Who are the best Vancouver Canucks of the 21st century?
That is a question the NHL will attempt to answer when they reveal the franchise’s quarter-century teams later this month. The league is putting out two lineups, each comprised of five skaters and a goalie, for every franchise.
It’s been an eventful 25 years for the Canucks. They were the best team in the world for some time, making the 2011 Stanley Cup Final but falling just short. Several great players could be argued for to make one of these teams.
The Canucks teams will be released publicly on January 21. While that date is still a few weeks away, here is our best guess at who will be named.
First team
- Forwards: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Markus Naslund
- Defencemen: Quinn Hughes, Mattias Ohlund
- Goalie: Roberto Luongo
There are some easy picks for the first team. The Sedin twins are some of the most talented, productive, and all-around amazing players to ever don the Canucks sweater. There is no doubt they’ll both be named to the first team.
The Sedins rank first and second in points on the franchise leaderboard by a considerable margin. There is absolutely no argument for them not making it and the third forward spot feels like a slam-dunk as well.
Markus Naslund won the Ted Lindsay Award in the 2002-03 season and was the best player on the very good “West Coast Express” Canucks teams of the early 2000s. He started off the century with three straight seasons of 40+ goals and ranks second all-time in Canucks goals.
Despite only being born at the start of the century, Quinn Hughes is an easy pick as the first defenceman. He’s already torn apart the Canucks record books and should pass Alex Edler for most points in franchise history by the end of this season.
The second defence spot is harder to pick but Mattias Ohlund is as good a choice as any. He averaged more than 24 minutes per night for his career, scored at least 10 goals four different times after the year 2000, and was a steady presence on the backend.
Roberto Luongo is another easy pick as the goalie. The outspoke personality was one of the NHL’s absolute best at his peak and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after retiring. Many Canucks fans were thrilled to see him capture a Stanley Cup as an executive with the Florida Panthers last summer.
Second team
- Forwards: J.T. Miller, Ryan Kesler, Elias Pettersson
- Defencemen: Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler
- Goalie: Thatcher Demko
Two current players lead the second team up front. Both J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson have quickly established themselves among the most impressive offensive producers in franchise history.
The next few months could determine the duo’s legacy in Vancouver as the Canucks are reportedly looking at trading one as they seemingly are not getting along. No matter what happens, they’ve both done enough to make this team.
Ryan Kesler rounds out the forward group. He’s one of the best two-way forwards of the past 25 years across the entire NHL. He put together an incredible campaign where he scored 40 goals and won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward. The now 40-year-old also was a monster in the playoffs and scored some huge goals during the 2011 playoffs.
Fan-favourite Kevin Bieksa takes the first defence spot. He’s seventh all-time among Canucks in points by a defenceman, responsible for one of the most iconic moments in team history, and was always willing to step up when needed. The Canucks could use someone like him on their team today.
Bieksa is joined by former teammate Alex Edler. The Swedish blueliner is near the top of the franchise defence leaderboards for nearly every stat. While he may not have been a perennial All-Star at his peak, his longevity is worth praising and thus he also gets a spot.
To finish this team off, Thatcher Demko will go in net. While injuries have held him back over the past two years, he’s still put together some impressive campaigns and is fourth in Canucks history in wins.
Honourable mention
- Forwards: Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison, Alex Burrows
- Defencemen: Ed Jovanovski, Sami Salo
- Goalies: Jacob Markstrom
While there is no official list of honourable mentions, these are a few players who just missed the cut.
Todd Bertuzzi was an impressive combination of strength and skill. His 2002-03 campaign where he scored 46 goals is one of the most impressive by any Canucks player over the past 25 years. He just misses due to the lack of playoff production and tough competition.
Ed Jovanovski and Sami Salo just miss out on the defence spots. A solid argument could be made for either player but Bieksa’s big moments and Edler’s longevity take the cake.