Injuries are a part of the Vancouver Canucks life. A huge reason for Vancouver’s success in 2023-24 was the injury bug missing almost the entire team. A reason for their failure in the playoffs was because that “almost” was Thatcher Demko. But there’s been a surprise benefit this season, and not just because of Kevin Lankinen‘s emergence.
Injuries Formed Canucks Lineup
Vancouver’s top seven scorers in 2023-24 played 80 or more games – a shocking rarity for the Canucks. Some of that is a self-fulfilling prophecy – can’t score if you’re not on the ice and all that. But Canucks fans know the difficulty the team has had keeping healthy for a wide variety of reasons. In 2018-19 the injuries were deep and widespread, with only two players reaching 80 games.
But that’s the worst example, even if it is one that remains burned into fans’ brains. This season is an example of how injuries can also help a team. Specifically, injuries on other teams. If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em.
Get in the Pool, Man
The story of Tucker Poolman is a bit depressing, but one that will hopefully come out all right. Poolman was drafted in 2013 from Omaha of the USHL with a 5th-round pick. As a later-round defenceman, he was left to develop there and later with North Dakota of the NCAA. He split time between the AHL and NHL from 2017-18 and 2018-19 before making it to the Winnipeg Jets.
Between injuries and COVID-shortened seasons (and a brief suspension), he played just 130 games with the Jets over three years. In the 2022 offseason, Poolman was signed by Jim Benning in hopes he hadn’t reached his full potential yet. Right-handed defencemen were – and are – highly valued commodities, so the deal was for four years and $2.5 million.
Have we mentioned injuries striking the Canucks? Because this one hit early and hard, with Poolman playing just 43 games for Vancouver. The “concussion that isn’t” has kept him from playing any games in the NHL since three in October of 2022. The team used his long-term injury relief cap space but still needed a right-handed defenceman.
Downs and Ups
Finally, as part of the current management team’s effort to accrue salary cap space, Poolman’s cap hit was moved to Colorado. The Avalanche took him on because they needed a little extra room that his LTIR provided. The injuries Colorado has sustained are extensive, and the space helped them bring in enough talent to tide them over.
Gabriel Landeskog should be coming back this year after surgery in 2022. Artturi Lehkonen returned after missing the first dozen games of the season. While it’s not an injury, Valeri Nichushkin‘s absence was also a drain on team talent. He should be reinstated very soon. All of those absences meant not just filling their slots, but doing so with room to bring those salaries in mid-season.
A trade deal was reached. With Poolman’s salary cap space going to the Avalanche – minus a 20% vig – along with a 4th-round pick, they got the relief they needed. And, coincidentally, the Canucks got their right-handed defenceman.
Injuries the Canucks Don’t Mind
Vancouver loaded up their defence in the off-season with very big people. There is some optimism that Vincent Desharnais is a late bloomer, but Derek Forbort is a reliable, penalty-killing veteran. Between them on the bottom pair and Carson Soucy with Tyler Myers, the bottom four averages 6’6″ and 220 lbs. That’s with the hard-as-nails, 6’1″ and 200 lb Noah Juulsen on the outside.
They also don’t move the puck all that well. It has rather hampered plans for the team to play a more attacking, chances-off-the-rush style. While Quinn Hughes can carry a load of 25+ minutes per night, ideally he wouldn’t be the only offensive threat the team has. Don’t get us wrong, Filip Hronek is great, but he’s also out there with Hughes. That isn’t spreading the offence throughout the lineup.
Enter new arrival Erik Brännström.
Brännström was a new free agent signing with Colorado, but it looked like he wasn’t fitting in with his new team. No matter, as his expendability was the Canucks gain. The 5’10” 185 lb skater doesn’t have the size coach Rick Tocchet says he wants, but his arrival has been a boon. Forbort took a leave of absence from the team for family reasons and Brännström stepped in.
Brännström has formed a comfortable pairing with Desharnais, and it’s given the Canucks a relatively trustworthy duo beyond Hughes – Hronek. In fact, according to MoneyPuck, the pair have been as good with expected goals as the top two with 67% of chances going their way. With Forbort injuring himself in practice when he returned, the “experiment” has run for nine games and it’s working.
Don’t Fix What Got Broke
Forbort is officially out with a knee injury, but the team is, as usual, being coy about his return. It could be a couple of weeks, it could be a month or more. How he’ll work his way back into the lineup is a question. Best odds are that eventually one of the other defenders – possibly Brännström – will taper off and the veteran will return. Or he could find himself as the seventh man until another injury.
In any case, for now, the team is doing just fine with their lucky find. But the sooner Brock Boeser can return to the forward ranks, the better.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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