In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, the Canucks are headed back to the Stanley Cup playoffs and will take on the Nashville Predators in the first round. Additionally, Vasily Podkolzin signs an extension with the club. Also, the organization handed out their regular season awards and J.T. Miller took two home.
Canucks Take on Predators in First Round
The Canucks clinched the Pacific Division with their 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on April 16. As a result, the club will have home-ice advantage until the third round at least. Additionally, their first-round opponents will be the Predators after the Dallas Stars clinched the Western Conference title.
The Canucks swept the season series against the Predators, winning 5-2 twice and 3-2 once. The Predators had a 47-30-5 record. The club is led by Filip Forsberg up front, who scored 48 goals and posted 94 points. Skating alongside him are Gustav Nyquist, who scored 23 goals and posted 75 points and Ryan O’Reilly, who scored 26 goals and posted 69 points. The trio make up the Predators’ top line and will be the unit the Canucks will need to focus on stopping.
Meanwhile, their blue line is led by captain Roman Josi, who scored 23 goals and posted 85 points in 85 games. Along with him are Ryan McDonagh and former Canuck Luke Schenn. Juuse Saros is in net, posting a 35-24-5 record, a .906 save percentage, a 2.86 goals against average and three shutouts.
The Canucks hold the advantage in this series and are the favourites to win the series. Their top six and depth up front will play a large role in this series. In net, Thatcher Demko can steal the series away for the Canucks. The club’s blue line has played well and if they play to their advantage, they should be able to move on.
Related: What Canucks Need for a Successful Playoff Run
The last time the two teams faced off in the playoffs was in 2011, winning the series in six games in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Ryan Kesler led the Canucks by dominating and posting five goals and 11 points.
Podkolzin Extended
On April 18, general manager Patrik Allvin announced the Canucks have agreed to terms with Podkolzin on a two-year deal. The contract will carry an annual average value of $1 million.
“We are happy with how hard Vasily has worked on his game to try and become a more consistent player,” Allvin said. “While there is still room for him to grow, starting the year in Abbotsford and working his way back up to Vancouver shows the type of commitment and dedication we want in all our players. Our group looks to forward to helping Vasily continue to improve and get better.”
Podkolzin spent the first half of the regular season playing with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League (AHL). The forward scored 15 goals and posted 28 points in 44 games before his call-up. The 2019 10th overall draft pick didn’t score a goal in the regular season but has played well since the recall.
Having the Russian forward signed with an AAV of $1 million for the next two seasons could prove to be a steal for the Canucks. The forward will likely continue to progress, and if he can regain his scoring touch from his rookie season, where he scored 14 goals and posted 26 points in 79 games, it’ll be a great deal.
Regular Season Awards
The Canucks announced their regular season award winners in their final home game against the Flames on April 16. J.T. Miller took home two awards, the Pavel Bure Award for the Most Exciting Player and the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Most Valuable Player. The forward had a career season, leading the team with 102 points and scoring 36 goals.
In his first season as captain, Quinn Hughes won the Walter (Babe) Prett Trophy as the best defenceman He was named the Best Defenceman for the fifth time in franchise history as he set a franchise high for most points by a defenceman in a single season with 92. Hughes also won the Daniel and Henrik Sedin Award for Community Leadership.
“Following a summer that devasted many parts of the province, Hughes visited West Kelowna the week he was named captain in September to demonstrate support for firefighters and the community. He followed that up with the creation of the Canucks first Firefighters Night in December where he hosted the West Kelowna Fire Department. Hughes also launched “Team 43” this season, a program that sees him donate four tickets to every home game to first responders in B.C., as an ode to his grandfather, who was a New York City firefighter for over 30 years.”
Meanwhile, Elias Pettersson won the Three Stars Award for most three-star selections this season with 18. Additionally, Dakota Joshua won the Fred J. Hume Award as the Unsung Hero. He scored a career-high 17 goals and 31 points in 61 games while leading the team in hits 235.