Summary of last season
The Vancouver Canucks had a mediocre season last year, finishing with 83 points. Their goaltending struggled, allowing nearly 300 goals. Despite this, their offense performed well enough to keep them competitive. The Canucks had a weak penalty kill and struggled against Eastern Conference teams, but they dominated their divisional opponents.
Center Elias Pettersson had a standout season for the Canucks, finishing with 102 points. He was supported by LW Andrei Kuzmenko and J.T. Miller, who contributed significantly to the team’s offense. The Canucks’ goalies had a tough time, allowing an average of 3.60 goals against per game.
Now let’s take a look at what we can expect from the Vancouver Canucks in the upcoming 2023-24 season:
Key Additions/Losses
The Canucks traded LW Tanner Pearson and a third-round pick for G Casey DeSmith from Montreal. They also added veteran F Teddy Blueger and blueliner Ian Cole, among others. These additions provide depth to the team.
X-Factors
Goalie performance- Thatcher Demko will be the starting netminder, and DeSmith will serve as a backup. The Canucks need strong goaltending from Demko and improvement overall in this area.
Goalie Outlook
Demko and DeSmith should provide solid goaltending, with Spencer Martin as a backup option. The goaltending situation has improved, but Demko’s reliability remains to be seen.
Grade: C
Key Schedule Stretch
January 4th- January 15th- The Canucks will face a tough stretch of games on the road against Eastern Conference playoff teams. This will be a challenging period for the Canucks.
Notable Odds
- Stanley Cup Champions – +6000
- Conference Winner – +2500
- Division Winner – +1200
- To Make the Playoffs- Yes- +120
Prediction
The Canucks’ offense remains strong, but their goaltending may hinder their overall performance. It is unlikely that they will reach their team points total, and they may not make the playoffs. Their success will depend on capitalizing on key schedule stretches and improving their penalty kill. Overall, they are expected to be a mediocre team this season.
Under 88.5 Team Total Points
Stanley Cup 2023/24 Odds
Outright
Carolina Hurricanes +900
Toronto Maple Leafs +1000
Colorado Avalanche +900
Edmonton Oilers +900
New Jersey Devils +900
Vegas Golden Knights +1200
Boston Bruins +1500
Dallas Stars +1400
New York Rangers +1400
Florida Panthers +1600
Los Angeles Kings +2000
Tampa Bay Lightning +2000
Minnesota Wild +3300
Buffalo Sabres +3300
Calgary Flames +3300
Pittsburgh Penguins +2800
Seattle Kraken +2800
Ottawa Senators +4000
New York Islanders +5000
Vancouver Canucks +5000
Detroit Red Wings +6600
Nashville Predators +6600
St. Louis Blues +5000
Washington Capitals +8000
Winnipeg Jets +5000
Chicago Blackhawks +15000
Columbus Blue Jackets +10000
Anaheim Ducks +15000
Philadelphia Flyers +15000
Arizona Coyotes +25000
Montreal Canadiens +25000
San Jose Sharks +25000
Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
