The Vancouver Canucks are among the top teams in the NHL in the 2023-24 season. With a 24-10-3 record, they sit third in the NHL and first in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference. Their top players have led them to their impressive start and should be recognized for their efforts.
The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend is a month away. The event will take place from Feb. 1 to Feb. 3 in Toronto. The NHL will announce the first 32 players for the game on Jan. 4. The Canucks have five players who deserve to be named to the roster this year.
Brock Boeser
Brock Boeser’s bounce-back season makes him a worthy candidate for the 2024 All-Star weekend. He has 24 goals (third in the NHL) and 38 points in 36 games. He’s already surpassed his 18-goal total from last season, and his 24 goals are the third most he’s scored in his career. The forward is on pace to break the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career and is in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy.
If Boeser is named to the 2024 All-Star Game, it will be the second time in his career he has earned the honour. He was named an All-Star in 2018, during his rookie season. As a result, he was the first Canuck rookie to become an All-Star in 47 years. At the time of his selection, he had 22 goals and 44 points and finished with 29 goals, which stands as his current career high. Boeser won the MVP at the All-Star Game, as he scored two goals, posted three points, and led the Pacific Division All-Stars to the title. The forward impressed the last time he appeared during the All-Star weekend and could do the same if given the opportunity.
Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson is coming off a career year where he reached the 100-point milestone. He will be a restricted free agent this off-season and is looking for a massive payday. He is on pace to post another 100-point season and is having an All-Star-worthy season. Through 37 games, he has 15 goals and 45 points and is on pace for 100 points, sitting 13th in the NHL.
The Swedish forward has made three All-Star appearances in his career in 2019, 2020, and 2023. As a rookie, he impressed and won the Calder Trophy by leading all first-year players with 28 goals and 66 points in 71 games. The following season, he finished with 27 goals and 66 points in 68 games during the COVID-19-shortened season. Last season, he finished with a career-high 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games. Pettersson’s highlight of his three All-Star appearances came last year when he won the hardest shot competition and registered at 103.2 miles per hour.
J.T. Miller
Surprisingly, J.T. Miller has never made an All-Star appearance in his 12-year NHL career. Before joining the Canucks, he didn’t perform as a top-end player with the New York Rangers or the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, once he joined Vancouver, he became a top-line player. Since 2019-20, he’s scored 122 goals and posted 349 points in 320 games, the ninth most in the NHL. His best chance for an All-Star appearance came in 2021-22 when he put together a 32-goal and 99-point season.
Nonetheless, this season, Miler has a good chance of being named to the All-Star roster. The 30-year-old has 15 goals and 50 points in 37 games, placing him sixth in the NHL. He also leads the Canucks in points. Additionally, he is second in points for players in the Pacific Divison with Connor McDavid.
Quinn Hughes
Another former NHL All-Star, Quinn Hughes is having an impressive season. The Canucks captain is leading all NHL defencemen in points with 46 in 36 games and is tied with Rasmus Dahlin in goals with 10. Additionally, his 46 points place him ninth in the NHL, as well.
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Hughes previously joined Pettersson and Jacob Markstrom during the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend. The 2019-20 season was his rookie year, and he scored eight goals and 53 points in 68 games. Hughes is an undeniable option for the 2024 All-Star roster. He is the top blueliner in points and is the current front-runner for the Norris Trophy. Therefore, it would be shocking if he wasn’t selected.
Thatcher Demko
Thatcher Demko has played an integral role in the Canucks’ success this season. Through 26 games, he has an 18-7-1 record, a .917 save percentage (SV%), a 2.48 goals-against average (GAA), and three shutouts. He is top five in wins, SV%, GAA, and shutouts among goaltenders who have played 20 or more games. Similar to Hughes, he is in the conversation for a major award this season, the Vezina Trophy.
His last and only All-Star appearance was in 2022, when he finished the season with a 33-22-7 record, .915 SV%, a 2.72 GAA, and one shutout. That season, he was the lone representative for the Canucks. This season, he is playing just as well and has bounced back from his struggles in the injury riddle 2022-23 season. He is a lock as the goaltender for the Pacific Division along with Cam Talbot.
All Five Players Deserve an All-Star Appearance
All five players have played an important role in the Canucks’ success this season. Boeser is having a career year on pace to shatter his career high in goals and is at the top of the league in goals. Additionally, Pettersson is among the top forwards in points and is deserving of a fourth appearance. Meanwhile, Miller deserves a roster spot for the first time in his career after his impressive season. Hughes and Demko are locks as they are at the top of their respective positions in terms of performance and stats.
