Unlike last season when I wrote this article, the Vancouver Canucks will not be heading to the playoffs. After the Minnesota Wild’s 8-7 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, the dreaded “E” is beside their name in the standings instead of the coveted “X”. But even in a season that has been full of disappointments that will be chronicled ad nauseam in the coming months, there have been some bright spots that deserve to be celebrated. So, without further ado, let’s do just that with the 2024-25 edition of the team awards.
MVP & Best Defenceman: Quinn Hughes
The Canucks captain takes home these two awards again, and probably will for the foreseeable future. Despite missing 16 games this season, Quinn Hughes leads the team in scoring with 75 points and has now posted three straight seasons of 70 or more. He is the motor that runs the Canucks’ offence, defence, and everything in between. If not for him, they would probably be toiling in the basement with the likes of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks – that’s how much he influences every part of this team. You just have to look at the advanced stats or simply how many points the next player has on the team leaderboard for evidence of that: Brock Boeser is second with 49, a whopping 26 behind Hughes.
Hughes will probably finish the season as the top point-getter among defencemen in Canucks history, as he’s only two points away from eclipsing Alex Edler. It took Edler 925 games to get his 409 points; Hughes will likely do it in 432. That’s 493 games fewer than Edler, which is pretty insane if you think about it.
Hughes is the Canucks’ MVP, and there’s really no one else close to competing with him for it.
Best Forward: Pius Suter
I had a tough time with this award because there are quite a few candidates this season, including Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Kiefer Sherwood, Pius Suter, and the co-winner last season, Brock Boeser. After thinking it over, I was torn between Garland, Suter, and Sherwood, based solely on the consistency and level of play they have brought every night. Boeser and DeBrusk have had their moments, but ultimately, they had quite a few stretches where they were invisible either on the ice or on the scoresheet. While you could say the same about Garland, Suter and Sherwood when it comes to their consistency offensively, you could never question their work ethic and the little things they brought to the team. Sherwood was always throwing his body around, Garland was always his feisty, shifty self and Suter, well, he was the Swiss Army knife that did absolutely everything, especially after Filip Chytil and Elias Pettersson went down with their respective injuries.
So, with that in mind, I am giving the Best Forward award this season to Suter. Somewhat of a forgotten man before training camp, where he was listed as a winger on some projected line combinations and the fourth-line center in mine at the end of July, he has since risen up the depth chart to become the Canucks’ top-line center. While that has been by necessity because of injuries to Pettersson and Chytil, he has taken the role and run with it, logging over 20 minutes a night and producing like a top-line center should. Over the last 10 games, he has 11 points, which include four goals and four multipoint games, and he’s playing in every situation, from power play, penalty kill, even strength, and being the last man out to defend a lead.
Now only three back of the team lead in goals with a career-high 24, Suter will be getting a huge payday in the offseason. Whether the Canucks will be the one giving it to him is another story, as they were very close to trading him at the deadline to the Dallas Stars. There were also rumours at the time that extension talks weren’t going well. Now that he’s stepped up and produced like a top-line center, negotiations might become even tougher, as his agent will have more lucrative comparables to bring to the table before free agency. Regardless of what happens with Suter in the future, he’s still been the Canucks’ best all-around forward this season and deserves this award.
Most Improved Player: Aatu Raty
Sherwood and Suter could win this award too, but I am giving it to Aatu Raty. Acquired in the Bo Horvat trade in 2022-23, he has improved tremendously season over season since then, and is now being relied on to take key faceoffs and lead a top-nine line alongside Sherwood and Dakota Joshua. Again, necessitated by injuries to some key centers, he has taken the opportunity and run with it. Fuelled by another solid and productive season in Abbotsford, where he has 17 goals and 39 points in 41 games, he has recently started to produce at the NHL level as well. In fact, he’s been on fire recently with five goals and seven points in his last 10 games, which includes the first two-goal game of his career on March 28 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Raty’s faceoff percentage has been in the elite category as well — albeit a small sample size — rocking a 57.8 success rate in 31 games. He also has a career-high seven goals and 11 points, and 77 hits, which sit sixth among forwards despite only playing 31 games. With any luck, he will break out and become a center like Horvat that can be relied on in all situations and consistently score 25-30 goals, along with being a wizard in the faceoff dot, in the near future.
Biggest Surprise, Top Newcomer & Biggest Bang For Your Buck: Kiefer Sherwood
Sherwood wins these three awards hands down with what he’s accomplished this season under a paltry $1.5 million average annual value (AAV) contract. Along with the expected physicality he’s brought to the lineup, he’s also been surprisingly productive offensively, with a career-high 19 goals and 40 points. This is from a guy who only put up 10 goals and 27 points last season for the Nashville Predators. Even his hit total has skyrocketed to a new NHL record of 451 (and counting). For reference, he only had 234 last season. He’s been everything and more for the Canucks, and he still has one more season on his contract. If I were general manager Patrik Allvin, I would be looking to extend him as soon as Jan. 1, 2026, especially if he’s doing similar things next season.
Best Call-Up: Elias Pettersson
At least one Elias Pettersson has had a good season. While the forward has had the worst season statistically of his NHL career, the defenceman has flourished and become a key part of the Canucks’ present and future on the blue line. He’s been beyond competent back there, making crisp first passes, jumping up in the play, and not being afraid to shoot the puck. He won’t ever be Hughes with his point production, but he could develop into a Jaccob Slavin-type two-way defender that makes his living with smart decisions, solid play in his own zone, physicality, and no-nonsense defending.
Pettersson has helped make the defence core of the future a bright one, and ever since his call-up, he’s gotten better and better every game. He’s endeared himself to the coaching staff and has even seen time with top-four staples Hughes, Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson. Bottom line, he likely won’t be starting in Abbotsford next season, but as a full-time member of the defence in Vancouver. Not too bad for a guy that was drafted 80th overall, right?
Canucks Need a Lot of Players to Be Up for the Most Improved Award Next Season
Last season was supposed to be a turning point in the evolution of this era of Canucks hockey. A season that changed this group from a team that always missed the playoffs to one consistently competing for the Stanley Cup. Basically, turning back the clock to the days of Henrik and Daniel Sedin or the West Coast Express, where playoffs weren’t a hope, but a given. Unfortunately, the fun and excitement of 2023-24 appear to be a flash in the pan. Now, questions abound concerning many parts of this team, from the coaching staff led by Rick Tocchet to the forwards that should be led by the $11.5 million man, Elias Pettersson. Bottom line is, the Canucks need a lot of their stars to be up for the Most Improved Award next season. The problem is, we don’t know who those stars will be right now. Heck, Pettersson, Suter and Boeser might be in different jerseys once the dust settles on July 1. But that’s a discussion for another day.
