career hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

But perhaps it’s inaccurate to limit Kiefer Sherwood Mania to just a single day. Really, it’s been an event for the entirety of the 2024/25 season thus far.

Also, we can probably do better than Kiefer Sherwood Mania.

The Kief Motif?

Sherwoodstock?

The Greatest Sensation in a Thin White Glove Since Michael Jackson?

The point is that Kiefer Sherwood is currently offering exponential returns on the two-year, $1.5 million AAV the Canucks signed him to this past summer, and fans of the team are loving it.

Which brings us neatly to today’s question.

With all due respect to Jake DeBrusk and Kevin Lankinen, there’s not much doubt as to who the UFA favourite of this past free agent crop was for supporters of the Canucks. It’s Sherwood with a bullet, because he brings the sort of bang-for-buck you just don’t see much anymore these days.

But how far back can that honour extend?

Today, as a thought experiment, we’re asking you to finish the following sentence:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below! (Though many of you missed the bit about a runner-up, so welcome to “Quinn Hughes: The Column…)

“You guys are obsessed with Petey huh? It’s Petey, Petey, Petey every game…”

It’s Petey!

Hughes is the MVP…and let’s face it Hughes is the runner-up as well as the third, fourth and every other place on that list. It’s just Hughes…Hughes is the Canucks and the Canucks are Hughes.

Easy: Hughes for the whole year and as long as he remains a Canucks. There is no debate on this issue…

Kudos to the Curmudgeon on last week’s well thought-out answer on former Canucks.

Several players deserving praise for their play this season. Hughes is miles beyond all others in holding this team at some modest level of respectability.

Clearly Hughes.

Hughes has superstar skating and puck handling and makes everyone else look like peewees as he blows by them. The stats on how he drives the offense of this team when he is on the ice versus when he is not are undisputable. Five-on-five scoring almost never happens with out #43.

It is easy to say Lankinen is worthy of honorable mention, but by the end of the day even though he has been excellent, Lankinen’s value pales next to that of Hughes.

Hughes is the obvious choice, and for many reasons. That goal against Tampa hasn’t been able to leave my mind. No goalie in the league would expect that when Kucherov is covering.

Lankinen has been an absolute steal off the free market. Every GM with struggles in net this season is banging their heads on the desk watching how he performs.

That being said, I’m not seeing enough praise for Pius Suter. Especially with all the injuries and personal leaves, he’s taken “Swiss Army Knife” to another level. It feels like every game I watch. Wicked shots, smart passes, and his play off the puck hasn’t been anything to scoff at either.

Lankinen and it’s not even close. He’s stolen at least four games for the Canucks and four wins is what separates the Canucks and the last place Anaheim Ducks. That razor-thin margin should tell you that, without above-average goaltending, the rest of the Canucks’ roster save for a few players (Suter, Hughes, Garland, Joshua, Blueger, etc) have been performing below their usual standards – and it shows.

Well, it wasn’t a unanimous victory for Quinn Hughes, but it probably should have been. From where this veteran blogger is sitting, Hughes should be the current leading candidate for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, forget just being the MVP of a single team. No player means as much to their franchise this year as Hughes does to the Canucks.

It’s a lot tougher to pick a runner-up. Kevin Lankinen is the easiest answer, Kiefer Sherwood is the most fun. Cut out those first few games, and it’s probably Elias Pettersson. Others worthy of a shout-out include Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Filip Hronek, Pius Suter, and, now that he’s back, of course JT Miller.

Not sure if the litany of runner-up candidates, without a clear stand-out, is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just a thing.