The 2018-2019 season is well under way, so let’s take a closer look at some Vancouver Canucks season so far. If you were just to look solely at their overall standings, you would think the season was not so great, especially if you only saw their recent stretch of hockey BUT you would also be missing out on a lot of good things actually occurring within that tough stretch. I could write about those stats and the ‘negative’ results but there’s enough of those pieces already written, and you know me, I love to take a look at the bright side, always.

The kids are getting time to play and scoring goals. The younger players are getting a chance to play bigger minutes and bigger roles, something that Canucks fans have really wanted to see the team embrace that last few seasons.

The talk of the town through the first quarter has been the electric play of Elias Pettersson for good reason, he’s been an absolute sensation every time he’s on the ice. He brings the arena to their feet and gets the fans buzzing all over social media.

It’s not just his shot which is insanely accurate, it’s his creativity with and without the puck.He’s always ready for the next play, and always anticipating not just his own spot on the ice, but anticipating where his line mates will be. He gives fans goosebumps with his moves on the ice and echoes plays made by the Sedins all the while paving his own path.

There’s are a few other Vancouver Canuck that have been quietly having an incredible start to the season, and one of them is Bo Horvat. The Sedins leaving left a leadership void and a scoring void. Bo has been leading the way behind the scenes and on the ice. While many eyes have been poised on the impressive debut of Pettersson, Horvat has been quietly putting up some impressive and consistent numbers (12 goals, 13 assists). He said he wanted to be a leader and appears to be the natural choice as the next Vancouver Canucks captain when the time comes as he leads the way on and off of the ice.

Jake Virtanen, the 2014 draft pick that MANY said was a bust before he even played a game and then wrote him off when he struggled his first two years. Last season, under Travis Green after having spent part of the 2016-17 season in Utica, he began to show glimpses of the player that the Canucks hoped he could be. This season, Jake is off to his best start as a Canuck, giving fans a glimpse of the player they all hope he can be.

Adam Gaudette fresh off scoring his first ever NHL goal is getting better and better with the every game that he plays. As the season has gone on, he’s adapting more and more to the NHL style and in all areas of his game.

Ben Hutton. It’s no secret that he struggled to find his footing and consistency all of last season. So far, this season he’s been one of the Canucks most solid blue liners. He’s come a long way from his constant days of being scratched last season, to his days of now being reliable.

Troy Stecher has also been establishing himself on the blue line a little bit more this season and endearing himself to Canucks fans.

Sure the season hasn’t been anywhere near perfect and the team has struggled of late BUT there’s been a lot of good mixed in. Each loss, and every win is a learning curve for this group, they can take a lesson from every situation as the season moves along.

And Canucks fans, prepare yourselves for many more Bo, Brock and Petey moments still to come as the season continues!

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.