Nils Höglander: Quiet Start, But Signs Point to a Second-Half Surge in Vancouver
Trying to pin down exactly who Nils Höglander is as a player has become something of a seasonal tradition for Canucks fans - and not always an easy one. One year, he’s the scrappy, high-energy winger who flashes top-six potential.
The next, he’s in the AHL, trying to reset his game. But if there’s one thing that’s remained consistent about Höglander, it’s that he’s rarely out of the conversation for long.
After a career-best 2023-24 campaign that saw him pot 24 even-strength goals and tack on 12 assists, expectations were understandably elevated heading into this season. The Canucks needed a bounce-back year after the chaos of 2024-25, and Höglander looked like he might be part of the solution. He’d closed out last season on a high note, notching four points in his final six games after returning from injury, and had been producing at a solid clip before that setback - eight points in 10 games, including a goal and seven helpers.
But just as things were starting to look up, the ankle injury came. It happened during a pre-season tilt against the Flames on September 24 in Abbotsford.
Within a week, Höglander was ruled out until at least early December. His season debut didn’t come until December 8 against Detroit, and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the press box again - healthy scratched for four games in December before rejoining the lineup on January 2.
Now, 13 games into his sixth NHL season, Höglander is still searching for his first point. For a player who’s typically hit the scoresheet early - he’s recorded at least a point in his season debut four out of the last five years - this is uncharted territory. Prior to this season, the longest he’d gone without registering a point to start a year was just three games.
So what gives?
On the surface, it’s easy to assume Höglander’s in trouble. No points.
Career-low ice time (averaging 11:47 per game). Trade rumors swirling.
But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a player quietly making an impact - even if it hasn’t shown up on the stat sheet just yet.
Let’s start with the numbers. Among Canucks skaters, Höglander ranks third in 5-on-5 Corsi For Percentage (CF%) at 52.94%.
That means Vancouver is controlling the shot attempts more often than not when he’s on the ice - a solid indicator of positive puck possession. His expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) sits at 47.97%, which isn’t elite, but still ranks ahead of regular contributors like Kiefer Sherwood, Conor Garland, and Brock Boeser.
He’s generated 69 scoring chances in his 13 games, with 28 of those classified as high-danger - the types of looks that typically lead to goals. That kind of activity around the net suggests the offense is coming. It’s just a matter of time.
And when you stack this season’s metrics against his previous campaigns, the picture gets even clearer. His current CF% is the third-best of his career, behind only 2021-22 (53.32%) and 2023-24 (53.22%).
Even his rookie season, which earned him plenty of buzz, came in lower at 50.43%. That tells us he’s not just skating hard - he’s driving play.
But stats only tell part of the story. Watch the games, and you’ll see a player who’s been one of the Canucks’ most consistent energy guys since the calendar flipped to January.
He’s been quick off the hop, aggressive on the forecheck, and relentless in the offensive zone. Whether it’s darting into soft areas to create space or digging pucks out of corners, Höglander’s been noticeable - even if the goals haven’t followed just yet.
The knock on him in past seasons has often been consistency - not just in production, but in his all-around game. He’d show flashes of offensive brilliance, only to find himself losing minutes or sitting out due to defensive lapses.
This year, it’s been the opposite. The production hasn’t arrived, but the effort, the structure, and the compete level have been there.
That’s why it’s too early to count him out.
It’s easy to overlook a player who hasn’t hit the scoresheet in mid-January. But Höglander’s underlying numbers, combined with what he’s shown on the ice, suggest he might be on the verge of a second-half resurgence. He’s doing a lot of the right things - the kind of things that often go unrewarded in the short term, but tend to pay off over time.
The Canucks, like many teams, are in a bit of a grind right now. The offense has sputtered to start the new year, and the lineup has seen its fair share of shuffling. But if Vancouver is going to find its footing again, they’ll need contributions from players like Höglander - guys who can bring pace, creativity, and pressure without sacrificing structure.
He may not be lighting up the scoreboard (yet), but Nils Höglander is giving the Canucks something they desperately need: energy, consistency, and a spark that could ignite at any moment.
Don’t be surprised if that spark turns into something more in the weeks to come.