Vancouver Canucks: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

In our last piece, we took a dive into the Seattle Kraken. Now, we will be looking at their soon to be rival, the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver had a rough year, but had a lot of outside factors because of it. After making multiple changes to their roster this summer, they look better on paper. They should be able to compete for a playoff spot this go-around. These two players from them also will be big factors. One is a forward coming off of a strong rookie campaign. The other is a notable new addition.

Nils Höglander LW: Nils Höglander impressed in his first NHL season. In 56 games, he scored 13 goals and recorded 27 points. That would be good for fifth on the team, which is impressive given the fact that he is only 20 years old. The Canucks seem to have gotten a real steal by taking him 40th overall in the 2019 draft. It will not be surprising in the slightest to see his offensive totals jump up significantly this season. He should be a long-term piece of their top-six and even potentially their first-line.

Conor Garland RW: The Vancouver Canucks not only added Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes, but also Conor Garland. Garland is such an underrated forward and should blossom with the Canucks. In his third NHL season this year, the 25-year-old winger scored 12 goals and had 39 points in 49 games. On the Canucks, he will have more help around him with his fellow forwards, so this should allow him to produce more frequently. It will be fascinating to see how he responds to his new home.