Canucks Advent Day 6: Top 25 Players Of The 2010’s

Each day until Christmas I will rank one player until we have the top 25 of the 2010’s. These Vancouver icons will be ranked on their statistics, impact on the city and overall play during their time with Vancouver. Rankings will be based on the player’s Vancouver tenure during the 2010’s only, prior seasons with the team will make little impact to the rankings.

20. Radim Vrbata (2014-2016)

Statistics: 142 GP, 44 G, 46 A, 90 PTS

Although Radim Vrbata stayed in Vancouver for only two seasons there were definitely some positive takeaways. Vrbata signed with Vancouver during the 2014 off-season in an attempt to rejuvenate an aging roster. The contract was for two season at $5,000,000 per year. The Canucks had also added Ryan Miller, Nick Bonino and a new coach as apart of the re-tooling process. These moves would ultimately be enough to push Vancouver back into the playoffs.

Vrbata would be a mainstay in the top six for his entire time with the Canucks. Although he was already in his thirties, Vrbata would score his career high during the 2014-15 season. The Czech athlete posted an impressive 63 points in 79 games. This help would lead to the Canucks making the playoffs for the last time in the decade.

Although he found much success in his inaugural season with Vancouver, he seemed to regress the next year. Vrbata only 27 points the following year and posted an unimpressive -30 rating on the season. In Vrbata’s defence the team was aging as a whole and many players declined. Radim Vrbata would go on to leave Vancouver in the off-season for the Arizona Coyotes.

It was quite hard placing Vrbata on this list due to his short amount of time spent in Vancouver. With this being said he had a very good first season and was undeniably one of their best players heading into the 2015 postseason. Radim Vrbata had a fairly successful brief stint that has earned him the #20 slot on this list.

Who’s Next?

I hope that you have enjoyed this installment of the Canucks Advent Calendar! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the next player on the list!

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