Canucks Advent Day 14: Top 25 Players Of The 2010’s

Overtime Heroics Editorial

1380 days ago

With Christmas on the horizon and the decade coming to a close, it is the perfect time to rank the best Canucks of the 2010’s. This is the Canucks Advent Calendar.

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.

12. Dan Hamhuis (2010 – 2016)

Defenceman Dan Hamhuis (2) during his time as a Canuck | Photo Credits: vancourier.com

Statistics: 389 GP, 23 G, 119 A, 142 PTS

The addition of Dan Hamhuis to the Vancouver Canucks in the 2010 offseason was crucial to their success early in the decade. At $4,500,000 per season for six years, this was an absolute steal for a top-pairing defenceman. Hamhuis was a defensive genius who seemed to always make the right play on the Canucks back-end. In addition to his tremendous defensive play, Hamhuis was also proficient offensively, recording at least 20 points in all seasons but one.

The B.C. native’s inaugural season in Vancouver saw him play upwards of 22 minutes a game. Throughout the season, Hamhuis was typically paired with Kevin Bieksa . Although both players missed more than 15 games each, they were Vancouver’s shutdown pairing. The tandem would typically defend the high-end offensive players from opposing teams. This pairing would prove fruitful for Vancouver as they would secure their first ever President’s Trophy, thanks in part to their defensive prowess. This season, Vancouver would make it’s way to the Stanley Cup Final with Hamhuis playing 19 playoff games.

Former Canucks’ assistant captain Dan Hamhuis (2) | Photo Credits: CBC

During the next season Hamhuis was available for all 82 games. This would improve his point totals drastically. Hamhuis put up an impressive 37 points during the 2011-12 season. His defensive play would continue and Hamhuis would become one of the highest praised players on the Canucks. The team would once again take home a President’s Trophy thanks in part to Hamhuis’s play. He would hold a career-high +29 rating throughout the regular season.

Latter Years

The overall play of Vancouver would decline in the coming years, however Hamhuis would continue to play well the following season. In the 48-game half-season Hamhuis was able to record 24 points and played over 23 minutes a game. Hamhuis would develop into a leader both on and off the ice during this time. He became a core member of the community and even donated $100,000 to the Ronald McDonald House in 2012.

Canucks Advent — Team Canada defenceman Dan Hamhuis (5) celebrating with teammates after a win in Sochi | Photo Credits: Pintrest

Dan Hamhuis was given an opportunity to play on the Canadian Olympic Team in 2014. His inclusion surprised fans, however he would soon silence his critics. Hamhuis was one of Team Canada’s best defensive pieces and helped get them their gold medals. Hamhuis and Roberto Luongo would be the only two Canucks to represent Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics. Hamhuis’s play would decline gradually in his final few seasons with Vancouver. In 2015-16, before leaving in the offseason he was named assistant captain.

Shown through actions both on and off the ice, we know that Dan Hamhuis was a leader in Vancouver. He was one of their greatest defencemen in their most prosperous era in franchise history. On the ice, Hamhuis was rock-solid defensively and could put up points when the team needed it. He was a Stanley Cup Finalist, an Olympian and an assistant captain. Dan Hamhuis is 12th most impactful Canuck of the 2010’s.