By Adam Schouten
The 2019/2020 NHL pre-season is behind us, meaning the regular season is forthcoming. With it comes the Canucks’ 50th. The city of Vancouver is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of seeing new jerseys, new numbers hanging from the rafters, new faces in the ring of honor, and most importantly a new and improved team.
The offseason brought us free agent signings, draft picks and trades, with them a slough of new faces.
This article will outline some of the factors that will contribute to the Canucks’ improved success this season. It will not be debating the value of the team’s acquisitions in comparison to what was put out in return, it will simply give insight as to what these players can bring to the table in terms of the team’s improvement.
The July free agency period was preceeded with much speculation by Canucks fans as to what moves GM Jim Benning would make, and much of it was negative. From the market Jim acquired a couple big fish in Defenseman Tyler Myers and Winger Michael Ferland. Benning also added Tampa Bay’s J.T. Miller via trade at the draft.
A lot of the draw in Tyler Myers’ game surrounds his impressive 6’7″ stature, the 2nd tallest in the NHL. The Kelowna native is an imposing force on the ice in terms of physicality, but there has been some concern raised about his skill set overall.
Many Canucks fans have scrutinized Myers’ play in general, however he has proven that he can be an impact player at the NHL level when he is on his game.
The pre-season does not tell all, but it did prove that Tyler is not afraid to get his nose dirty by laying big hits and mixing things up after the whistle.
It is no secret that the Canucks have been lacking some grit in recent years. The team saw glimpses of hard-nosed hockey from newly acquired winger Antoine Roussel last season, and this display quickly propelled him to become an instant fan favourite.
Myers is sure to bring some stature to the defense core that is expected to be headlined by the 5’10” rookie Quinn Hughes.
The addition of Michael Ferland will also be a major boost in the grit department. Ferland’s ‘rough n tough’ style is expected to bode well with the talent of Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser on the first line.
Looking at successful first lines throughout history, adding a bit of toughness on the wing usually helps. This is especially true come playoff time, which the Canucks are most likely not too far away from.
Ferland is well known as an agitator, but also has a scoring touch, racking up 21 and 17 goals in his last two seasons respectively. He has been described by Canucks enthusiasts as ‘what Jake Virtanen was supposed to be’.
It is likely clear to Ferland that a large part of his role on this team is to stick up for younger stars such as Pettersson. Having a physical presence on the ice with him will help the sophomore avoid injuries due to incidents like last year’s vicious attack from Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson.
It came as a bit of a shock to many fans when Jim Benning pulled the trigger on a deal to send a first round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Forward J.T. Miller at the draft last June. Miller does have alot to offer offensively, and his game is comparable to that of Bo Horvat.
Miller should fit in just fine with Horvat and Tanner Pearson, the pair that displayed some major chemistry toward the end of last season. The Ohio native collected 47 points in 75 games with Tampa Bay in 2018/19.
Much like Horvat, Miller is a proven well-rounded player who’s game remains strong at both ends of the ice. His Versatility is a desired trait on this team, as he will be able to play wing alongside Horvat or jump in to take a draw when need be.
Miller’s style of play could be quite complimentary alongside Horvat and Pearson, and his presence could solidify a quite prolific top six forward group.
Though many fans are skeptical that the Canucks’ offseason acquisitions will reach the value of what the team paid for them, there is no question that they will bring instant improvement to the playoff-hungry group. These players might just be what it takes to bolster the squad into serious postseason contention.