Welcome to the first Vancouver Canucks Roundtable of the 2023 offseason. With topics ranging from the 2023 NHL Draft and defence pairings for opening night to Andrei Kuzmenko‘s sophomore season and the next player to wear the “C”, The Hockey Writers Canucks crew had plenty to talk about.
This edition will feature writers Matthew Zator, Adam Kierszenblat, Alex Wauthy, and Sartaaj Bhullar. So without further ado, let’s get this roundtable started!
1. What Are Your Thoughts on the Canucks’ 2023 Draft Class?
Matthew
While I was disappointed the Canucks didn’t take a swing at Zach Benson, they got a future top-pairing defenceman in Tom Willander which they desperately needed. The selection has also grown on me since draft day as he has displayed maturity and professionalism in his interviews with the media and appears to be a player that could take on a leadership role in the future. As for the other selections, I think they got a steal with Hunter Brzustewicz and a potential Chris Tanev-esque defender in Sawyer Mynio in the third round. Overall, they walked away with a pretty solid draft class, all things considered.
Adam
The Canucks did well with their first three picks but left a ton of value on the table after the third round. I would have loved for them to take a chance on players like Jaden Lipinski, Luca Pinelli, or Luca Cagnoni. Definitely some puzzling choices in the later rounds.
Alex
I think the best word to describe the Canucks’ 2023 Draft class is safe. While I prefer what Benson brings to the table, Willander is what the Canucks need. He is safe, with some good upside. Right-handed defencemen are always a hot commodity, and the Willander pick will be a good, albeit boring, pick.
For the rest of the class, loading up on right-handed defencemen beyond Willander may seem excessive, but hitting on just two of the picks will make the Canucks right side very deep. The 2023 Draft class was safe for the Canucks, but sometimes you need to be safe to build a winner.
Sartaaj
I thought Patrik Allvin and the scouting staff did a good job with the picks they had this year. They addressed the club’s greatest weakness on the main roster and the prospect pool, the blue line. Willander brings a lot to the table as a player with a high hockey IQ, and I believe those players have a higher ceiling than most think. Meanwhile, they added defencemen Brzustewicz and Mynio in the third, while selecting Aiden Celebrini in the sixth. The 2023 Draft could result in the organization receiving multiple NHL defencemen in a few years.
2. Which Offseason Addition Will Have the Biggest Impact in 2023-24?
Matthew
Despite the higher-profile names of Carson Soucy and Ian Cole being added in free agency, I am predicting that Teddy Blueger will have the biggest impact during the 2023-24 season. The Canucks haven’t had a proper third-line center for a long time now (Brandon Sutter was supposed to be, but never panned out), and Blueger has the style and pedigree to make an impact in that role. He has never been the most prolific point producer in his career, but he can win faceoffs at crucial points of a game, kill penalties and provide toughness in the bottom six. For a team looking for a spot in the playoffs for the first time in a long time, those are the types of players you need to get there.
Adam
The biggest offseason addition in my opinion is a healthy Filip Hronek. Going into a contract year, what can he bring to the team when he is fully healthy and has the opportunity to build chemistry with the team? If he can be the player he was in Detroit, that will be a massive boost to the Canucks’ blue line.
Alex
Cole will bring stability and veteran leadership to a blue line in desperate need of it. He may not get as much ice time as he would on a bonafide contender, but he can play consistent top-four minutes for the Canucks. The trope ‘knows how to win’ is often overused and exhausting to hear, but the statement perfectly applies to Cole.
Related: Vancouver Canucks’ Best Trades With the Tampa Bay Lightning
Cole has two Stanley Cup rings with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has spent the last few years playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and Colorado Avalanche. Every team is a veteran-heavy, hard-nosed playoff team who were all contenders when he played for them, outside of the Wild. While I’m not saying he will elevate the Canucks to a top-three seed in the Pacific Division, he should help lessen the boneheaded mistakes often seen with the defence corps. For one year at $3 million, it’s a no-risk situation.
