April 19th, 2025
JC Clemas
The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs start today!
Unfortunately, the Canucks aren’t there. That’s possibly due to them having a horrible season. Maybe.
But the absence of the Canucks doesn’t void the playoffs of any meaning. It’s shaping up to be a great playoff season, with a ton of interesting first round matchups. Besides the games themselves, there are a couple of other reasons to still care about the playoffs. Maybe you’re hate-watching the Oilers. Maybe you want to see the Stanley Cup come back to Canada. Or maybe you want to follow someone you used to root for in the blue and green.
Cheering for former players is a fun way to find meaning in the games. This playoff season, there’s no lack of notable past contributors. Here are some former Canucks who will be participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Chris Tanev- Toronto Maple Leafs
Starting off hot.
Of all the players on this list, Chris Tanev’s Canucks tenure was by far the longest and most efficient. He got his start in the league during the magical 2011 Canucks season, which even saw him get 5 playoff games in as a young, inexperienced defenseman.
That young, inexperienced player turned into a machine.
Tanev has quite possibly been the most fearless player in the entire NHL for the past decade. There is not a single shot that he is scared to get in the way of, and that has earned him a lot of respect (and a lot of love from his goalies). He averaged around 20 minutes of ice time during his years in Vancouver, and while he missed a good portion of his tenure due to injury, it’s not hard to figure out why.
Tanev’s 2019-20 season was his last with the Canucks. It was likely the most significant one to his Vancouver legacy, because who would enter the league that season besides one Quinn Hughes?
Hughes and Tanev formed an extremely successful defensive pairing, with Tanev taking on additional defensive responsibility so Hughes could flourish offensively. His presence on the team that season proved to be instrumental to Hughes’ success, given how far things crashed after Tanev’s departure that offseason.
That isn’t the most memorable part of his season, though.
The Canucks made the play-in series following the COVID-19 pandemic that shut the league down for a few months. It was unlikely that they were going to make the playoffs that year if everything proceeded normally, so it was a bit of good luck in a time full of misfortune. Their play-in series was against Minnesota. The Wild were the lower seed in the matchup, though not to be slept on. The series made it to game 4 with the Canucks up 2-1, and the game made it to overtime. It was time for a long, gruelling overtime with heart-stopping chances on both ends, filled with stress and— wait, did he just score 11 seconds in???
Yes, Chris Tanev, defensive defenseman Chris Tanev, 22 career goals to that point, Chris Tanev potted the SERIES WINNING OVERTIME GOAL! It made no sense then, and it makes no sense now. Who would have thought we’d advance on a simple wrister from the point? Not that diver Alex Stalock, that’s for sure.
Unfortunately, Tanev moved on and joined Calgary that offseason. If only our then-GM had tried a little harder to re-sign anyone, he might have stayed with Vancouver. After that contract expired, he signed a 6-year deal with the Maple Leafs, where he’s likely to end his career. Now, I know you don’t want to cheer for the Leafs, but come on. Wouldn’t it be awesome for him to win a Cup?
Andrei Kuzmenko - Los Angeles Kings
Well, you knew I’d have a section on him.
If there’s one word to describe Andrei Kuzmenko at his best, it’s “electric.” That’s the Andrei Kuzmenko that the Canucks saw in his first NHL season, after he came over from SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. Kuzmenko joined Vancouver in the 2022-23 season, which was not exactly a season to remember for the team. However, the season was marked by unreal individual offensive performances from the team. Bo Horvat scored at a 50-goal pace with the team before being traded, Elias Pettersson hit 100 points for the only time in his career so far, and JT Miller remained a point-per-game player.
Then there’s Kuzmenko.
The Russian winger scored 39 goals and 74 points in the 81 games he played in his rookie season. His 39 goals were tied for the team lead, and the goal scoring especially started to pick up after the Horvat trade. Not only were his on-ice results amazing, but his off-ice personality won over the hearts of all Canucks fans (myself very much included). You would rarely ever see him without a smile on his face, and he possessed many enjoyable quirks (eating a banana on the bench). Back to the on-ice play, Kuzmenko and Pettersson’s chemistry was palpable. It seemed the Canucks had found the guy who would unleash EP40.
Welcome to the Canucks, Rick Tocchet!
Tocchet is a defensive-minded coach, something that worked out well for the team last season and has the potential to continue working if they work out a contract with him. Unfortunately, that leaves little room for a player like Kuzmenko to thrive.
