Ten more in the countdown of the Vancouver Canucks best players by number! Why? Because it’s August, and summer is the right time to look at any NHL team’s past. So here we go!
Canucks Best by Sweater Number from 45 to 54
54 – Aaron Volpatti
Only two players have worn 54 for Vancouver. The better of the two was winger Aaron Volpatti. He’s the kind of depth signing that never goes awry: a local boy with a great final year as an amateur. Volpatti scrabbled for every second of ice time, eventually playing 114 NHL games.
He averaged just under eight minutes of ice time between Vancouver and the Washington Capitals and scored five goals and seven points.
Kellan Lain was also undrafted, as several of the players with high numbers are. But when you’re 6’6″ and a centre, second chances are going to come your way. He made a huge impression in his debut, getting a fight and game misconduct two seconds into his nine-game NHL career.
The Best of this Current Range of Canucks and Number 53 – Bo Horvat
Don’t get us wrong! We’re happy to see Teddy Blueger re-signed and look forward to his next two seasons. But no, he’s not taking this spot over the former captain and nine-year Canucks Bo Horvat.
Horvat’s tenure in Vancouver is as complicated as the goalie drama that got him there. Moving Cory Schneider snagged the Canucks a top-ten pick, something difficult to picture with goaltenders today.
Horvat’s selection was a mild surprise, as he wasn’t expected to score much, though he was very good defensively. He was dropped into the deep end of the NHL, joining a fading and desperate Stanley Cup-challenging team.
A long-term injury to Brandon Sutter meant the sophomore was suddenly the Canucks second-line centre. At 20 years old, Horvat was handed the team’s hardest minutes and was expected to shore up the scoring. The next year, he led the team in points.
All told, before his contentious departure to Long Island, Horvat played 621 games as a Canuck, scoring 201 goals and 420 points.
52 – Alexander Sülzer
Alexander Sulzer played a dozen games for Vancouver, getting one assist and averaging 16 minutes of ice time. Sven Butenschön played eight games, averaging just over 14 minutes ice time. Well, this is what higher numbers are made for, really.
Bit of a shame Matt Irwin didn’t make the big club last season. Vancouver had an abnormally healthy blueline, though, so he didn’t break in.
51 – Troy Stecher
Troy Stecher AKA “Troy from Richmond” is still going in the league, recently signing a new deal in Edmonton. But his first season in Vancouver was likely his best. He averaged 20 minutes per game as a rookie, scoring three goals and 24 points as a 22-year-old.
The undersized, right-side defender has built an eight-year career with six teams by always being good enough for the role. Now he’s a six-seven guy who simply refuses to leave. In his 286 games in Vancouver, he scored 11 times with 75 total points.
50 – Brendan Gaunce
Another “Canucks best number” that only has one player to choose, but he’s not a miserable one. Brendan Gaunce has been a bit of a disappointment given his draft position, 26th overall in 2012.
Gaunce is an AHL staple good enough to call up if needed and get the occasional extended stay. So far he’s played 177 NHL games in eight years with 13 goals and 28 points to his credit.
A Couple Options for the Best Canucks Wearing Number 49 – Darren Archibald
When two (or more) players with few games compete for a number, we tend toward the goalie. After all, even if their tenure is brief, they usually play the entire 60 minutes of every game they’re in. Even the best skaters in the league can’t say half of that.
But Braden Holtby not only played few games, he was bought out halfway through his contract. So instead we have Darren Archibald. Archibald got into 52 games with Vancouver, scoring six goals and 14 points.
48 – Bert Robertsson
While there are a few players to choose from, but for the best we’re going back to the first player to wear number 48 for the Canucks. Bert Robertsson was a 6’3″ Swede drafted by Vancouver 254th overall in 1993. He played eight years in North America, getting into 69 total games for Vancouver.
He spent most of his time in the AHL, but after getting traded four times in two seasons decided that was enough, returning to Europe to finish his career.
47 – Sven Baertschi
Sven Baertschi is one of those tricky situations for a team. He has a history of concussions and injuries but also produced decently well. His defensive numbers weren’t great, but neither were anyone else’s on the team. And really, they weren’t all that bad.
The Canucks scooped him from the Calgary Flames in one of their many “second-round pick giveaways” when then general manager Jim Benning tried to return to the Stanley Cup.
Baertschi scored 58 goals and 110 points in 225 games in a middle-six role, but Benning soured on him and he was mostly kept in the AHL.
46 – Jayson Megna
In terms of literal impact, Mike Brown would be hard to beat here. One goal, one assist, and one hundred forty minutes in penalties in 39 aren’t the sort of numbers we see anymore. Or Nicklas Jensen getting into a fight with Superman himself, Kevin Bieksa.
Unfortunately, they were teammates at the time. And it was behind a bar rather than on the ice. Still, it shows willing!
But no, we’re giving the number 46 spot of Canucks best to Jayson Megna. Another one of those veterans who refuses to quit, Megna has signed ten contracts since 2012, eight of them for one-year terms. In his two seasons in Vancouver, he scored four goals and eight points in 59 games. Respect.
45 – Jordan Schroeder
Unlike most scouts, we’re giving the nod to the 5’9″ 170 lbs Jordan Schroeder over the 6’2″ Michael Chaput. Schroeder broke in with Vancouver, scoring six times with 15 points in 56 games over two seasons. That beats out Chaput’s four and nine in 77.
That’s close enough that the player drafted by the team gets the win.
The Canucks Best Number Next Time: 35-44
We finally hit a number more than five players have used, the easiest pick ever, and get serious about goalies. If you want to go back in time and up in number, here’s chapter three.
Main photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
