The league’s top three scorers are Canucks players

Last night, the Islanders visited the Vancouver Canucks. The home side won a hard-fought game 4-3 in overtime, spoiling their former captain’s return to town in the process.

Bo Horvat still scored a goal and received a fitting tribute, as I explained earlier this morning.

Bo Horvat gets emotional during his tribute video from the Canucks

( via @NHL_On_TNT) pic.twitter.com/aQk2nOYoAt

– BarDown (@BarDown) November 16, 2023

For the Canucks, it was their 12th win in 16 games so far this season. They rank first in the Pacific Section (tied with the Golden Knights, tonight’s visitors at the Bell Centre) and second in the entire NHL. Only the Bruins have scored more points than Vancouver so far this season.

Could you have imagined such a scenario at the start of the year?

What’s most surprising is that the NHL’s top three scorers are Canucks players. Forget the Connor McDavids, the Leon Draisaitls and the Nathan Mackinnons, the three players with the most points since the start of the 2023-2024 campaign are Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. Miller, all three with a total of 26 points.

I hope you have them in your pool.

David Pastrnak and Artemi Panarin are close behind with 24 points.

The Vancouver Canucks trio sits atop NHL point leaders with 26 points apiece. pic.twitter.com/x1aXvWQRjU

– BarDown (@BarDown) November 16, 2023

The Canadian team wasn’t necessarily expected to be among the best at the start of the season, but here it is, and it’s formidable. The club has scored 70 goals (in 16 games). That’s obviously good for first place in the NHL, while their closest pursuers, the Los Angeles Kings, have scored 14 fewer goals (56).

The only real question mark in Vancouver is the contract of their star forward Elias Pettersson. The Swede will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and the two sides don’t seem to be close to an agreement.

Team GM Patrick Allvin is on the case, however. He’s aware that he and his forward need to find common ground.

#Canucks GM Patrik Allvin says he’s chipping away at an extension for the league’s leading scorer, Elias Pettersson.

“Hopefully we’ll get it done sooner rather than later.”@DailyFaceoff story from Tuesday’s GM Meeting in Toronto:https://t.co/tpDXyjEvop

– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 14, 2023

Pettersson will be eligible for arbitration.