VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks got a taste of playoff hockey last season — now they're hungry for more.
Battling through two gritty post-season matchups is an experience the team will draw on as it heads into a new campaign, said right-winger Brock Boeser.
"Playoffs is a blast, and it was awesome that we had success," he said at training camp in Penticton, B.C. "And I think it's only going to help us for this year."
The Canucks finished the 2023-24 regular season atop the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record and, in April, Vancouver hosted its first playoff game since 2015.
After dispatching the Nashville Predators in six, the Canucks met the Edmonton Oilers in the second round. Both teams slugged through a seven-game series where Edmonton emerged victorious.
Vancouver made strides last year, but head coach Rick Tocchet has challenged his players to up their game once again this season.
“To get to the next plateau, there's higher expectations and it’s going to be hard," he said. "We know that.”
It was a busy summer for the Canucks front office as general manager Patrik Allvin tinkered with the lineup in free agency.
Instead of signing key midseason acquisitions Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to big deals, Allvin inked left-winger Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year, US$38.5-million contract.
Lindholm and Zadorov both landed with DeBrusk's former team, the Boston Bruins, while Vancouver said goodbye to backup goalie Casey DeSmith, veteran blue liner Ian Cole and depth forwards Sam Lafferty and Ilya Mikheyev.
DeBrusk, who had 19 goals and 21 assists for Boston last season, is expected to line up with star centre Elias Pettersson and provide the star centre with some offensive assistance.
It's a role DeBrusk relishes.
“I personally don't really care how I do personally in terms of statistics. If we're winning, that's why I'm here, to help. But in saying that, I feel like I can add some elements to the team," he said.
"There's obviously lots of great players already, but I think that I could fit in pretty seamlessly. That's why I chose to come here.”
Allvin also signed left-wingers Danton Heinen (Boston) and Kiefer Sherwood (Nashville), and bruising defencemen Derek Forbort (Boston) and Vincent Desharnais (Edmonton). He rounded out the additions with sniper Daniel Sprong (Detroit Red Wings) and goalie Kevin Lankinen (Nashville).
“It’s a lot of speed, a lot of character. The new guys seem to fit in really great. Great guys off the rink as well," said Canucks centre J.T. Miller.
"They’re all very eager to learn. They all played on good teams prior to this. So they know the expectation and I think there’s a sense of excitement in the group right now.”
Vancouver will be without one major player to start the season.
All-star goalie Thatcher Demko announced ahead of training camp that he's working his way back from a muscle injury in his knee. No date has been set for an expected return.
Tocchet said he plans to have rookie netminder Arturs Silovs in goal when the Canucks open their season against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Latvian got ample experience with high-pressure play last spring when he was elevated from Vancouver's third-string goalie to starter in a matter of days during the playoffs. In 10 post-season appearances, he posted a 5-5 record with a .898 save percentage, a 2.91 goals-against average and a shutout.
“We’ve put (Silovs) in some tough spots and he’s done a nice job for us," Tocchet said.
BOESER'S BACK
After putting up a career-high 40 goals and 33 assists in the regular season, Boeser continued to star in the playoffs with seven goals and five assists.
The 27-year-old forward then missed Game 7 of the second-round series after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg. The injury kept him from contact training through part of the summer, but he came into training camp fully healthy and eager to play.
PETTERSSON'S PRODUCTION
Pettersson is likely to be back in the spotlight as the eight-year, US$92.8-million extension he signed in March comes into effect.
The 25-year-old Swede had 32 goals and 55 assists last season, down from the 102-point campaign he logged the year before. Pettersson struggled to produce in the playoffs, too, contributing a goal and five assists over 13 appearances.
He revealed at the end of the season that he'd been dealing with tendinitis in his knee. Pettersson has since said the ailment was resolved over the summer.
HONING HARDWARE
Tocchet took home the Jack Adams award as the league's top coach last season, while Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman. Hughes led all NHL blue liners in scoring with 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists).
MISSING HOME
Canucks fans won't get a chance to watch their team play in Vancouver for nearly a month midseason.
After hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8, the Canucks will go a full three-and-a-half weeks before playing another home game against the Anaheim Ducks on March 5.
In between, there'll be international hockey with the 4 Nations Face Off in Montreal and Boston before Vancouver heads out on a five-game road swing through the Western Conference.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press