The Vancouver Canucks have finally finished their preseason schedule and regular season hockey is just days away. After a tidy 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday (Oct. 6), they appear ready to take on the potent Edmonton Oilers in their home opener on Oct. 11.
Since our last edition, there have been more positives than negatives, but as always, we found three of each to highlight. Here is the latest Canucks’ 3 Up, 3 Down.
Plus One: Improved Penalty Kill
To say that the Canucks’ penalty killing has been bad over the past couple of seasons would be a massive understatement. Last season, they finished dead last in the NHL with an abysmal 71.6 percent efficiency rate, and in 2021-22 were 30th at 74.9 percent. In the offseason, general manager Patrik Allvin went to work and seemingly addressed the issue with the signings of Ian Cole, Carson Soucy, Pius Suter, and Teddy Blueger (and the recent trade for Sam Lafferty). They all have experience killing penalties and could transform the penalty kill into a strength rather than a glaring weakness.
So far so good – at least in the preseason anyway. The penalty kill looks much improved from last season, especially when it comes to blocking cross-seam passes and preventing high-danger scoring chances. They killed 20 out of 23 power plays in the preseason (87 percent) and appear to be more controlled and less passive when down a man. Sticks have been in good position, the box hasn’t broken down and more importantly, their goaltenders haven’t had to deal with easy passes going through the slot. If they can continue this positive momentum into the regular season, they will have an easier time guiding games to victory.
Minus One: Carson Soucy Injured In Final Preseason Game
Injuries are never good, but they are particularly unfortunate when they happen in a meaningless game. The Canucks were oh-so-close to avoiding the injury bug in the preseason but in the final game against the Flames, key defenceman Carson Soucy went down with what appeared to be a major injury. Head coach Rick Tocchet offered a cryptic update afterward, saying, “I haven’t talked to the doctors yet…I don’t think it’s that bad, but I’ll see what’s going on.”
Related: Canucks News & Rumors: Lafferty, Soucy, Hirose & More
Fortunately, the injury wasn’t as bad as it first looked. Nightmare predictions about the severity flooded X after the game, but it was reported on Sunday (Oct. 8) that his status is week-to-week. While that’s not the most positive news, it’s better than a definite four-to-six weeks or the worst, six-plus months. He will definitely miss the home opener on Wednesday and most likely the first road trip that will see the Canucks face the Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. Hopefully, he will make his regular-season debut before the end of the month.
Plus Two: Canucks Add Another Versatile Bottom-Six Option in Sam Lafferty
Speaking of the improved penalty kill, the Canucks added another player on Sunday that could improve it even further. Allvin announced the acquisition of Lafferty from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2024 fifth-round pick. Selected 113th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2014 Draft, he is known as a fast, gritty, versatile forward capable of playing up and down the lineup, and of course, on the penalty kill. He is also decent on faceoffs, with a career-winning percentage of 48.5.
“He’s kind of a heavier and grittier guy…A really good skater, who can score some goals and it was a chance to acquire more of a stickier guy. He’s a penalty killer, too, and he can Teddy (Blueger) killed penalties together in Pittsburgh.”
– Rick Tocchet (from ‘Updated: Canucks trade for Sam Lafferty, Akito Hirose is opener ‘option’, Soucy’s status’, The Province, 10/8/23)
Lafferty split last season with the Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, scoring a career-high 12 goals and 27 points in 70 games. He also hit double-digits in hits with 125 and won 51.1 percent of his faceoffs. The Canucks placed Jack Studnicka on waivers in order to add him to the roster, and he will likely line up alongside former teammate Blueger and Dakota Joshua on the fourth line. Overall, I think he will be another positive addition to the lineup and someone that Tocchet will rely on for energy, physicality, and an extra boost to the PK. He was very good for the Maple Leafs in his short stint there and could be more important to the Canucks’ success this season than fans/experts might realize at this point.
Minus Two: Ilya Mikheyev Might Still Miss the Season Opener
The hope was that Ilya Mikheyev would be healthy for opening night against the Oilers. However, it’s looking more and more likely that he won’t be, considering he just had his first full practice with the team on Sunday. The speedy Russian is progressing well in his recovery and might only miss a couple of regular season games, but it’s still a minus because he won’t be available to help shut down another speed threat in Connor McDavid on Wednesday. He would also boost the penalty kill, a unit that will need all the help it can get against a potent Oilers power play that finished first in the league last season at a gaudy 32.4 percent.
Plus Three: Phil Di Giuseppe Doing His Best Alex Burrows Impression
One of the best Canucks in the preseason was not a star player like Elias Pettersson or Andrei Kuzmenko, but a utility man in Phil Di Giuseppe. He finished atop the leaderboard alongside Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes with five points (two goals, three assists) and solidified his spot on the second line with JT Miller and the aforementioned Boeser.
While Di Giuseppe isn’t the perfect top-six option, he complements the styles of Miller and Boeser as the workhorse forechecker that battles along the boards, ala Alex Burrows with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. No, I am not saying Di Giuseppe will score 30-plus goals this season, but he could hit 20, especially if he plays with them consistently. Overall, he’s been a pleasant surprise since Tocchet took over as head coach last January. Who knows, he could be one of the biggest bargains in the NHL by the time the season ends in April.
Minus Three: Studnicka Trade Might Be a Bust If He Gets Claimed
Studnicka had an impressive training camp and preseason. His reward? Getting placed on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks. Apart from Di Giuseppe, he was one of the only depth forwards who ‘won’ his spot on the roster. But, with Lafferty now on the team and probably taking his place on the fourth line, he was deemed expendable.
Studnicka was acquired last season for promising prospects Jonathan Myrenberg and Mikey DiPietro, and now he could be lost for nothing to the waiver wire. His showcase in the preseason might entice a team to take a chance on him. After all, he’s still only 24 years old and could be a decent option for a team looking for depth in their bottom-six.
That does it for this week’s 3 Up, 3 Down. Stay tuned for next week when we will have the first two regular season games to talk about – a home-and-home against the Oilers. Until then, happy Thanksgiving and be thankful that hockey is only a few days away!
