By the Numbers: Pettersson, Hughes leading Canucks off to franchise-best start
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At 9-2-1, the Vancouver Canucks are off to the best start in franchise history to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
While the Canucks had a solid record after last season’s March 3 trade deadline, going 14-7 the remainder of the year, they missed out on the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference by 12 points.
Now through their first 12 games of the season, the Canucks have 19 points, landing them third overall in the NHL standings behind only the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and Presidents’ Trophy winner Boston Bruins.
The Canucks have five players who are averaging more than a point per game, including captain Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek.
Pettersson, who is a pending restricted free agent, is second in NHL scoring with six goals and 21 points through 12 games. He is one point behind leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has 22 points in 12 games. The 24-year-old had a career season in 2022-23 with 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games.
Hughes is tied for the NHL lead in assists (15) along with Pettersson and New Jersey Devils centre and brother Jack Hughes. He is fourth in NHL scoring with 20 points in 12 games while averaging almost 24 minutes a game and is a +16. He is the fourth-fastest defenceman to reach 20 points in a season, behind only Paul Coffey (1988-89), John Carlson (2019-20) and Bobby Orr (1974-75).
Hughes’ defence partner, Hronek, is fourth among defencemen in scoring with 13 assists in 12 games and is a plus-12. Acquired by the Canucks from the Detroit Red Wings on March 1 along with a 2023 fourth-round pick in exchange for first- and second-round picks in 2023, Hronek only played in four games for Vancouver last season as his campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury.
Miller is currently ninth in NHL scoring with seven goals and 18 points through 12 games while Boeser is tied for second in the NHL in goals with 10.
In net, Thatcher Demko has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season, sporting a .948 save percentage and 1.61 goals-against average and is 7-2-0 in nine appearances.
On special teams, the Canucks are only 18th on the penalty kill at 77.3 per cent but have the fourth-best power play in the league at 32.6 per cent. They lead the NHL in goals scored with 54, three more than the second-place Los Angeles Kings with 51. They’ve also allowed the second fewest goals in the NHL with 24, just behind the Bruins who have allowed 23.