The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their five-game road trip in the Windy City on Feb. 13, winning 4-2 against the lowly, Connor Bedard-less Chicago Blackhawks. It was by far the best the Canucks looked during their road trip, thanks in part to another dominant performance from their third line. Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s contest.
Conor Garland Remains One of Vancouver’s Best Forwards
Just like he has all season, Conor Garland played beautiful hockey. On the eve of Valentine’s Day, it was a performance that made you fall in love with his game even more. Puck retention, speed, play-driving, etc., it was a perfect blend of the usual Garland-esque style that Canucks fans have grown accustomed to all season.
On top of all the non-statistical things that Garland did well on Tuesday, he netted two goals and was this close to scoring his second career hat-trick. In a night where all but one Canuck finished with an expected goals-for percentage above 50% (sorry, Sam Lafferty), Garland was seventh among his teammates with an impressive 78.92%. He’s been a revelation this season and against the Blackhawks it was no different.
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Perhaps the most intriguing note about Garland’s season so far is that he is scoring at almost a career-low rate. He has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 54 games, good for a .5 points-percentage. That mark is the lowest since his rookie season, yet this season has undoubtedly been the best of his career. He’s a key component as to why that third line has been elite this season, and more importantly, this has been the first season where his salary matches the on-ice output.
Nils Höglander Could Be the Top-6 Forward Canucks Need
The Phil Kessel-to-Vancouver rumours are hotter than ever, and it looks like there is a possibility that the Canucks will sign him after his workout this week. However, as much as we all love “Phil the Thrill,” he isn’t the boost to the top-six forward group Vancouver may want. Instead, they may have already found it.
Nils Höglander has had the best year of his career this season, no questions asked. He’s got 23 points (17 goals, six assists) in 52 games but has scored three goals in his last three games, including a nice little goal created by the hard work of Vancouver’s new addition, Elias Lindholm.
Höglander’s stats aren’t eye-catching by any means, but it’s important to note a majority of his minutes this season have come in a bottom-six role. He has fit in seamlessly on a new line with Elias Pettersson and the aforementioned Lindholm, and he could be the reason why general manager Patrik Allvin and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford don’t look elsewhere (outside of Kessel) for forward reinforcements.
Canucks Must Get Ilya Mikheyev Going
There’s no hiding the fact that Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev is struggling currently, and that might be putting it nicely. If you’re looking for the last time the Russian winger scored a goal, you have to date back to the last time the Canucks were in Chicago on Dec. 17, 2023. Safe to say it has not been easy pickings for him.
He has looked out of place at 5-on-5 hockey, and even worse on the power play. He has been a complete non-factor, earning him a demotion to the fourth line. If Vancouver wants to reach its full potential, Mikheyev has to be playing at least at an average level. Defensively, he’s still solid. However, his speed has declined post-ACL surgery and that’s concerning for the Canucks.
Now, Allvin and Rutherford shouldn’t trade him. If he needs to play fourth-line minutes, let him and then look for options elsewhere after the season concludes (his $4.75 million cap hit may be hard to move). He still brings some value to this team on the defensive side of the puck and he’s a guy you would trust out there to protect a lead in the final minutes of a game. On the contrary, Vancouver needs him to pick up the slack offensively quickly, or else his future in Vancouver will be short-lived.
The Canucks will look to build off their success in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 15 against the Detroit Red Wings in Vancouver.