Like many Russian wingers in the league (sorry to stereotype), Kuzmenko did not have a strong affinity for backchecking. That didn’t sit very well with Tocchet. Though Kuzmenko scored at a great pace when Tocchet first took over for the team in 2023, his scoring dropped once Tocchet really got to implement his full structure. That led to 4th line appearances, benchings, and even healthy scratches where he was replaced by Linus Karlsson.
It was clear that this situation was not going to work out. Kuzmenko became part of a trade with Calgary that brought Elias Lindholm to Vancouver. Kuzmenko started scoring again in Calgary, but then it dropped off early this season, leading to him being shipped off to Philadelphia. He was quickly flipped to Los Angeles. Boy oh boy, was that ever a great move for the Kings.
LA has struggled to find someone who can fit on a line with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Kuzmenko was plugged into that slot immediately. He started slow, with 0 points in his first 7 games. Since then? Torching the competition. Kuzmenko has put up 16 points in his past 12 games, making him arguably the most exciting trade deadline acquisition across the entire league so far. And all it took was a 3rd round pick!
Kuzmenko is just such a likeable player. He goes out there to have fun, snipe on some goalies, and hit a celly. That’s just what he’s been doing in Los Angeles. He’s been fitting masterfully in the lineup. The Kings are slated for a first-round series against the Oilers, which is sure to give Kuzmenko additional supporters in Vancouver. Can he be the answer for LA’s playoff woes against Edmonton?
You got this, Kuzmeister.
Luke Schenn - Winnipeg Jets
Luke Schenn embodies the term “tough.” There are few players more willing to step in front of a shot or lay the body than him.
Schenn’s first tenure with the Canucks was a short one: just 18 games of the 2018-19 season after coming over from a trade with the Ducks. He then left the team, won 2 Stanley Cups with the Lightning, and then came right back. Just a slight detour.
Schenn’s second tenure with the Canucks started in the 2021-22 season and lasted until the next season’s trade deadline. That relatively short stint was marked with individual defensive success, despite the team’s inability to be competitive. More importantly, Schenn was a great defensive partner for Quinn Hughes in the young defenseman’s formative seasons.
Hughes was the runner-up in the Calder Trophy race during his 2019-20 rookie season. In his sophomore season, which was a shortened one due to COVID-19, he struggled tremendously to keep up his defensive game. In fact, his play was so questionable this year that it created narratives about his defensive ability that lasted longer than they were accurate. Between his rookie season and sophomore season, the major change was the loss of Chris Tanev to free agency.
Hughes’ sophomore struggle showed the team that he would need an experienced defensive partner to hold the weight of the defensive responsibility. Hughes needed more time to develop into what he is now, and he needed someone to guide him there.
Enter Luke Schenn.
As far as comparables to Chris Tanev go, Schenn was pretty much the perfect successor. Not only was he another experienced defenseman, but their play styles are decently similar, too. Schenn has more physicality to his game than Tane,v though, meaning opposing players would be more deterred from messing with #43.
Schenn was eventually traded to Toronto in 2023 before signing with Nashville. He ended up in Winnipeg this season after being flipped by the Penguins at the deadline. If there’s someone who deserves to be flipped to a contender, it’s definitely Luke Schenn.
Given how instrumental Schenn was in giving us the Quinn Hughes we have now, he’ll always have the heart of Canucks fans. Can he help bring the Cup back to Canada? We’ll see. Maybe Hellebuyck will play well in the playoffs this year!
Tanner Pearson - Vegas Golden Knights
It’s the 4th name, and I may already be reaching here.
Pearson’s Canucks tenure started on a positive note: a victorious trade. He came over from Pittsburgh in a 2019 trade deadline deal that saw the Penguins receive Erik Gudbranson, a player whose Canucks’ tenure did not go swimmingly.
Pearson was then in Vancouver for the next 4 seasons. The first full season following the trade, he put up 45 points in 69 games, playing in a top-6 role that often had him beside Bo Horvat. He became a decent contributor in the 2020 bubble playoffs with 8 points in 17 games. His best moment was likely in game 4 against Minnesota, where he masterfully set up Horvat for the late game-tying goal that gave Tanev the opportunity to finish it in overtime.
Pearson’s last season in Vancouver was 2022-23, where he only played 14 games due to injury. The injury was not exactly handled well by Canucks management, even leading to some frustration out of Quinn Hughes. Late that offseason, he was shipped off to Montreal with a 3rd round pick in exchange for Casey DeSmith. It was a depressing end to a pretty decent Canucks tenure. He was at least above the “Sea of Granlunds” status.
