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The Vancouver Canucks were a surprising team in 2023-24. They had a roster full of elite talent, but Vancouver hadn't been able to put it all together in the past. They exploded onto the scene early in the year and maintained their spot near the top of the Western Conference, leading to a second-round playoff matchup with their rival Edmonton Oilers.
It ended in a game-seven loss, but the Canucks fans were inspired by the progress. It's now time for two veteran acquisitions to be a game-changer for Vancouver in 2024-25.
The offseason began poorly for the Canucks when they lost Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to the Boston Bruins in free agency. They returned the favor by signing Jake Debrusk, Danton Heinen, and Derek Forbert from the Bruins, but it was hard to argue which team received the better players in that de facto trade-off.
The Canucks may not be as good as they were last season, but they hope the addition of some veterans and continued growth of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will be enough to remain contenders.
Jake Debrusk is the Canucks' biggest X-Factor
It's hard to label Debrusk as “sneaky.” He was the Canucks' biggest offseason acquisition and was labeled as Pettersson's game-changing linemate. However, other than his playoff successes, most of the NHL world is unaware of how good of a player Debrusk can be.
Debrusk's Bruins career was full of inconsistent play. When Debrusk was on his game, he was one of the most electric players on the ice, night in and night out. The problem for Debrusk was that he wasn't on his game often enough to justify another contract in Boston.
The Canucks believe that a consistent linemate like Pettersson may bring the best out of Debrusk on a nightly basis. The best Debrusk looked in a Bruins jersey was when he slotted alongside David Krejci. Krejci was a calculated, playmaking center, who didn't stand out with his speed, but utilized Debrusk's elite skating ability to offset his skating faults.
Pettersson isn't a poor skater by any means, but once he's in the offensive zone, he doesn't play the game at a high rate of speed. He likes to slow down the play and use his elite passing skills to find open teammates, like Krejci. Pettersson's biggest gripe in the past was a lack of offensive talent around him where he could use those strengths. Debrusk knows how to play alongside a player like this, which makes the Canucks believe he is a perfect fit.
The Canucks' goal this offseason was to give Pettersson that linemate to see his true ceiling as an offensive talent. There is no more room for excuses for Pettersson, and it looks like Debrusk could be in for one of his best offensive seasons in 2024-25.
Daniel Sprong is a sneaky game-changer
Daniel Sprong took a while to find a fit in the NHL. He finally found that landing spot in 2021-22 when he joined the Seattle Kraken and scored six goals over the final 16 games. The Kraken had seen enough to bring him back for the 2022-23 season, which would be his breakout year.
The skilled offensive winger tallied 21 goals and 25 assists in 66 games, helping the Kraken make their first postseason. He was also one of the main pieces when the Kraken upset the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round.
The Detroit Red Wings saw Sprong's success in Seattle and signed him for the 2023-24 season. Sprong didn't find the same success as Seattle, but his potential is still fresh in everyone's minds. It took some time this offseason for a team to take a chance on Sprong, but the Canucks were a team that many people saw him fitting into. The Canucks confirmed it by signing him to a one-year, $975,000 deal.
Sprong can fit in many different ways for the Canucks. He can be a valuable bottom-six piece if he shows the same form as in Detroit. However, if Sprong can get a spot in the top six, his offensive numbers could explode like 2022-23 in Seattle. The Canucks could be setting the stage for Sprong to get more of an opportunity after trading Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers.
Sprong could be one of the best value pieces in the league if he becomes a game-changer for the Canucks in 2024-25. The Canucks need some of these new veterans to emerge after losing some valuable pieces in free agency, and it'll be a group effort to get them farther than Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
