NHL Preview 2024-25 123 SportsForecaster.com

Forwards

Teddy Blueger [C]

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 68 6 22 28 4 31 0.41
Career 420 50 103 153 19 166 0.36
Forecast 72 7 23 30 - - 0.42

The 30-year-old did exactly what was expected of him last season: provide speed, defense and penalty-killing acumen to Vancouver. He even matched his career high in points despite missing the first month of 2023-24 to injury. He also won more than 50 percent of his draws for a third straight season. He is perfect in his current role.

Brock Boeser [LW/RW]

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 208
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 81 40 33 73 23 14 0.90
Career 581 213 237 450 -43 144 0.77
Forecast 82 34 37 71 - - 0.87

In 2024-25, Boeser will try to build upon a campaign that saw him take his game to a whole new level. He has always been more shooter than passer, but last season he more than doubled his goals total from '22-23 and also ripped through his career highs in both points and plus/minus rating. Can the talented right-winger keep it going?

Jake DeBrusk [RW/LW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 194
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Bos 80 19 21 40 4 18 0.50
Career 576 174 153 327 26 123 0.57
Forecast 79 29 28 57 - - 0.72

The son of former NHL enforcer Louie DeBrusk saw his regular-season numbers drop across the board from his career campaign of 2022-23, only to lead the Bruins in playoff scoring last season. DeBrusk is an all-purpose winger, valuable for his usefulness on the power play and penalty killing, but does he have another level as a scorer?

Conor Garland [RW/LW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 165
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 82 20 27 47 19 35 0.57
Career 508 128 178 306 17 225 0.60
Forecast 80 24 24 48 - - 0.60

He is coming off his second season of 20-plus goals since entering the NHL in 2018-19. Garland thrived as a third-line winger in 2023-24 and produced great secondary scoring totals. At 5'10'', 165 pounds, he is not going to be a physical player, but he works well with bigger linemates, can escape pressure and can strike off the rush.

Danton Heinen [W/C]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 195
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Bos 74 17 19 36 16 28 0.49
Career 575 96 146 242 28 133 0.42
Forecast 77 15 26 41 - - 0.53

He did not even have an NHL contract until a few games into last campaign, but he still put up his best offensive numbers since 2017-18–as well as the best plus/minus rating of his career (+16). Heinen's versatility, hockey sense, skating and stickwork are among the qualities coaches love; a bump on offense does not hurt him, either.

Nils Hoglander [LW/RW]

  • Age: 23
  • Ht: 5-9
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 80 24 12 36 23 51 0.45
Career 293 58 57 115 14 127 0.39
Forecast 81 21 23 44 - - 0.54

The Swedish forward was one of the NHL's most productive depth scorers in 2023-24. He recorded all 24 goals of his goals at even strength, while averaging just 12:06 of ice time. He is a shooter who is also good at collecting the garbage around the goal. The 23-year-old excels at generating secondary chances and capitalizing on them.

Dakota Joshua [LW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 206
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 63 18 14 32 19 60 0.51
Career 268 44 42 86 -9 197 0.32
Forecast 75 15 18 33 - - 0.44

The 2014 fifth-round pick is coming off his best NHL season despite a severe hand injury that cost him 18 games. Though he averaged just 14:23 of ice time in 63 games, he was ninth in the NHL with 244 hits in 2023-24. The 28-year-old has good size (6'3'', 206 pounds), moves well, is physical and offers secondary offensive production.

J.T. Miller [W/C]

  • Age: 31
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 218
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 81 37 66 103 32 58 1.27
Career 900 267 460 727 55 506 0.81
Forecast 81 31 59 90 - - 1.11

He did it all last season, finishing with more than 100 points for the first time and placing second on the Canucks with 217 hits. His plus-32 rating was also a career mark, and he won more than 56 percent of his draws. Miller is used in all situations, is a threat off the rush, beats opponents one on one and goes to the dirty areas.

Elias Pettersson [C]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 176
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 82 34 55 89 20 12 1.09
Career 499 193 286 479 38 98 0.96
Forecast 82 36 60 96 - - 1.17

The 25-year-old Pettersson was enjoying another stellar season in 2023-24. Then in late March, his offense went ice cold (one goal in his last 13 games) after he signed a massive contract extension earlier in the month. He also struggled in the playoffs (13 GP, 1-5-6). A fine puck distributor, he can score and play in all situations.

Kiefer Sherwood [RW]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 194
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Nsh 68 10 17 27 17 41 0.40
Career 294 55 59 114 21 136 0.39
Forecast 78 13 18 31 - - 0.40

Though Sherwood has produced 172 points in 186 career AHL contests, he has adapted to become a bottom-six winger in the NHL. He can be a relentless pest who finishes his checks and provides some scoring. Sherwood spent all of '23-24 in the NHL and showed off both sides of him, doling out 234 hits and reaching double figures in goals.

