While several of the star players for the Vancouver Canucks have not been scoring at the rate fans and the team would like so far in 2024/25, Conor Garland has continued to prove his value to the team with 4 points in 5 games.
But Garland's impact doesn't end in the offensive zone, in fact his two way presence has led to some VERY early Selke trophy buzz for the winger.
The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat made the case that the Massachusetts native's play so far should make him an early favourite.
After five games, Garland leads the Canucks forward group in most defensive categories. He also has some of the best defensive analytics amongst forwards in the league... If Garland can continue his strong play at both ends of the ice, he should receive plenty of votes for the historic trophy (Selke) at the end of the season.
Among forwards at 5 on 5 per 60 minutes, Garland currently ranks 4th in shots against, 23rd in goals against, 15th in scoring chances against, and 15th in high danger chances against.
He has also been an effective penalty killer for the team, with the Canucks surrendering only one shot against in his 2:34 on the kill this season - even managing to keep the puck in the offensive zone for 57% of that shorthanded time.
So far Garland's average time on ice is up nearly 4 minutes from where it was last year, and nearly a minute more than his previous career high.
Last year Sasha Barkov won his 2nd Selke trophy while Jordan Staal and Auston Matthews joined him as nominees.
Garland will be in tough to earn a nomination but if he keeps up this level of play, he can't be ignored.
