The Vancouver Canucks defence had one big gain to go along with two-and-a-half serious losses this off-season. If the defensive corps remains the same as it is now, their high-risk, high-reward style has to change.
Changes and Challenges on the Vancouver Canucks Defence
When Alexander Edler was re-signed at the end of the 2018-19 season, it made a few things abundantly clear. Whatever happened, the changes wouldn’t be a complete overhaul. It was something of a disappointment for fans who saw one of the worst teams in the league at breaking the puck out of the zone. Edler, as valuable to the team as he was, symbolized the old, slow, often-pinned defence. Yes, they would have lost their best defenceman, but a step back for two forward would be acceptable. That new kid looked good, but relying on a sub-six-foot rookie defenceman? Cahman!
Then Canada Day hit, and the team added the biggest free-agent defenceman available in Tyler Myers. Erik Gudbranson, Derrick Pouliot, and Ben Hutton were all gone, and Myers’ possession exit numbers were really solid. Bringing in toughness with Jordie Benn and the steady calm of Oscar Fantenberg to replace seventh-man Alex Biega and… well, okay. Maybe 2019-20 wouldn’t be a disaster.
Everything’s Jake
And it wasn’t! Granted, the defence didn’t have a LOT to do with that, but it helped. That new kid ended up playing way beyond expectations, and while Myers’ numbers didn’t match his previous year, he was still leaps and bounds over Pouliot and Gudbranson. But the defensive improvements were mostly coach Travis Green and Quinn Hughes. And that was because they could rely on Jacob Markstrom.
Markstrom repeated his MVP season from the previous year, and this time he was rewarded for it. With the first playoff appearance of his career, he rocketed up his value in his free-agent season, ultimately leaving town because of it. The Canucks principal tactic is an attacking one with long breakout passes and higher-risk plays. The tradeoff is being frequently outnumbered in the defensive zone, so to counter that they focus their defence. It doesn’t much look like it, given the number of shots opponents get. But by limiting the shots to where Markstrom is at his best, they could minimize the damage and get back on the attack.
Losses and Gains
But Markstrom isn’t a Canuck any more, and neither are two of their most reliable defencemen. Chris Tanev, one of two members of the Vancouver Canucks defence remaining from their 2011 Stanley Cup run, is gone. As is solid bottom-pair Troy Stecher, who went to the Detroit Red Wings on a well-priced, two-year deal. Stecher and Tanev were second and third on the team in possession exits – puck carried or successfully passed out. That they both played on the right side – not a strength for Vancouver – was even worse. Fantenberg leaving isn’t as harmful, but he outplayed Benn in the bottom pair, mostly taking his spot. Whether Benn will bounce back to regain his spot is to be seen. He’ll be pushed for it, which is the good news.
In any other year, Nate Schmidt for a third-round pick simply wouldn’t happen. But the 2020 offseason is full of ongoing surprises, isn’t it? He’s not particularly good at preventing entries – something that will likely continue with the Canucks – he is excellent at controlling the exit. As good as Tanev is at defending, he is a bit of a black hole on offence. Schmidt is the opposite, with the ability to get an attack started quickly countering his relatively neutral defensive play. Having him signed for another five years isn’t a bad thing, either. A lot of Canucks fans shudder at the thought of general manager Jim Benning negotiating with free agents, so avoiding that should be a relief for them. But if Schmidt is Tanev’s replacement on the Vancouver Canucks defence, who takes the place of Stecher? Or Fantenberg?
Incoming Extras
Love or hate the pick, more than enough time has gone by to get over the 2015 5th-overall selection of Olli Juolevi. He’s a good prospect who is ready to come up to the NHL, and his opportunity is now. Unless the Canucks trade for another veteran, that is. But for now, it looks (and sounds) like at least one young player is getting his shot to be an NHL regular for the 2020-21 season, and Juolevi is first in line. The biggest impediment to his progress isn’t his skill or his play but his health. His injury history makes the most optimistic fan nervous. His play is more-or-less what was promised from Day One: steady, intelligent play with some scoring and good defence. If he can stick – and stay healthy – he’ll be ready for his role as a middle pair contributor for years to come.
A bit more of a wild card is wildly fun to watch Brogan Rafferty. The undrafted 25-year-old put up good offensive numbers with Quinnipiac in the NCAA, then smashed his way into his first professional season in Utica. In his first 57 AHL games, Rafferty scored seven goals and 45 points before play was postponed and eventually cancelled. But before getting too excited, the AHL may be a step up from NCAA, but the NHL is a much larger step from the AHL. According to his coaches, he’s a fast learner, and he’ll have to be. Forwards in the NHL are far harder to defend against, and right now Rafferty might be the better mirror-image of Tanev than Schmidt is. How much time he has will directly correspond to how much Green can trust him.
Who Else?
Realistically, the only other defenceman who might contribute offensively – quickly – is Jack Rathbone. It’s unlikely they’ll bring him straight from university to the NHL for a full season rather than a sample. However, he did choose to sign with the Canucks rather than become a free agent, and he’ll be looking for a reward for joining the pro ranks. His defence still needs work, and having a year in Utica would benefit him. It’s the same thing that can be said about Rafferty, but the age difference matters. Rathbone still has room to develop at 21, where the older Rafferty has likely physically peaked.
The two other prospects – Guillaume Brisebois and unsigned RFA Jalen Chatfield – are more defensively responsible players. At this point, they’re close, but will more likely be getting their breaks when injuries strike. Ashton Sautner seems to have settled in as the emergency call-up and minor-league veteran.
What it Means for Vancouver Canucks Defence
The bottom line is: so far, the Vancouver Canucks defence has improved considerably in one respect, at least. They should generate more offence, getting the puck out of their own end more frequently. This, in turn, should help the defence. But even if it doesn’t, the forwards could use more defencemen who can push the puck up to them safely.
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