You could hear the refrain echoing around the hockey world for some time now. The Vancouver Canucks were becoming too old, their best players were past their primes, the window to win a championship was closed. If early results are any indication, perhaps all they needed was a spark to inject some life into the lineup.
That spark of course was coach John Tortorella. Last week I mentioned that the Canucks roster was going through some growing pains under their new boss, but three straight wins (albeit against lesser opponents) seems to indicate they’re nearly on the same page. The team has transformed from lazy sleepwalkers that were content to jump on opportunities under Alain Vigneault into relentless puck pursuers with a strong forecheck under Tortorella while continuing to put points up on the board.
A new face, a new direction, and a new system have seemed to rejuvenate many of the players who were seen to be regressing under Vigneault. Many have assumed this was due to their age, but sometimes a fresh face and a new voice in the room can have a big impact. What Tortorella has provided for every player in the lineup is a fresh start and you can see that many players have a little extra spring in their step early in the year.
Leading the way is, of course, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. These two “older” players (who turned 33 last week) were targeted by many critics as likely to show their regression this season. That couldn’t be further from the truth, as the twins sit second in league scoring with six points (Henrik’s are naturally all assists), tied with some guy named Alex Ovechkin and one point behind the red-hot Sharks rookie Thomas Hertl.
One thing people fail to take into a account when considering the future of the Sedins is that, as very cerebral players, they don’t rely on explosive speed or aggressive power moves to produce points. Rather, they think the game a step ahead of their competition, a trait that is likely to make them reliable point producers far longer than many other players would get burned out. I can already hear the criticisms when the Sedins sign their upcoming contracts, but the two men are complete fitness freaks, and there’s no reason to think they won’t be able to maintain a near point per game average in the foreseeable future.
What about the greybeard on the Canuck’s roster, 34-year-old goaltender Roberto Luongo? Well, Luongo hasn’t been spectacular early in the season but he’s been solid and was a big part of Tuesday night’s win over New Jersey in which he faced old teammate/new nemesis Cory Schneider. While the prospects for Luongo’s future performance don’t seem as rosy as those of Daniel and Henrik, it’s also less of a concern for the Canucks.
As it so happens, the Canucks have a pair of 25-year-old Swedish puckstoppers in the form of Eddie Lack and Joacim Eriksson who might be able to take over for Luongo as soon as next year. Lack, who earned 2011 AHL all-rookie team honors, seems to have the inside track, playing back-up to Luongo this season and picking up his first NHL win on Sunday against Calgary.
Eriksson, however, may end up being the better goalie. He’s been one of the best goalies in the Swedish Hockey League the last two seasons and led Skellefteå AIK to the championship in 2013 with a remarkable 1.06 goals against average and .952 save percentage in 10 playoff games. Having both netminders moving forward makes the possibility of a Luongo buyout in the summer that much more plausible. If that were to happen, suffice to say that age is not a problem in goal for the Canucks.
When it comes to the rest of the Vancouver roster, much of their success thus far is owed to players just entering or in the midst of their primes.
28-year-old Jason Garrison has started the season with a bang, with two goals and three assists to lead all NHL defensemen in points (it’s worth noting, as I love to do, that the only defensemen that have scored more goals than Garrison over the last 2+ seasons are Erik Karlsson and Shea Weber). 27-year-old Mike Santorelli, considered by many to be another random spare part when signed this offseason, has been outstanding under Tortorella and already has two overtime winners to his credit this season. The Canucks have also been getting solid contributions from under-30 players such as Alex Edler, Brad Richardson and Jannik Hansen.
“But wait!” you say, “those are secondary players, what about the core?”. While it’s true that the core of the Canucks, including the Sedins, Luongo, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa isn’t getting any younger, there is a whole slew of prospects waiting in the wings and ready to step up in the next season or two.
While many, myself included, like to belittle GM Mike Gillis for some absurdly bad trades he’s made (Grabner for Ballard anyone?), he’s done an admirable job of stocking the organization’s coffers. If 2013 first rounders Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk can get anywhere close to their NHL comparables (Patrice Bergeron and Patrick Kane, respectively) then that’s two thirds of a future top line right there. If you augment that with power winger Nicklas Jensen and the two way ability of Brendan Gaunce, you get a forward unit that looks entirely formidable in three or four year’s time when the current core is on their way out.
The future is not as bright on defense but Chris Tanev and Frank Corrado are both under 24 years old, play a responsible game and are capable of taking on top four minutes very soon. Combining all that with goaltenders Lack and Eriksson gives the Canucks a whole new wave of players that will be maturing just in time to relieve the old guard.
What does all that mean for the team this year? Well, not much, but it also seems that they’re not really needed yet as many thought. Young center Jordan Schroeder will be coming back from injury eventually, but may find himself fighting for a job thanks to the outstanding play of Richardson and Santorelli. While that’s bad news for Schroeder, it’s a great indication that the team might have the bottom six depth they’ve been so desperately searching for. The return of Alex Burrows and Zack Kassian to the lineup in the near future will only further strengthen the club.
This is a Canucks club that entered the season on a mission: to prove that they’re still an elite National Hockey League team. While they may not have the same flash and sizzle that they used to boast, Vancouver might actually be more balanced and is certainly more mature than they were a few years ago. Granted the season is young and a long road lies before them (starting with a rematch against Hertl’s Sharks on Thursday night), the team looks to be accomplishing that goal.
Whether they have the horses to compete with the big guns in the West has yet to be proven but it’s clear the team will be a contender for this season, and for years to come.
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