Who’s the 2023-2024 Unsung Hero?

[krutovsdonut]

garland is not sung enough.

 

[ohnoeszz]

It's probably Joshua but it feels weird to have a guy win it back-to-back.

Garland's journey from demanding a trade and doing nothing for the first 20 games to being one of our most important, consistent forwards would probably get him my vote.

It's weird going from the Benning years of 'nobody deserves this' - Markus Granlund astonishingly won this award once - to having like 10 guys who would be well-deserving selections.

He had 5 points in the first 20 games, 2 goals in the first 33 games, was down around 10 minutes for a bunch of games, failed to click with Pettersson when given an opportunity, didn't work with Miller, didn't work on the PP, was demoted to bottom-6 minutes and then the line with Garland and Blueger took off in December.

The energy/battle/compete he's showed for the last 4 months didn't exist for the first 20 games of the season. He looked lost and it was probably his worst stretch of games as a Canuck. Everyone here was expecting him to be traded and wanting him to be traded.

Everyone had positive goal differentials in the first 20-30 games of the season. Anthony Beauvillier had an 11-3 ES goal differential but that doesn't mean he was playing great.

Those with/without graphs are mostly useless because they aren't comparing apples to apples and you get results like 'everyone has better numbers with Goldobin!'.

And also those numbers are from the whole season, and nobody is disputing that his last 50 games have been terrific.

Garland is a small skill player who was generating nothing offensively in October-November and provides no intangibles to compensate for a lack of production. The battle level and puck tenacity we've seen since December (and have seen at other points during his time here) wasn't there to start the season. The difference once that line started clicking was night-and-day.

Garland/Joshua was a rousing success before Blueger returned 11/12. Garland had 3 pts at the time but it's not accurate to present Garland as a non-contributor at that point in time. The possession work of that 3rd line was a big part of our early season success and it was noted at the time. His counting stats were down but he was playing well.

When Blueger returned Garland had played 3 games under 11 minutes. Those 3 games were against EDM who we clearly were matching up to. He played one other game under 12 minutes. I don't think TOI reductions were driven by his play but rather by our tactical approach to our opponents.

Really the change in his play as the season has gone on hasnt been in his tenacity - it's been in his puck management. He sees his teammates quicker and he's more timely with his passes while also taking less passing risks on forces plays.

All that said, IMO Myers is the clear unsung hero. He had a couple brutal games early in the year but has gotten increasingly consistent. His passing has elevated to another level recently where he is making stretch passes or deft touch passes to relieve pressure. He's a player that lives or dies by decision making and our emphasis on structure has helped him more than anyone.

 

[God]

He wasn't generating, though. I watched every single one of those games. We weren't having games where we were like 'wow, Garland was amazing but he's snakebit' or 'too bad his linemates can't finish' or anything along those lines. He was filling space ok-ish and not being very noticeable. People were trying to find ways/scenarios to dump his contract, same as Beauvillier.

He didn't 'stink' but nothing was happening for him, he was tried with pretty much every line/linemate and didn't have any chemistry or generate any results with anyone. Those shifts where he does incredible board work against bigger players to win battles weren't happening with anywhere near the frequency they have been later on in the season.

I don't really agree with this; I remember thinking after the two early games in Florida that it was shocking he only had 1 point after being terrific against both teams, and that if he did want out we would at least get something in return from teams because he can clearly play against good teams. And he was pretty damn good in the 3-game Eastern trip against Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, and he managed to only get 1+1 against Montreal.

The thing is that... this has always been Garland. It's probably why he's so polarizing in the fanbase because he consistently does a ton of work downlow, but doesn't always produces points because either he doesn't find his linemates or his linemates aren't where they need to be (not going to make a judgment on this without a closer look shift-by-shift). And thankfully he's got chemistry with Joshua, and seems to be meshing with JTM as well.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The reason i voted Garland immediately without thinking too hard about it was how much he was still getting shit on when he was playing well but not producing early in the year.
Easy to understand: Wanted out, the stench of that awful trade he was part of, low production, 5M$/yr and our cap situ. He may not be unsung now but it's a whole season award.
#2 for me would Juulsen. Just for the pk, physicality, costs nothing, nobody expected anything at all.

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

So many players deserving of the award but I voted for DeSmith. The guy has been an excellent backup and has kept the ship from sinking while Demko has been out.

 

[WTG]

Garland, Joshua, and Hoglander aren't unsung heros imo. They get plenty of praise from fans to media.

I think it has to be Juulsen. He was a big whipping boy from the start of the season but eventually played his way into a regular spot, improving game-by-game.

 

[Peen]

He wasn't generating, though. I watched every single one of those games. We weren't having games where we were like 'wow, Garland was amazing but he's snakebit' or 'too bad his linemates can't finish' or anything along those lines.

This was absolutely the discourse and even tocchet was saying such

 

[LemonSauceD]

Ah yes the Unsung AKA The Mike Santorelli award.

Garland probably.

 

[Peen]

Re: Not including Soucy

He’s played less than 50% of the games and when he’s played, everyone thinks he’s clearly our 3rd best D.

It was a pretty obvious non-inclusion for me

I’m a bit surprised Myers didn’t get any votes

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

If we're actually going with 'unsung' (if you currently read /listen to the media, its non -stop chattering about Joshua/ Garland..hardly unsung..)....I'd pick Noah Juulsen..he overcame some pretty big odds to become an everyday solid NHL player.

He's made a solid contribution to the team this season.

Edit..I have a hard time coming to grips with Garland being an unsung hero ..He’s underachieved for the most part ,now in the 3rd year of his $5M AAV salary..and now he’s sort of resembling a $5M player..?

