The Canucks look like a team that has fallen on hard times, making it past the regular season in only two of the last nine years. Their previous playoff appearance was in 2019-20 when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
And it’s not looking likely that the Canucks will turn things around and make a postseason return in 2022-23 either, so it would be hard to recommend backing them to fans of betting on the NHL. That being said, after a difficult start to the season the Canucks are starting to find their way and are looking stronger going forwards, so they could be one to watch as the playoffs draw closer.
Team captain Bo Horvat remains one of Vancouver’s top players, leading the scoring in the first part of the season. Elias Pettersson is also vital to the Canucks’ attack, and has been delivering an impressive number of assists so far.
However it’s Quinn Hughes who is the one to watch for the most assists, and looks likely to finish the season with more than a few points to his name, as does Andrei Kuzmenko. Elsewhere, there are some questions being asked of Vancouver’s squad, with goals and assists being in shorter supply. Vancouver aren’t particularly impressive defensively either, with Spencer Martin conceding around 3.48 goals against per game.
While the Canucks’ win total jumped from 23 in 2020-21 to 40 in 2021-22, they still failed to qualify for a playoff spot.
Ever since their defeat in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins, they’ve only had two playoff series victories, both coming in the same year.
In fact it has been a decade since the Canucks showed any form of consistency in making the playoffs, and 2022-23 doesn’t look like the year things will change.
The Canucks traced its roots as a minor league franchise when it joined the Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1945. Seven years later, the team shifted its participation to the Western Hockey League. They eventually applied to become an NHL expansion team and were approved in 1970.
Despite having three conference championships, the Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup. However, they have two Presidents’ Trophies and ten division titles. The Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League are their minor league affiliate.
The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place and Canada Hockey Place. It was opened in September 1995 and can accommodate 18,910 people during ice hockey games.
With the Canucks being Vancouver’s top draw in terms of sports teams, they get a massive crowd in every home game. That’s why the atmosphere is electric every time they score a goal or whenever the team needs extra support.
The Canucks had a historic rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks, which started in 1974 when they were both placed in the Smythe Division. They’ve met in the playoffs five times, including three straight matchups from 2009 to 2011.
The Blackhawks have a 3-2 playoff series advantage over the Canucks. Unfortunately, nothing much has happened over the last few years, given the Canucks’ struggles.
Vancouver also considers the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers as their rivals, as proven by their 212 and 179 hockey fights, respectively.
However, it’s the Calgary Flames that are usually considered to be the Canucks’ top rival, with 214 hockey fights. Their feud started when they were assigned to the same division in the 1981-82 season. Calgary holds a 151-101-26-17 edge in their all-time series and a 21-17 advantage in their playoff matchups. Meanwhile, the Canucks have won two of their seven postseason series.
