The Vancouver Canucks are in a familiar spot - near the bottom of the standings - but this time, something feels different. And not in the uplifting, “turning a corner” kind of way.
After a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Vancouver dropped to 10-14-3 on the season. That record leaves them just one point ahead of both the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames. In other words, they’re teetering dangerously close to the NHL basement - a single slip away from having the worst record in the league.
Now, slow starts aren’t new for this group. In fact, they’ve practically become a December tradition in Vancouver.
But this year’s stumble carries a different weight. Because while the numbers might look familiar, the context has shifted.
Let’s rewind to the 2020-21 season - the all-Canadian North Division year. Through 27 games, the Canucks were 10-15-2, slightly worse than their current mark. That team ended up finishing as the eighth-worst squad in the league.
Fast forward to 2021-22. Same story, different season.
Vancouver started 8-15-2, prompting a coaching change from Travis Green to Bruce Boudreau. That sparked a bit of a resurgence, and the Canucks climbed to a 10-15-2 record by the 27-game mark.
Even then, they were only the seventh-worst team in the league, and - this is key - they were still 10 points clear of the league’s worst team, the Arizona Coyotes.
This year? Not so much breathing room.
What makes this season’s poor start stand out is how tight the league has become. Commissioner Gary Bettman’s vision of league-wide parity is very much in effect.
The bottom of the standings has risen. Teams that were recently seen as easy wins - like the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks - are now hovering closer to the playoff bar than the bottom of the pile.
Even in the East, the playoff race is wide open. Two of the three worst teams in that conference right now?
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. That’s how unpredictable this season has been.
So while Vancouver’s record might not scream “disaster” compared to past years, the standings tell a different story. The Canucks aren’t just struggling - they’re doing it in a year where struggling teams are fewer and farther between. That’s what makes this start uniquely concerning.
And unlike in 2021-22, there’s no coaching change bounce waiting around the corner. In fact, all signs point to the Canucks potentially moving veterans - a move that would further weaken their short-term outlook.
That’s not a reset button. That’s a signal the front office may already be looking toward the draft.
And maybe that’s not the worst thing.
Vancouver hasn’t picked in the top three of the NHL Draft since 1999, when they landed the Sedin twins - a franchise-defining moment. If this season continues on its current path, the Canucks could find themselves back in that rare air.
It’s not the path fans were hoping for. But for a team that’s been stuck in the middle for too long, maybe it’s the one they need.