Canucks eliminated, couldn't overcome Demko injury, defensive struggles

The Vancouver Canucks failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season.

They were eliminated when the Winnipeg Jets defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Sunday.
The Canucks, who lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings later on Sunday, have qualified for the playoffs just once in the past eight seasons, that coming in 2020, when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games in the Western Conference Second Round.
Here is a look at what happened this season for the Canucks and why things could be better in 2023-24.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents:Collin Delia, G;
Micheal Ferland
, F;
Brady Keeper
, D; Kyle Burroughs, D
Potential restricted free agents: Vitali Kravtsov, F; Travis Dermott, D; Ethan Bear, D;
Nils Hoglander
, F; Akito Hirose, D;
Jett Woo
, D; Noah Juulsen, D
Potential 2023 Draft picks: 7

What went wrong

Life without Demko:Starting goalie Thatcher Demko has played 29 games this season in part because of a lower-body injury he sustained on Dec. 1 that kept him out nearly three months.
Spencer Martin
, Collin Delia and
Arturs Silovs
, the other three goalies used by the Canucks this season, each struggled at times in his absence. When Demko did play, his numbers (11-14-4, 3.37 GAA, .894 save percentage) indicated that it's been a rough season on all counts. The Canucks' success, or lack thereof, is contingent on if Demko plays and how he plays. Only five teams have allowed more goals than the Canucks (280) this season.
Defensive struggles: Demko's injury notwithstanding, the Canucks simply did not get the defensive play that was required, especially from veteran defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers. Ekman-Larsson has four seasons remaining on the eight-year, $66 million contract ($8.25 million average annual value) he signed with Arizona on July 1, 2018. The 31-year-old, who sustained a season-ending injury to his left ankle on Feb. 15, is a Canucks-worst minus-24 in 54 games. Myers has one season remaining on the five-year, $30 million contract ($6 million AAV) he signed with Vancouver on July 1, 2019. The 33-year-old has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) and is a minus-14 in 72 games.
Boudreau decision:Bruce Boudreau was fired as coach on Jan. 22, when the Canucks were 18-25-3, and replaced by Rick Tocchet. The issue wasn't that Boudreau lost his job, it was the circumstances around it that raised eyebrows. Boudreau's imminent dismissal was speculated upon so much in the weeks leading up to the firing that he actually saluted the fans while he was still coach, saying at the time, "You never know if it's the end." There was a lot of negativity in Vancouver from fans and media about the way the firing was handled, and the perception was that Boudreau had been hung out to dry prior to the move being made. He had been hired on Dec. 5, 2021, replacing Travis Green, and helped the Canucks go 32-15-10 to finish the 2021-22 season.

Reasons for optimism

Tocchet talk: One of Tocchet's priorities when he took over as coach was emphasizing team structure, something he felt the Canucks had lacked. The players seemed to listen. Was it because they were hearing a different voice, much in the same way they'd done last season when Boudreau replaced Green? Perhaps. Whatever the case, Vancouver is 16-10-4 since Tocchet was hired, so the message seems to have sunk in, at least for now. This much is certain: Tocchet is much more of a disciplinarian than the easy-going Boudreau and isn't afraid to bench players who are struggling. It certainly translates into a culture change heading into next season.
Young stars shine: When you talk about the building blocks of a team, forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes are a great pair to start with. Pettersson has an NHL career-high 96 points (36 goals, 60 assists) in 73 games and can become the first Canucks player to get at least 100 points since Daniel Sedin had 104 in 2010-11. At 24 years old, Pettersson still hasn't reached his prime yet, and the same goes for Hughes, the 23-year-old who is second among NHL defensemen with 73 points (seven goals, 66 assists) in 72 games. The future looks good on both fronts.
'Andy' is just dandy:The Canucks took a chance when they signed Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year, entry-level contract on July 13 after the forward finished second in the Kontinental Hockey League in scoring in 2021-22. The 27-year-old has exceeded expectations, leading the Canucks with 37 goals in 75 games. He agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract ($5.5 million AAV) on Jan. 26, and Canucks fans and management have reason to be eager to see what he can do for an encore next season.