The Vancouver Canucks revamped their blue line in the offseason signing Carson Soucy and Ian Cole in free agency, and then further strengthened it with Mark Friedman and Nikita Zadorov through trades with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames respectively. While Soucy has dealt with two long-term injuries already in his Canucks tenure, Cole has become an integral part of the penalty kill and Zadorov has increased the size and snarl of the defence since he arrived at the end of November. For the most part, the defence led by Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes has been night and day from the dumpster fire Canucks Nation has witnessed over the past few seasons.
One name not mentioned in that intro – and notably not acquired by the new regime of Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin – is Noah Juulsen. He was part of Jim Benning’s final act as general manager of the Canucks when he dealt former top prospect Olli Juolevi to the Florida Panthers for a package that included Juulsen and Juho Lammikko.
Since then, Juulsen has emerged as an underrated piece of the new-and-improved blue line with his Luke Schenn-esque shot-blocking, physicality, and solid work on the penalty kill. With Soucy’s injury issues, he has also been a great fill-in for the veteran defenceman and might be one of the Canucks’ unsung heroes so far this season.
Juulsen’s Opportunity Came Early
In the offseason, Juulsen was re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract worth a budget-friendly $775,000 average annual value (AAV). It was expected that he would either be the seventh/eighth defenceman or sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). But after training camp, he was on the main roster, thanks in large part to an injury to Soucy. He even dressed for the first game of the season against the Edmonton Oilers alongside Akito Hirose on the bottom pairing.
With Soucy injured for the first three games of the season, Juulsen stayed in the lineup until his first healthy scratch on Oct. 19 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He made his return versus his former team, the Montreal Canadiens, on Nov. 12, and was a permanent fixture on the blue line until Jan. 11 when he was a healthy scratch again. With Soucy and Zadorov added to the defence corps, there was no room for him, so head coach Rick Tocchet was forced to sit him. But his opportunity would come again when Soucy was injured on Jan. 20 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, he has been a regular with Cole on the third pairing and a staple on the Canucks’ penalty kill.
Juulsen Has Become a Physical Force on the Blue Line
Last season, Luke Schenn and Kyle Burroughs led the way in the physicality department with 258 and 165 hits respectively. Schenn was dealt to the Maple Leafs at last year’s trade deadline and subsequently signed with the Nashville Predators and Burroughs left in free agency and went to the San Jose Sharks. While the Canucks added Soucy and Cole in the offseason to offset that loss, Soucy has been injured and Cole only has 67 hits. I don’t think anyone thought at this point of the season that Juulsen would be leading the hit parade on defence. But he is.
Juulsen has been a wrecking ball when it comes to throwing the body this season. He has leveled opponents left and right and currently has 134 hits, 48 more than Tyler Myers. Opponents are starting to think twice before heading into the Canucks’ defensive zone, afraid that the 6-foot-1 defender will meet them with a thunderous hit. Without Schenn and Burroughs, that added physicality has been a welcome sight for Canucks fans that got used to Schenn’s presence on the blue line. Tocchet and defence coach Adam Foote must love it too as they were both rough-and-tumble players in their own right when they played in the NHL.
Penalty Kill Has Benefited From Juulsen’s Presence
Another area that Juulsen has impacted this season is the penalty kill. Again, without Schenn, who blocked his fair share of shots with the Canucks, they were going to need someone to step up and fill that role. Along with Cole, Juulsen has done just that with 73 blocks already this season, many with the Canucks down a man. He has fearlessly dropped in front of one-timers and slapshots and has come up hobbling a few times this season, but still gamely stays in the play trying to defend – a lot like Tanev and Schenn did when they were members of the team.
The Canucks’ penalty kill has struggled at times this season, but is a lot better than the unit they trotted out last season when they were 32nd in the league. They are currently 22nd at 78.7 percent, and Juulsen has been a big reason why it’s seen improvement this season. He sits fourth behind Cole (161:55), Myers (135:01), and Hronek (128:10) in shorthanded time on ice with 89:30 and has established himself as a key part of the PK with his quick stick and willingness to throw his body in harm’s way.
What Will Happen When Soucy & Myers Come Back?
Soucy is on the road to recovery and could make his return on this upcoming three-game road trip. Tyler Myers is out with an injury, but it’s just week-to-week. With the Canucks still in the market for another defenceman, it will be interesting to see where Juulsen slots into the lineup come the playoffs when everyone is healthy (hopefully).
Juulsen has certainly made an impression on the coaching staff and the fanbase and deserves to keep his spot on the roster. Unfortunately, with the Canucks’ veteran-laden blue line, he probably will sit in the press box until another injury rears its ugly head. Nevertheless, he has made the Juolevi trade and Schenn’s departure a little bit easier to swallow with his improved play this season and could be an X-factor should injuries happen and/or the Canucks need a bit more physicality in the playoffs.