Trading Hoglander & Unsung Heroes
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In today’s edition, we have some unsung heroes early on this season, reasons why the Canucks should not trade Nils Hoglander for help on defence, and more.
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Canucks Should Not Trade Hoglander for Help on Defence
November 20, 2023 by Matthew Zator
Despite the relative success of the offence, defence, powerplay, and goaltending, the Canucks still have concerns that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Ever since Carson Soucy went down to injury on Nov. 12, their blue line has not looked as strong or structured as lesser defenders like Noah Juulsen, Mark Friedman and Tyler Myers have been elevated into bigger roles. That begs the question, should the Canucks go out and aggressively look for more help on defence? Soucy won’t be available until late December (at the earliest), and while they have built up a good cushion with their strong start, that could all come crashing down with an extended losing streak.
To potentially avoid that, general manager Patrik Allvin could scour the trade market, which he has seemingly done already with rumours of the Canucks pursuing both Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately, nearly every trade requires something going the other way, and the latest has Nils Hoglander as the speculated piece that could be on the move. But as much as the Canucks would benefit from the addition of a defenceman like Zadorov or Tanev, trading a promising young player like Hoglander would be a mistake.
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Canucks’ 4 Unsung Heroes to Start 2023-24
November 18, 2023 by Sartaaj Bhullar
The Vancouver Canucks‘ 12-4-1 record and hot start to the 2023-24 season is by the team’s top players. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes lead the league in points with 27. Meanwhile, Boeser is tied for the league lead in goals with 13 in 17, and Thatcher Demko is among the top goalies and a Vezina Trophy favourite.
However, the top players aren’t the only ones who deserve credit for the team’s impressive play so far. The club has role players who have stepped up on multiple occasions, whether they’re scoring big goals, making small plays that lead to scoring chances or big defensive plays. Here are four unsung heroes for the Canucks this season.
Today in Hockey History: Nov. 18
On Nov. 18, 1979, the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Canadiens 5-2 at the old Pacific Coliseum. This marked the first time the Canucks beat Montreal on home ice since joining the league in 1970. Until this night, the Canadiens were 15-0-6 all-time in Vancouver.
Today in Hockey History: Nov. 19
Harold Snepsts became the third player in Canucks history to appear in 500 games on Nov. 19, 1981, in an 8-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Stan Smyl earned his 200th career point in the game, the ninth player in team history to do so.