Sartaaj
The offseason addition that will make the biggest impact in the 2023-24 season will be Soucy. He will get an opportunity to play in the top four and is Quinn Hughes’ most likely d-partner, while also playing on the penalty kill. Although the Canucks signed Cole and Blueger as well, Soucy signed a deal with term. Therefore, starting his tenure with the club strong is important.
3. How Will Andrei Kuzmenko Fair in His Sophomore Season?
Matthew
Setting a new rookie record of 39 goals and 74 points, expectations will be at an all-time high going into Kuzmenko’s sophomore campaign. Fortunately for Canucks fans, he should be able to shoulder them and match, if not surpass those numbers this season. He has been training like a madman over what has become the “Summer of Kuzmenko” as his agent, Dan Milstein, has chronicled his travels and workouts on Instagram and Twitter. One video, in particular, has been making the rounds:
Clearly, Kuzmenko took the Canucks’ end-of-the-season conditioning message to heart. I wouldn’t be surprised if he passes every test with flying colors in training camp and sets a new standard for fitness. Henrik and Daniel Sedin would be proud, as they were often the leaders when it came to fitness every year they were in the NHL. As a result, I see him blowing past the sophomore slump and hitting 40 goals and 85 points in 2023-24.
Adam
Kuzmenko’s development will be interesting to watch this season. Now that he knows what Rick Tocchet expects, I am curious to see how his game evolves and the relationship between coach and player. If he continues to get power play time and play with Elias Pettersson, I think 40 goals and 40 assists would be a reasonable output expectation.
Alex
Kuzmenko should see no signs of regression entering his second NHL season. He was one of the few bright spots on the Canucks last season, immediately clicking with Pettersson. I doubt a massive jump in points will occur, given his age and being in the middle of his prime, but 40 goals and 40 assists are definitely doable.
A big factor in his success is whether he and Pettersson will play significant time together during the 2023-24 season. Pettersson elevates his teammates, and if they see a lot of ice time together, there is a slight chance he threatens 90 points. Overall, Kuzmenko should bring what he brought last season. He is a first-line winger with 40-goal potential. Playing with a top-five centre in the NHL also helps.
Sartaaj
I believe Kuzmenko reaches the point-per-game mark in his sophomore season. Additionally, I believe he improves his game all around under Tocchet. He seems to be training hard this offseason, so that should pay off and hopefully, he sees the benefits. He’s also played a full NHL season and has the experience under his belt, and I think it should help him get off to another strong start in 2023-24.
4. What Are Your Defence Pairings & Seventh Defenceman for Opening Night?
Matthew
Quinn Hughes – Carson Soucy
Ian Cole – Filip Hronek
Akito Hirose – Tyler Myers
Matt Irwin
Hughes will be breaking in a new partner this season after having the reliable Luke Schenn for the last two seasons. Fortunately, the Canucks brought in Soucy on July 1, and he should be an adequate yang to Hughes’ ying. If he doesn’t work out, I could see Cole getting reps with him as well. But for opening night, it will be Soucy lining up alongside the Canucks superstar defenceman.
As for the rest of the duos, I would love to see Hirose make the team on the third pairing. With the new additions, Myers has fallen down the depth chart and should excel with the reliable youngster beside him. Hirose showed that he could play in the NHL last season and looked like a veteran rather than a rookie straight out of the NCAA. All in all, the Canucks’ defence could be a strength – if everyone stays healthy – for the first time since the 2010s.
Adam
Based on the current roster, my defence pairings would be:
Hughes – Noah Juulsen
Soucy – Hronek
Cole – Myers
Jack Rathbone and Irwin as the 7th and 8th
This being said I do think the Canucks will add another right-shot defenceman before training camp to play with Hughes this season.