The unfortunate part is that Pearson plays for Vegas, so it will be difficult to find some positivity in his victories. He also already has a Stanley Cup (2014 with the Kings), so he’ll probably be fine. But in the very sad, brutal, upsetting universe where the Golden Knights win the 2025 Stanley Cup, Pearson has earned it.
Pearson had to battle through an injury that stunted his production, and it looked like he may end up being a random depth piece on a tanking team. Pearson has 26 points in 75 games this season, which is valuable depth production for a contending team. It’s nice to see that he’s found a role on a true contender.
At least there would be one positive from a Vegas win.
Adam Gaudette - Ottawa Senators
It’s hard not to find joy in seeing Adam Gaudette get a playoff opportunity. The 2015 5th round draft pick by Vancouver played his first 5 games right out of college late in 2017-18, and then played parts of the next 3 seasons. He electrified fans with his love of scoring. Seriously, I’m not sure the Canucks have ever had a player who got more excited when they scored a goal. A contrast from the blank stares some of the current roster give after potting one.
Gaudette was eventually traded to the Blackhawks in a deal that sent Vancouver Matthew Highmore, his now-Senators teammate. It’s been a long, winding road for Gaudette in the 2020s so far. He’s played under 5 different organizations, with each of his past 2 seasons before this one being spent in the AHL. Last season, he scored a league-leading 44 goals for the Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis’ affiliate), which earned him a second tour of duty with the Senators this season. He has made the most of it.
Averaging just 10 minutes a night, Gaudette has scored 17 goals this season and added 7 assists. He sits at a +10, providing valuable contributions to the Senators in his limited ice time. Ottawa recently clinched the playoffs for its first berth since 2017. They face off against provincial rivals Toronto, which is sure to be a spicy affair.
While Canucks fans may not be going out of their way to cheer for a guy who only played 153 games with the team and hasn’t been with them for 4 seasons now, he still has put together quite a good story. Ottawa and Vancouver don’t exactly have any resounding tensions (2014 Heritage Classic means nothing because of John Tortorella), so that’s unlikely to dissuade anyone from being happy for Gaudette if the Sens string together a run. I’m personally glad that although my favourite team missed the playoffs, my city made it.
Vasily Podkolzin - Edmonton Oilers
Okay, I know what you’re thinking.
“How am I going to cheer for this guy when he plays for the Oilers?”
I really don’t know.
This isn’t even so much of a “you should cheer for this guy because he played for the Canucks!” This is a “well, if they win, at least he wins too.”
Vasily Podkolzin had a confusing tenure as a Canuck. He was drafted 9th overall by the team in 2019 and came over to North America in 2021, following a couple of seasons with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. Podkolzin’s rookie season in the NHL was a successful one: the Russian put up 26 points in 79 games, a solid start made even better when you remember how bad the Canucks were in 2021-22.
Unfortunately, things went a little downhill from there.
Podkolzin followed that up with an underwhelming 2022-23 season, which saw him split time between the NHL and AHL. Following just 7 points in 39 games that season, he spent the bulk of 2023-24 in Abbotsford. He returned to the big club late in the season, and despite looking good in that time, only had 2 points in 19 regular season games. In the offseason, the Canucks dealt him to Edmonton for a 4th round pick, a head-scratcher that was likely meant to free up cap space, though it’s not like he was making much anyway.
The Canucks front office is likely regretting that move. They used the money on Daniel Sprong, who they promptly shipped off 9 games into his Canucks tenure for absolutely nothing. While Sprong showcased an inability to play defense, Podkolzin turned into one of the best defensive forwards in the league in the early parts of the season. Though his analytics faltered slightly through the season, they’re still pretty solid. He’s a young piece that quite exactly fits the new direction the Canucks are going in. Pretty bad mistake.
Anyway, there’s no fault with Podkolzin there. He always did his best and persevered through the times when it wasn’t going so well. There’s no real reason to cheer against him. If Edmonton is to win the Stanley Cup (which they hopefully won’t), I will absolutely be happy for Vasily Podkolzin.
Other former Canucks on playoff teams:
Jalen Chatfield - Carolina
Riley Stillman - Carolina
Jimmy Vesey - Colorado
Casey DeSmith - Dallas
Troy Stecher - Edmonton
Jonah Gadjovich - Florida
Nate Schmidt - Florida
Kyle Burroughs - Los Angeles
Curtis Lazar - New Jersey
Justin Dowling - New Jersey
Daniel Sprong - New Jersey
Jacob Markstrom - New Jersey
Matthew Highmore - Ottawa
Travis Hamonic - Ottawa
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Toronto
Ben Hutton - Vegas
Anthony Beauvillier - Washington
Nic Dowd - Washington