Welcome to the first edition of the Vancouver Canucks Stock Market, a series dedicated to analyzing the recent performance of all things related to the Canucks, including players, coaches, management, prospects, and more.
The Canucks’ first 25 games of the 2024-25 season have been a rollercoaster for their fans. From frustrating outings at home to impressive, resilient efforts on the road, they have looked like a playoff contender at times while also showing shades of the teams that missed the playoffs and finished near the bottom of the standings. They have also gone through an excessive amount of adversity having to deal with the losses of Brock Boeser, JT Miller, Thatcher Demko, Filip Hronek, and Dakota Joshua. Fortunately, thanks to their road record and players stepping up in their absence, they are still entrenched in the playoff race and currently sit third in the Pacific Division, six points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first.
Up – Jake DeBrusk
To say Jake DeBrusk is on a hot streak would be a massive understatement. After being ice-cold in October (only four assists in nine games), he reeled off seven goals in 13 games in November and already has five in three games in December. Overall, he has nine goals and 12 points in his last 10 games and now leads the Canucks with 12 goals – one ahead of Pius Suter. He is on pace for a career-high 39 goals and has quickly silenced the doubters who called him “Jake DeBust” when he was struggling at the start of the season.
Down – Nils Hoglander
Nils Hoglander can only wish for the type of success DeBrusk has had lately. The last time he hit the scoresheet (an assist) was over a month ago on Nov. 2 against the San Jose Sharks, and the last time he scored a goal was on Oct. 19 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Overall, he is mired in a 15-game point drought and hasn’t lit the lamp in 20 games. He has also been relegated to the bottom-six and has seen his ice time drop below 10 minutes four times in the last 10 games. The only consistent stat he’s been posting is penalty minutes (many of them in the offensive zone), with 20 on the season so far.
As a result, Hoglander’s name has been bandied about in trade rumours. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals have reportedly expressed interest in him, and with the Canucks looking for a top-four defenceman, he could be the asset that is moved to acquire one.
Up – Thatcher Demko Returns to the Lineup
The biggest positive that came out of the last week was the return of Demko to the Canucks bench. While he didn’t get the start against the Blue Jackets on Friday (Dec. 6), he suited up as the backup to Kevin Lankinen and was finally available if needed. He last played on April 21 against the Nashville Predators and his last regular season game came on April 18 against the Winnipeg Jets. That was eight months ago, and since then, he has been rehabbing a unique injury that saw him miss the first 25 games of the season.
Related: Thatcher Demko’s Return Brings Stability to Canucks Net for Remainder of the Season
Assuming Demko returns to form and Lankinen continues to be his rock-solid self, the Canucks could have an elite tandem the likes fans haven’t seen since 2010-11 when Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider manned the crease.
Down – Filip Hronek Out For 2 Months
Just when the Canucks thought they were going to get close to a healthy lineup with the anticipated returns of Demko and Miller, they were hit with another blow, this time to their defence corps. On Dec. 3, it was announced that Hronek would be out eight weeks after undergoing a procedure to his lower body. The team has now played four games without him, sporting an impressive 3-0-1 record, as Noah Juulsen and Erik Brannstrom have stepped into bigger roles on the blue line. While fans hope those two can continue to elevate their games, the fact is, his skates are probably too big to fill. Eventually, they will feel the effects of his absence, and general manager Patrik Allvin will be forced to make a trade.
Up – Danila Klimovich
Turning to prospects for a minute, Danila Klimovich has seen his stock rise rapidly this season thanks to nine goals and 13 points in 19 games. Now in his fourth season with the Abbotsford Canucks, he is starting to resemble the player that was drafted in the second round back in 2021. His snipe-show of a shot has been on display multiple times, and like DeBrusk in the NHL, he is on fire with six goals in his past ten games, including three in his last five. It won’t be long before we see his name on a call-up list, following his teammates Arshdeep Bains, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Max Sasson, who have all seen time with the big club so far this season.
Up – Quinn Hughes
We have chronicled the success of the Canucks’ captain multiple times already this season. With accolades of being the third-fastest to 300 assists in NHL history and eclipsing Alex Edler for the assists lead among defencemen in franchise history, he is well on his way to another Norris Trophy. Now only two points back of Cale Makar for the lead in defence scoring, and on pace for his first 100-point season, there’s not much more you can say about the greatness that is Quinn Hughes. Just be grateful that you are around to witness it.
Up – Sawyer Mynio on Canada’s Radar for 2025 World Juniors
Speaking of great defenceman, while Mynio isn’t at the same level as Hughes, he is having a solid season so far with the Seattle Thunderbirds. So much so, that Team Canada added him to their camp roster for the 2025 World Juniors. After showcasing his offensive chops last season with 53 points in 63 games, he has continued that offensive dominance this season with 18 points in 16 games. Since being drafted in 2023 at 89th overall, he has developed into much more than a modern-day defensive defenceman. Chosen ahead of first-rounders Carter Yakemchuk and Zayne Parekh (who has since been added), the Canucks might have their first defenceman in the World Juniors for Team Canada since the late Luc Bourdon in 2007.
How Will the Stock Market Fluctuate In the Coming Week?
The Canucks are hoping there will be more ups than downs in the stock market this week as they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning (Dec. 8), St. Louis Blues (Dec. 10), Florida Panthers (Dec. 12), and Boston Bruins (Dec. 14) to Rogers Arena. They lost to the Lightning in their first road game of the season on Oct. 15 and beat the Panthers and Bruins 3-2 and 2-0 on Oct. 17 and Nov. 26 respectively.
We will see how the Canucks fare as they attempt to right the ship that is their home record. While the 5-2 win against the Blue Jackets was a good start, they still have some work to do as most of that game was dominated by the road team. Will we be talking about their home woes again next week, or will it be in the rearview mirror? Stay tuned.
