New in Town: Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks were not expected to amount to much during the 2017-18 season, and the results pretty much aligned with expectations.

Still, Brock Boeser’s emergence meant that tuning in was still worth the time investment. His rampant scoring pace was a welcomed distraction from the fact that everything else was largely a disaster.

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This year, and despite a busy free-agent period, another highly-touted rookie could create a similar buzz.

The Stanley Cup champion: Jay Beagle

After winning a Stanley Cup with the Capitals, Beagle packed his bags and headed north of the border to cash in on his success.

Beagle joins a forward group which is currently slated to have just six players (Loui Eriksson, Sven Baertschi, Antoine Roussel, Brandon Sutter, Sam Gagner) with at least three seasons or more of NHL experience. So immediately he becomes a sounding board for the younger members in the locker room.

The gritty centre will help the team in a big way on the penalty kill. Vancouver drew the third-most penalties in the NHL last season while also sporting the 11th-worst penalty kill. Last season Beagle accumulated more minutes shorthanded than any other Capitals forward.

How much is his veteran expertise worth, though? The Canucks served up a 4-year, $12-million contract for his services despite the fact that Beagle, 32, has never registered more than 30 points in a season.

The sandpaper specialist: Antoine Roussel

If there is one thing that each of Vancouver’s offseason signings pointed to, it was that the team obviously thought it needed more toughness. And if you are looking for someone to push their weight around, they found the right guy in Antoine Roussel.

Since the start of the 2012-13 season, the former Stars forward is tied with Tom Wilson for the most penalty minutes in the NHL. His 54 majors over that span ranks fifth. Clearly GM Jim Benning no longer wants to see his team get pushed around.

But again, how much is toughness worth in a league moving away from that aspect of the game?

Much like Beagle, Roussel has never finished a season with more than 30 points. The two were signed to identical contracts. It is also fair to wonder if Roussel may end up having a negative impact on a team that struggled to stay out of the box without his antics?

The most interesting rookie in Canada: Elias Pettersson

Last season in the Swedish Hockey League, Elias Pettersson set the world on fire.

The Canucks’ 2017 first-round pick had the most productive under-20 season ever in Sweden’s top division with 24 goals and 56 points. Pettersson exceeded the likes of Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Peter Forsberg on his way to the record. That’s not bad company to be with before ever playing an NHL game.

The 19-year-old’s promise, and the attention he’s garnered hasn’t slowed down, as Pettersson has put on an absolute clinic in the preseason.

Pettersson has the abilities to give Vancouver a second Calder nominee in as many seasons — and perhaps this time a winner.

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