Daniel Sprong [RW/LW]

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 200
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Det 76 18 25 43 -5 22 0.57
Career 374 87 79 166 -3 68 0.44
Forecast 75 18 20 38 - - 0.51

The late-blooming forward is coming off the two best offensive campaigns of his NHL career. His 18 goals and 43 points with Detroit in 2023-24 occurred despite playing an average of just 12:00 per game–though 1:48 of that did come on the power play. Sprong is a nice complementary scorer whose problems are at the other end of the ice.

Pius Suter [C/LW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 172
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 67 14 15 29 17 16 0.43
Career 392 89 87 176 0 84 0.45
Forecast 73 11 16 27 - - 0.37

He can skate anywhere in the forward group and contribute, thanks largely to his high hockey IQ. Suter will make the little plays that can help a top-six forward combo click, but he also fits well anywhere on a third or fourth line. Offensively, he has contributed a consistent 14-15 goals and 24-36 points in each of four NHL seasons.

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Vincent Desharnais

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-7
  • Wt: 226
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Edm 78 1 10 11 3 54 0.14
Career 185 1 20 21 10 162 0.11
Forecast 80 2 11 13 - - 0.16

Last season, the 6'7'' D-man found his role on a third pairing, where his size and physicality (135 hits, 122 blocked shots) came to the fore. Desharnais is a decent skater for his massive size, finishes his checks and uses his length to his advantage to box out opponents. Vancouver saw a lot of him in 2023-24 and obviously like him.

Filip Hronek

  • Age: 26
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 188
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 81 5 43 48 33 38 0.59
Career 480 42 212 254 -51 248 0.53
Forecast 76 8 34 42 - - 0.55

The right-shooting defenseman put up good offensive numbers through February in '23-24 but struggled after that (four assists in his last 20 games) and did little in the Stanley Cup playoffs (13 GP, 1-1-2). Hronek can quarterback the power play, though he takes a back seat to Quinn Hughes in Vancouver, and is a fine puck distributor.

Quinn Hughes

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 180
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 82 17 75 92 38 38 1.12
Career 457 61 370 431 24 187 0.94
Forecast 82 14 71 85 - - 1.04

The 2024 Norris Trophy winner is an elite offensive talent who led all NHL defensemen in points last season. He drives play with his superb skating, runs the power play and has improved his defensive work. Hughes has great on-ice vision, uses an active stick and also possesses an underrated shot that can catch netminders by surprise.

Tyler Myers

  • Age: 34
  • Ht: 6-8
  • Wt: 229
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 77 5 24 29 16 77 0.38
Career 1095 100 302 402 2 879 0.37
Forecast 79 3 17 20 - - 0.25

The 2010 Calder Trophy winner is among the tallest players in NHL history (6'8'') and has used that size well to keep attackers on the perimeter during his 15 seasons. Myers is tough to get a shot past when he is in the shooting lane. He is coming off his best offensive season since '18-19 but is best suited as a third-pairing D-man.

Elias Pettersson

  • Age: 20
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
AHL 8 0 2 2 4 6 0.25
Career 54 2 4 6 -6 25 0.11
Forecast 44 1 4 5 - - 0.11

Vancouver's other Elias Pettersson is a fluid-skating 20-year-old who closes gaps quickly and covers lots of ice. In a brief AHL stint late in 2023-24, he showed that he is not shy about physical play and will stand up for his teammates. He is not likely to become a dynamic, creative offensive force, though he makes an OK first pass.

Carson Soucy

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-5
  • Wt: 208
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Van 40 2 4 6 10 12 0.15
Career 392 30 63 93 69 254 0.24
Forecast 71 3 14 17 - - 0.24

Injuries cost Soucy 42 games in his first season with the Canucks, but he was noticeable when he was in the lineup–despite producing minimal offense in '23-24. The 6'5'' rearguard kills penalties and has the long reach needed to disrupt plays in his own zone. He makes very few mistakes and is reliable when his team is holding a lead.

Thatcher Demko

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 192
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Van 51 35 14 2 5 2.45 0.918
Career 252 131 93 20 9 2.8 0.91
Forecast 57 35 - - 5 2.37 0.916

The 28-year-old Demko is coming off his best NHL season in 2023-24. The All-Star goalkeeper was named a Vezina Trophy finalist despite missing 26 contests (regular season and playoffs) with a late-season knee injury. At 6'3'', Demko plays big in the crease area and will aggressively challenge shooters to break up high-danger chances.

Arturs Silovs

  • Age: 23
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 203
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Van 4 3 0 1 0 2.47 0.881
Career 31 12 12 6 1 3.08 0.887
Forecast 28 13 - - 1 2.95 0.901

He carried the Canucks to a first-round playoff series win last campaign, after Vancouver's top two netminders went down to injury. Silovs also helped Vancouver reach Game 7 of the second round. The likable Latvian shows excellent athleticism and rebound control, as well as the ability to handle pressure. Silovs has very good upside.