Canucks Will Make The 2020 Playoffs – 5 Reasons

5. Much Improved Canucks Blueline

Vancouver was busy in the off-season adding numerous players including defencemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn. Myers has used length, smooth skating and solid passing to secure a spot on the top Canucks defence pairing where as Benn has already picked up two assists on the shutdown third pairing playing with fellow British Columbia native Troy Stecher.

Only 11 games into the season the Canucks already have 6 goals credited to defencemen, at this time last year they had only 2. Although Myers and Benn have attributed to this rise in defence production, the most impactful new arrival is rookie Quinn Hughes who has a whopping 7 points thus far. All of these new additions have brought a sense of stability to the blue line that the Canucks team has been lacking for the past several years. Any team looking to make a successful playoff run needs a strong back end – it’s safe to say that the Canucks have made the adjustments to tick off that particular box.

4. Consistent Goaltending

At one time the Vancouver Canucks had the best goal-tending duo in the league with Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider . The pair would’ve been capable of taking virtually any team to the playoffs. However, good things can only last for so long. Schneider was eventually traded to New Jersey for a first round pick and Luongo returned to the Panthers shortly after. The Canucks would fluctuate between fringe starters for the following years until now.

Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom has seemingly found his niche this season winning 4 out of 7 games and making big saves when the team needs it most. Markstrom has looked more and more consistent with each game and has stole the Canucks a few a games. Stealing a game or two is a must-have for a team with playoff hopes. So far, Thatcher Demko has been a rock solid backup goalie holding a 941 SV% in his first 4 games.

For the first time since the Luongo era it is safe to say that the Canucks have a credible goaltending with the skills and abilities to take them to the playoffs.

3. Winning Mentality

If you’ve seen the Canucks play this year as opposed to last season, then you would immediately think that it is whole new team. Interviews with the players are proof that the mindset has changed in the locker room. Focus has shifted from talk of just getting wins to battling their way into the postseason. The Canucks now have a captain and official leader in Bo Horvat, who they will be able to lean on as the season progresses.

Confidence is one of the most essential assets that can be possessed in professional sports. This roster has shown enough so far to make them prime candidates for a playoff run in 2020.

2. Added Depth To Canucks Offence

Defence and Goaltending aren’t the only improvements that GM Jim Benning has made in the offseason. Benning added top 6 winger J.T. Miller and top 9 firecracker Michael Ferland to round out a raw starting lineup. These two additions have garnered mainly positive results. J.T. Miller has been exceeding expectations on top line where he has over a point per game and is second on the team in points next to Elias Pettersson .

These additions have solidified the Canucks main roster and have caused the organization to have a surplus of NHL players. Sven Baertschi, Nikolay Goldobin and Adam Gaudette have all been placed in Utica. This means that if the patented “Vancouver injury bug” comes back throughout the season or playoffs then they will have NHL-caliber forwards ready to take their place.

1. How The Season Has Gone Thus Far

The Canucks have made many adjustments to make their team playoff-ready this year and it might’ve finally worked. They have looked like a above average NHL team every night that they’ve stepped on the ice so far. They are currently sitting at 7-3-1 and are not looking to slow down anytime soon. Granted, they have had a relatively light schedule so far, however they have had some dominating performances.

The lineup in Vancouver is still extremely young. Horvat, Pettersson and Hughes are all still under 25 years old. This means that they will all have time to improve – throughout the coming seasons, as well as this one. If this young, fiery core can keep performing like they have been then you can expect an exciting playoff run!