3 Canucks Exceeding Expectations Early in 2023-24

The Vancouver Canucks are off to a blistering start through their first 11 games of the 2023-24 NHL season. Nearly every player on the team is exceeding expectations, a significant reason why they possess an 8-2-1 record early on, tying them for third overall in the NHL. Among the usual suspects, three players, in particular, are showing why they deserve their contract, deserve a massive payday this summer, or deserve more respect in the top-goalies conversation.

Brock Boeser

Brock Boeser kicked off his 2023-24 campaign with a bang. The 2017-18 Calder Trophy runner-up potted four goals in his season debut, helping the Canucks sink the visiting Edmonton Oilers 8-1. Since then, he has tallied four goals and five assists, bringing him to 13 points (8-5-13) through 11 games. He is tied for third in goal-scoring across the NHL, sitting three behind Auston Matthews, who leads the league with 11.

After failing to reach 20 goals for the second time in his career last season, Boeser looks like he will crush that benchmark with ease. His eight goals in 11 games put him almost halfway to 20 and on pace for over 70. Obviously, this number is practically unattainable, but a 30-plus goal season is within reach. Boeser can easily top his career-high of 29 setbacks in his rookie season, but the onus will be on him to continue chugging along and stay consistent as the dog days of the season slowly creep up.

Filip Hronek

Filip Hronek’s start to the season has silenced any doubts surrounding the trade deadline deal that saw Vancouver pick him up from the Detroit Red Wings. The Canucks traded the 2023 first-round pick they received in the Bo Horvat trade and their second-round choice to the Red Wings for the defenceman and a 2023 fourth. Hronek only played four games with the Canucks last season due to injuries, recording just one assist.  

With Hronek entering Restricted Free Agency (RFA) after this season, there was some risk to the initial deal along with the overall confusion from many fans; however, his immediate connection with captain Quinn Hughes not only raised fan’s opinion of him but likely the price tag of his next contract as well. Hughes and Hronek are one of the best defensive duos in the NHL. Hughes is leading all NHL defencemen in points (16), but Hronek trails close behind with 11 assists through 11 games.

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Among defensive pairs with over 100 minutes of time on ice, the couple sits second in Corsi For with 61.76%, has an expected goals-for percentage of 56.73, and has outscored opponents 11-2 at five-on-five. Hronek’s stabilizing of the defence-core, offensive contributions, and emerging as the perfect partner for Hughes is more than any Canucks fan could have asked for. For the first time in a long time, the Canucks finally have an elite one-two punch on the blue line.

Thatcher Demko

Following a down year where fans saw Thatcher Demko post a .901 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.16 goals-against average (GAA), the Canucks netminder has become a brick wall and is arguably the early favourite for the Vezina Trophy. He is sporting a 1.55 GAA and a .947 SV% through eight games. While his current numbers are historically great, maintaining above a .915 SV% will set a career-high in the stat. Demko already has two shutouts on the season, the most recent coming in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars Saturday night.

Demko leads the league in expected goals saved with 11.8, a full three points higher than Semyon Varlamov’s second-place ranking with 8.8. Additionally, he tops all goalies in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 1.97. Demko’s start is better than anyone could have asked for. While Hughes and Elias Pettersson are leading or tied for the league lead in points for their respective positions, Demko’s elite goaltending has removed any questions surrounding his play in net.

Related: Hughes Brothers Dominating the NHL to Start 2023-24

While Hronek, Demko, and Boeser will likely cool off a touch in the coming weeks, even a notch below their current pace would be a reason for celebration. The Canucks look like a playoff team early into the 2023-24 NHL season, and with these three players, among others, playing some of the best hockey in their lives, it leaves little reason to doubt they will be playing postseason hockey come April.

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