Alex
Hughes – Soucy
Cole – Hronek
Hirose – Myers
Irwin
I think the Canucks will kick off the season by splitting Hughes and Hronek. While it is tempting to juice up their top pair, spreading the talent throughout the backend will help keep the top four a threat, offensively and defensively, at all times. Given their salary, Cole and Soucy should be in the top four. Hirose starting opening night may be a stretch, but he was impressive to end last season. He could be a good, youthful sparkplug and help negate the skating deficiencies of Myers if paired together.
Sartaaj
My defence pairings for opening night:
Hughes – Soucy
Cole – Hronek
Rathbone – Myers
Irwin
5. Who Will Be the Next Captain of the Canucks?
Matthew
I think the battle for the Canucks next captain will come down to Pettersson and Hughes. Both have leadership qualities and are the faces of the forwards and defence respectively. I probably wouldn’t have considered Hughes a year ago, but after his comments about Pride Night last season, I have become more convinced of his potential captaincy. He has become more vocal in the media, dressing room, and at practice as well. In fact, it seems that Tocchet already has him as the front-runner for the “C”.
“Huggy has really made that [upward] trajectory to be a captain. He’s done some things that are uncomfortable. He’s said some things that are uncomfortable that you have to do to say to teammates, or to a coach, or to put your balls on the line. That’s what captains do.
“It’s not just about organizing a team party. It’s about putting your teammates first and also being able to go into a coach’s office and say, ‘Hey man, Tocc, you gotta back off in practice, I’ve got this. I guarantee the next game, we’ll be ready to play.’ I love that about him.”
Hughes appears to be blossoming into a leader right before our eyes. While Pettersson would probably be a good captain too, he likely would be similar to the Sedins and Markus Naslund – quiet but effective. However, I think the Canucks need a leader like Trevor Linden at this point in their retool/rebuild, someone who will be vocal in the media and not afraid to speak up when things are going south. That appears to be Hughes right now.
Adam
Based on comments from coach Tocchet, it seems that Hughes will be the next captain of the Canucks. Pettersson would be a great option but Hughes just feels more like who the team wants as their captain. The most important thing though is that both continue to lead this team into the future.
Alex
If Pettersson wants to be the Canucks captain, he will be the next captain. J.T. Miller is the only other real candidate, but the team’s success and direction heavily rests on Pettersson’s shoulders. He already has an ‘A,’ showing he is comfortable in a leadership position.
The captaincy hinges on Pettersson signing an extension. The Canucks going without a captain for the 2023-24 season is smart if they can’t re-sign him beforehand. Assuming he signs an extension before training camp, a captain’s “C” will likely accompany the Canucks logo on his jersey. Filling the captaincy void Bo Horvat’s departure left will be challenging, but if anyone can do it, Pettersson can.
Sartaaj
I originally believed Pettersson would be the next Canucks captain, but ever since the Horvat trade, Hughes is my new pick. Although I believe Pettersson stepping up as a leader is the next step in his development, he still isn’t a vocal person. Meanwhile, Hughes has a lot of the qualities of a captain, which includes speaking in the locker room and to the media. The Canucks should name Hughes as the next captain, while Pettersson remains an alternate captain.
Quick Fire Predictions
How Many Points for Elias Pettersson?
- Matthew – 120
- Adam – 106
- Alex – 100
- Sartaaj – 105
How Many Points for Quinn Hughes?
- Matthew – 85
- Adam – 81
- Alex – 74
- Sartaaj – 80
How Many Points for JT Miller in His First Year of the Massive Contract?
- Matthew – 80
- Adam – 75
- Alex – 84
- Sartaaj – 90
Will the Canucks Trade Conor Garland or Tyler Myers This Season?
- Matthew – No to Garland, but yes to Myers – probably around the trade deadline.
- Adam – Yes and Yes.
- Alex – Myers at the trade deadline, Garland no.
- Sartaaj – I don’t see Myers getting traded, but a Garland trade is very possible.
That does it for our first roundtable of the offseason. Stay tuned for our next one just before training camp as we will discuss burning questions heading into 2023-24, opening night lineups, and more!