 

[tradervik]

My criteria for the unsung hero is the player contributing above expectations/contract and getting little or no recognition. To me that player is Teddy Blueger.

Edit: Juulsen is another solid candidate but he’s still not a roster player when all the D are healthy.

 

[Lat]

I think Soucy could be a contender too, even though he's not on this poll.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Who would not sing for soucy? he knew
Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.
He must not float upon his wat'ry bier
Unwept, and welter to the parching wind,
Without the meed of some melodious tear.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

My criteria for the unsung hero is the player contributing above expectations/contract and getting little or no recognition. To me that player is Teddy Blueger.

Edit: Juulsen is another solid candidate but he’s still not a roster player when all the D are healthy.

Teddy has not been that good since new year.

 

[Pogotheclown]

I think hogger, garland, joshua and myers have performed beyond expectation this season.

It will be hard seeing joshua go. The type of player this team needs, but cant afford.

 

[theguardianII]

A good selection but should have allowed more than one pick, maybe 3.
There are 3 players that have excelled beyond expectations this season, maybe even more.

Garland is finally earning his pay check and that is with his trade request THIS YEAR so he may be motivated. Boston calling?

Joshua putting the puck in the net, could be a one off or something he just never tried that hard to do before and/or it could be a result of Garland's emergence too.

Myers is playing his best hockey since he got to Vancouver, he doesn't need to be the best player 25 minute defenceman every night and now doesn't have to be the PK all the time. He is still a great skater and in last game vs Vegas started showing a little belligerence, just a little but he was great in the covid playoffs.

Hoglander has been consistent all year, a dynamo and playing much bigger than he is, he is like a badger or wolverine, size doesn't matter with him. But at some point he may have to answer the bell, he gets away with it so far because it would be embarrassing for a 6'2" guy to beat up a guy 5'9", he would be a bully.

 

[MS]

I too watched the games.

If you watched the games and you think that Garland was bringing either the same tenacity or effectiveness in October as in December January I really don't know what to say. It wasn't close.

I don't really agree with this; I remember thinking after the two early games in Florida that it was shocking he only had 1 point after being terrific against both teams, and that if he did want out we would at least get something in return from teams because he can clearly play against good teams. And he was pretty damn good in the 3-game Eastern trip against Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, and he managed to only get 1+1 against Montreal.

The thing is that... this has always been Garland. It's probably why he's so polarizing in the fanbase because he consistently does a ton of work downlow, but doesn't always produces points because either he doesn't find his linemates or his linemates aren't where they need to be (not going to make a judgment on this without a closer look shift-by-shift). And thankfully he's got chemistry with Joshua, and seems to be meshing with JTM as well.

I'm not saying he had 20 straight bad games to start the season. He was OK-ish and was treading water and having some good games and good shifts here and there (and also a bunch of invisible games) and looking like the same sort of $2 million player as, like, Suter.

Then that line was put together at the start of December and he levelled up and since has been one of our most consistently dangerous, noticeable players for the last 50 games. And has been full value for $5 million.

I disagree with the bolded. To me there are two Garlands - the 90% Garland and the 110% Garland. The 110% Garland when he's feeling it has been there probably half the time since he was acquired - that Garland is constantly in peoples' faces in scrums, winning puck battles against bigger players, competing like a madman and generating a ton of ES offence. The 90% Garland which in particular has turned up a few times after taking a hit to the head is out there trying and isn't 'terrible' or anything but just doesn't have the same edge/compete in hard areas, shot attempts tend to drop significantly, and production drops significantly. We saw that Garland to start the season when he had put in a trade request and wasn't happy.

This was absolutely the discourse and even tocchet was saying such

Those reports are from mid-December. I'm talking about his performances in October and November.

If you're claiming that that line played great but had some games where they didn't score before they broke out ... absolutely. That's what happened, and Garland actually did get credit for playing well in those games without producing. That isn't what was happening when he was generating nothing with Pettersson in October or dropped to the 4th line in November.

 

[Peen]

The second one is literally from mid november

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Hoglander without question.

Joshua and Garland are attached to the hip, no matter would is in the middle.

Hoglander gets no PP time and was placed on the 4th line.

It wasn't until he still started potting goals no matter the playing time that he forced Tocchet to move him up.

That and if weren't for him, EP would zero linemates with any chemistry.

 

[Jyrki21]

Tucker Poolman -- I haven't heard a damn thing sung about that guy all season.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

If you watched the games and you think that Garland was bringing either the same tenacity or effectiveness in October as in December January I really don't know what to say. It wasn't close.

He has gotten better sure.

But I think your Garland take has been way off for the entire season.

 

[Shareefruck]

As much as Juulsen has been a nice surprise, he's been a bit overly sung at this point, IMO. People act like he's becoming a solid #4/5 defenseman or something, when he's only getting really reliable as a #6

First half of the season I would have said Blueger (Myers too), but now I'm not so sure.

 

[mriswith]

Easily Garland. Some people still have the wrong opinion that he's overpaid, not a top 6 winger, can't work with anyone except Joshua, and while this season has turned a lot of people's opinions around it's not even his best season as a Canuck.

Soucy and Hoglander honorable mentions. Around the league I'd include Joshua but I think he's appropriately sung among our fanbase.

 

[VanJack]

Blueger is goal-less in something like 39 games. He's 'un-sung' alright, but far from 'heroic'.

It's gotta' be Hoglander for me......23 goals on the season, and every one at even strength. Plays up and down the lineup, and has morphed into a solid defensive forward.

 

[canuckslover10]

Maybe it's due to the lack of games played but IMO Soucy is the unsung hero our defense is so much better with him, when he came in I was expecting a top 6 guy but he has been performing like a solid top 4 player.