The Vancouver Canucks are looking to prove that their struggles last year were just a blip on the radar and still have the talent to make noise in the playoffs this season.
Vancouver finished last season outside of the playoff picture with a 38-30-14 record, which was a 19-point drop from the year prior where they won the Pacific Division.
The struggles were highlighted by internal strife within the locker room between veteran forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, which let to Miller eventually being dealt to the New York Rangers.
Adding to the problem was the fact Pettersson’s play took a significant dip compared to his past seasons, recording 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games— his lowest totals in a full 82-game season.
The Canucks are off to a decent start this season, going 4-2-0 in their first six games, but the pressure is still mounting for them to get back to contention.
“It’s early and we have a young team with at least five first-year players in the lineup,” general manager Jim Rutherford told Amazon Prime’s Monday Night Hockey during their 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 13. “We’re continuing to try to transition the team after the Miller trade. I like the speed of the team. I like the system that [new head coach] Adam Foote has got them playing and they’ve bought into it.
“They’ve worked hard, so I can’t ask any more than that. Now we’ll find out if we have enough players to succeed.”
The focus of the Canucks’ success continues to circle around Pettersson, who has continued to struggle offensively early this season.
Pettersson had 34 goals and 89 points in 82 games in 2023-24 and set a career high with 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games the year prior before taking a plunge last year.
He has started slow again this season, recording his first goal of the season on Sunday during their 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals and has three points on the year.
Despite all the attention on his lack of offensive output from outside the organization, the Canucks are focusing on his two-way play in order to perform as the team’s No. 1 centre.
“He needs to be a good-two-way player as our No. 1 centre because he’s going to be matched up against the other team’s best players all the time,” said Rutherford. “Coming off the year he had, he’s not going to flip a switch and all of a sudden get 110 points again, though he’s capable and has the skill level to do that.
“It’s more about him being able to impact the game at the right time. It’s not about whether he gets 100 points. Can he be a difference maker? We know he can, and we’ll see if he can do that.”
Pettersson’s play away from the puck is something that was commended by Foote on Sunday and an indicator of how he’s affecting the game while not necessarily showing up on the scoresheet.
The 26-year-old centre’s pressure on the forecheck helped set up his goal to open the scoring for the Canucks, and then he put his body on the line to make two blocks on Alex Ovechkin late in the game to protect a one-goal lead.
“I think you saw Petey getting that goal, he played great,” Foote told reporters after the game. “Defensively, he had more pace and had his game going. You saw him with two big blocks too. I really like his game, especially not in a friendly environment, it could have got really physical, and he didn’t seem to mind.”
Another story that will be a constant surrounding the Canucks this season is the contract status of captain Quinn Hughes.
Hughes, 26, is in the midst of the fifth year of a six-year, $47.1 million deal that carries a $7.85 cap hit and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The 5-foot-10 left-shot defenceman is widely considered to be one of the best blueliners in the game and won the Norris Trophy during the 2023-24 season.
During the summer, his brother, Jack, told reporters that he would love to play with Hughes at some point in his career, further causing speculation around his free agency. Jack and third brother Luke are both signed long term with the New Jersey Devils.
“Of course everyone is going to talk about Quinn,” said Rutherford. “He’s one of the best defencemen in the league, if not the best and everyone knows what the situation is. All we can ask of him is to come into camp in a grate mood, work hard, and lead the team. He’s a good player and we want him to focus on the season.
“We don’t have a deadline this season and we know that people are going to talk about this over and over, but that’s all part of sports and that’s okay. At the same time, he’s got to stay focused on the team, lead the team, and do what he’s capable of doing.”