The Vancouver Canucks were one of the big surprises of the hockey world in 2023-24, following up three consecutive missed postseasons by finishing first place in the Pacific Division. Rick Tocchet won the Jack Adams as the coach of the year, Quinn Hughes captured his first Norris Trophy after a terrific campaign, and the Canucks took the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers to seven games in Round 2.
Without a doubt, Vancouver was a Stanley Cup contender last season. Besides the excellent coaching and Hughes' incredible year, JT Miller and Brock Boeser also put together some of the best seasons of their respective careers, while Thatcher Demko was a Vezina Trophy finalist after turning into a brick wall between the pipes.
Although the Canucks came up short of their ultimate goal — winning a championship for the first time in franchise history — it was an extremely encouraging year, and there is hope across British Columbia that the team can again compete for a Stanley Cup in 2024-25.
With Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov no longer part of the equation, replaced by Jake DeBrusk, Daniel Sprong, Derek Forbort and Vincent Desharnais, among others, it will certainly be interesting to see if this roster can win over 50 games for the second consecutive year. But if a few of these bold predictions come true, the squad will at least be playing meaningful hockey at the end of April, which hasn't happened much since the Sedins retired back in 2018.
Elias Pettersson bounces back, scores over 100 points again
Elias Pettersson looked like an absolute steal when he was selected No. 5 overall by the Canucks in the 2017 NHL Draft. He scored his first NHL goal in his first period with the club, and managed 66 points or more in his first three full seasons with the team.
The Swedish star really broke out in 2022-23, snapping to the tune of 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games. It was a breakout that many who watched this player saw coming, and Pettersson looked to be among the top players in the league when the dust settled on the campaign.
However, the 25-year-old had a really rough go of things at the end of last year, and especially into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, Pettersson still managed an excellent 34 goals and 89 points over a full 82-game slate, but critics and fans alike were expecting another 100+ point showing, or, at the least, above 90.
The issues really came into the limelight against the Nashville Predators and Oilers in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively. As the highest paid forward on the team, just one goal and six points over 13 playoff contests was not at all an acceptable number, and the fanbase was extremely frustrated by the end. The Canucks were oh-so-close to defeating the Oilers, and if Pettersson had been his usual self, there's a great chance they would have.
It was especially disappointing as Pettersson was exceptional in the playoffs for the Canucks in 2020, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 17 games as Vancouver took the Vegas Golden Knights to seven games in Round 2.
But with a full offseason of training to regain his superstar form, Pettersson should bounce back in 2024-25, especially if he can form chemistry with DeBrusk right off the bat. This is a player who still projects as a top center in the league, and is in his prime.
Scoring 100+ points in the NHL is an insanely difficult feat, but considering that the Canucks have shown they have the core to have success, he should be back to his old self come October.
Brock Boeser scores 45 goals for the 1st time
If Pettersson was a disappointment over the last few months of the campaign, Brock Boeser was the complete opposite. The American sniper had far and away his best season, scoring 40 goals and adding 33 assists in 81 games, while adding another seven goals and 12 points in 12 playoff contests.
Boeser was nothing short of phenomenal in the playoffs, scoring timely goals against both the Predators and Oilers, including a hat trick in one period. He was heartbreakingly unavailable for Game 7 against the Oilers due to blood clots, and along with Pettersson's futility, it was enough to sink a terrific campaign.
Still, Boeser has build excellent chemistry with Miller, and has solidified himself as a top goal scorer. If he can build on the fine form he showed in 2023-24 — and stay healthy — there's no reason he couldn't challenge for his first 50-tally campaign. Let's predict at least 45 for the 27-year-old as he looks to help this core get over the hump and finally bring a championship to Vancouver.
Quinn Hughes scores over 20 goals, wins Norris Trophy…again
Winning the Norris Trophy is nearly impossible when Cale Makar is also in the league. But Hughes was the best defenseman in the NHL in 2023-24, and he deservedly earned his first nod for D-man of the year at the NHL Awards. After getting the ‘C' last offseason, the former No. 7 overall pick went nuclear, scoring 17 goals and 92 points over 82 games, adding another 10 assists in the playoffs.
And Hughes made it clear this offseason that he can be even better.
“I felt like I missed a lot of scoring opportunities last year,” Hughes told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. “And even though my goal-scoring spiked, I think it can spike again. This whole summer, I worked on goal-scoring – goal-scoring from the dot, goal-scoring from the top of the circles. So I think I can score more. I think that I can score 20 goals.”
Hughes was non-committal when asked if he could reach 100 points, but he didn't rule it out, promising that “I'm going to try to be aggressive every single night and push the pace, push my game, and then wherever that takes me, it takes me.”
The way Hughes continues to improve, he looks to be a Norris Trophy contender for years to come. He took the captaincy extremely seriously, and this is a player who desperately wants to win. Just watching the American on the ice is a treat for hockey fans, and it'll be fun to watch him and Makar go toe-to-toe for the title of best defenseman in the league over the next few years.
One thing is for sure, though: getting Hughes at No. 7 in the 2018 NHL Draft was an absolute steal for this franchise. And if the Canucks manage to break through and win a title, the 24-year-old will be the one driving the bus.
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