ANALYSIS | The Story Behind the Canucks’ Slump: What’s Messing Things Up?

Photo Credit: Bob Kronbauer via Vancouver is Awesome

Three quarters through the 2024-25 NHL season, it’s safe to say that the Vancouver Canucks have not repeated the impressive first half of their previous season. In the 2023–24 season, The Canucks were Pacific Division champions, finishing with a record of 50-23-9 (wins-losses-overtime losses) and 109 points. Vancouver made the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they were eliminated in the second round, four games to three against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The Canucks’ sub-par start to the season began with two overtime losses, while the team’s third game ended in a regulation loss. Until early to mid-December, Vancouver appeared to have turned things around, standing at third in the Pacific. However, since Dec. 8, the Cannucks suddenly found themselves losing 12 games in regulation and seven in overtime (19 total losses), having played 31, for a win percentage of just 38.7 per cent. As well,  Vancouver has 15 blown leads (eight of them in the third period).

As if the Canucks facing multiple issues regarding illness and injuries isn’t problematic enough for the team, potential conflicts between players themselves have hurt the franchise too. There was a rift between forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson after a loss against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 21. However, both Miller and Pettersson denied this, after the media tried to ask the same question after multiple games. Pettersson stated, “[our relationship is] good. I don't know why people still try [to] make [things] up.” 

However, this issue has certainly been affecting the Canucks’ recent performance. "It's all about the crest," Head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters. "It's always about the crest, not the name on the back [of the jersey]. You're going to have arguments, you're going to have fights.”

Canucks President Jim Rutherford confirmed the conflict on Jan. 28 in an interview with Gary Mason of The Globe and Mail. “We’re talking about two of our top players,” Rutherford said. “It can really be tough on a franchise… when you’re planning on peaking this team into a contending team and then you find out that’s not going to happen. Or at least it’s not going to happen with the group we have now. Then you have to put together a new plan.”                  

Just a few hours later in a meeting with Sportsnet, Miller was asked for his reaction to Rutherford’s comment. “I don’t have [a comment],” Miller said plainly. Two follow-up questions were also met by the same response from Miller.

Due to this problem, Miller’s first NHL team, the New York Rangers, expressed interest in acquiring Miller. The Rangers were the first to make a move, proposing a trade that would have sent Miller to New York in exchange for forward Mika Zibanejad. The offer was rejected by the Canucks.  

Then, on Jan. 31, less than an hour before a matchup against the Dallas Stars, the Canucks finally agreed to trade Miller to the Rangers for centre Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a conditional first-round pick. Defensemen Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom went with Miller to New York. Miller traveled with Vancouver to Dallas, all the way to the Canucks locker room, but left the stadium 25 minutes later, after receiving the news.

Later that day, GM Patirk Allvin announced that the Canucks had traded with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They sent away forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, prospect Melvin Fernstrom, and the 2025 first round pick they had received from the Rangers earlier. In exchange, they claimed forward Drew O’Connor and blueliner Marcus Pettersson. 

Forward Elias Pettersson has also garnered interest from other teams. About a week after the proposed Miller trade, the Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche made a blockbuster trade. Carolina sent superstar forward Martin Necas in exchange for Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen. The Canucks told Carolina that Vancouver was interested in trading Elias Pettersson for Martin Necas as well, but Carolina declined the offer.

Nevertheless, Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen’s fantastic performance wasn’t enough to get the team back to their winning ways. However, goalie Thatcher Demko is back on the Canucks lineup, but isn’t putting up great numbers in the net compared to last season, likely due to his previous knee injury.

“I don’t think I’ve been good enough this year,” the veteran goalie admitted to The Province after a 3-2 loss against the Sabres. “Obviously, it’s been a challenging year, dating back to the summer, [...] it’s been a lot of soul-searching for me over the last few months. And I mean, I don’t know how else to put it, I just haven’t been good enough so far.” Demko has been looking better for the past few games. He recorded his first shutout (stopping 25 shots) of the season in a Feb. 4 game against the Avalanche, with a final score of 3-0 for the Canucks. He is reported to be out again with a week-to-week lower-body injury.

Defenseman Filip Hronek returned to the ice on Jan. 14 after suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 27. “We obviously desperately need him. The back half of the year is all about defending, and we'll get our looks,” fellow defender and Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said to The Province on Hronek’s recovery. The two are known for their good teamwork on the blue line. Hronek scored his first goal since his return on Jan. 23 in a 6-2 loss against the Oilers.

Filip Chytil, Drew O’Connor, and Marcus Pettersson, the new acquisitions from New York and Pittsburgh, are showing great promise for the Canucks. Victor Mancini is a healthy scratch, meaning he is out of the lineup, but still on the roster.

Chytil showed off his puck skills in his debut against the Detroit Red Wings. On Feb. 2, he turned a 2-1 deficit for Vancouver into a 2-2 tie. Though the Canucks went on to lose the game in overtime, he definitely raised some eyebrows.

O’Connor has displayed his speed and aggressiveness; claiming an empty net goal against the 3-0 win against Colorado, and the overtime penalty shot that won the Canucks a game 2-1 against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 6. “Drew has really made a good first impression since joining our team from Pittsburgh at the beginning of the month,” said Patrik Allvin, general manager of the Canucks in a media release. “We like his size, speed, and ability to get in on the forecheck and hound pucks.”

Defenseman Marcus Pettersson (nicknamed MP3 by fans), has yet to score a point, but he has shown great passing IQ, pokecheck (poking the puck off an opposing player’s stick), and blocks on defense.

Marcus Pettersson, O’Connor, and Lankinen have extended their contract with the Canucks.

For a die-hard fan or a casual spectator, the Vancouver Canucks have gone through a roller coaster of a season so far. Although this may not be the year for Vancouver, it has been without a doubt an interesting and gripping season for their fans across BC.