The Vancouver Canucks are coming off yet another season where they missed the playoffs and switched head coaches. In 2021-22 it was Travis Green to Bruce Boudreau and in 2022-23, it was the aforementioned Boudreau to current bench boss Rick Tocchet. Fans are hoping that this latest change behind the bench will finally bring the white towels back to Rogers Arena and not another draft lottery. So, as we continue to count down the days to training camp, let’s have some fun with a few bold predictions for the 2023-24 season.
1. Elias Pettersson & Andrei Kuzmenko Will Each Score 50 Goals
Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko were a fierce dynamic duo last season as they played 742:40 together and scored 52 even-strength goals. They also had a 52.87 Corsi For percentage (CF%), generated 161 high-danger chances and 378 scoring chances overall. Individually, Pettersson finished with a career-high 39 goals and 102 points, and Kuzmenko with a rookie-record 39 goals and 74 points. Now the Canucks and their fans hope that wasn’t just a flash in the pan, but a sign of things to come.
As chronicled through his agent Dan Milstein’s Twitter account, Kuzmenko has been training extra hard for the 2023-24 season. As a result, he should be ready to hit the ground running when the season begins. With added strength, it will be even more difficult to move him away from the front of the net, which is where he scored most of his 39 goals.
We all know that Pettersson will want to at least match his 102 points from 2022-23. In fact, he said in a “walk and talk” with Bauer Hockey Europe that he wants to beat it. You know what, I wouldn’t put it past him, especially if he decides to shoot the puck more on the power play.
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As such, I am predicting that Pettersson and Kuzmenko will do something no duo has done in Canucks history – finish a season with 50 goals a piece. Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi came close during the 2002-03 campaign when they potted 48 and 46 respectively, but ultimately fell short as both of them went on extended scoring slumps at the end of the season.
2. Canucks Will Have a Top-10 Power Play & Penalty Kill
The Canucks have not had an elite power play and penalty kill for a very, very long time. Last season, they were just outside the top 10 in power play percentage and dead last in penalty killing. In 2021-22, they were third from the bottom and at one point were in danger of having the worst penalty-killing efficiency in NHL history. Needless to say, it’s an area they needed to address going into 2023-24.
General manager Patrik Allvin did just that in the offseason and signed a few players that have been known to kill a penalty or two in their careers. Carson Soucy and Ian Cole were staples on their respective team’s penalty-killing units last season as Soucy averaged 1:42 shorthanded for the Seattle Kraken and Cole averaged 2:53 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. As for the forwards, Teddy Blueger averaged 2:05 shorthanded between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights, and Pius Suter averaged 1:44 for the Detroit Red Wings. Clearly, Allvin went into the offseason with this need in mind.
We all know the Canucks have the talent up front and on the back end to finish the season with a top-10 power play. While Pettersson wasn’t the most prolific last season, he has shown in the past to be a deadly shooter from the right circle. He only finished with six power play goals, but has hit double digits twice in his career already and definitely has the ability and skill to get into Alex Ovechkin territory if he decides that shooting is more important than passing. His partner in crime, Kuzmenko, also scored 14 goals on the power play last season and could bulge the twine even more if given more time on the top unit. Not to mention, the Canucks will also have a new coach running the power play with Jason King departing to the Minnesota Wild. Could they reach even loftier heights with a new system? Only time will tell.
All in all, the power play should be able to do it. The penalty kill, on the other hand, is where the bold prediction comes in. It would be a pretty significant feat to jump from 32nd in the league to the top 10, but I believe the additions that Allvin made to the penalty kill – along with a healthy Ilya Mikheyev – will get them there.
3. Canucks Will Make the Playoffs As a Divisional Seed
And now, the ultimate bold prediction: the Canucks will not only make the playoffs but finish in the top-three in the Pacific Division. It will be a tough road to get there with the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights likely taking the top-two spots, but I believe they have the team right now to edge out the Kraken, Calgary Flames, and Los Angeles Kings. If Thatcher Demko can return to the Demko of the 2021-22 season and the defence is truly upgraded as it appears to be on paper, they might just beat the Kings and Kraken for the third spot in the division.
Ultimately, it’s anyone’s guess how the Canucks will do this season. But that’s the beauty of the sport of hockey, anything can happen. Who thought the Kraken would make the playoffs and beat the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round? I know I didn’t. So, maybe, just maybe, these bold predictions will come true and the Canucks will be entering the playoffs with two 50-goal scorers and a top-10 power play and penalty kill.
