麻豆传媒映画

As the season wears on and Christmas approaches, 麻豆传媒映画still hovers near the bottom of the league. After a terrible road trip and a humiliating loss in Carolina, I figured it was high time we started to count the presents under the tree.

Why not bask in a little bit of foolish optimism? I need it, you need it, and Jim Benning puzzlingly always has it. For all its bleakness, this season has dropped a few neatly wrapped and totally unexpected gifts into Vancouver鈥檚 hands.

Troy Stecher

Why not start with the obvious one first? Be honest, who could have predicted how good this young defenceman would be? Put your hand down, Devin! That鈥檚 a bald-faced lie!

Stecher put up pretty good points in his final year of college playing alongside Canucks prospect Brock Boeser, so he seemed like a promising prospect for Utica, but nothing more. The local kid showed up in a big way during prospect and training camp, showcasing a well-rounded game and serious power play prowess. He was sent to the Comets to start the season, but it didn't take long for the Canucks to call him back up. Praise Dave Babych鈥檚 mustache that they did. What would Vancouver鈥檚 blueline look like without him right now?

Stecher plays major minutes. He鈥檚 fast. He gets shots on net from the point, and he make smart, positional plays that make up for his small size. When Chris Tanev went down with an injury, he played with Alex Edler on the top pairing. Oh, and he鈥檚 just 22.

Remember, when he first arrived on the scene, even the sage minds here at Pass it to Bulis predicted he鈥檇 be competing for ice time with Philip Larsen.

The sky is the limit for Troy, and that鈥檚 saying a lot considering he鈥檚 already .

Loui Eriksson鈥檚 face

Loui Eriksson was the marquee signing for the Canucks in the off-season. Advertised as a two-way winger with top line scoring, he was expected to ride shotgun alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

At this point, Loui has just 12 points in 30 games with Vancouver. He hasn鈥檛 looked terrible with the twins, but he鈥檚 clearly not the best fit. (That would be Jannik Hansen.)

Luckily, though, there鈥檚 more to Eriksson that just his point production, defensive game and versatility. There鈥檚 his face.

That face is the best present a blogger could ask for. In just about every photo or screen capture, he manages to look like someone who has simultaneously burped and sneezed while snorting cocaine. I鈥檓 not making this up. Evidence:

It got even more intense when Eriksson went full Movember:

And do you recall the most famous Loui meme of all?

This photo already threatens to reach legend status in the NHL blogosphere.

No matter what happens this season, let鈥檚 remain grateful for the gift of Loui's face.

Bo Horvat

麻豆传媒映画has scary centre depth in all the wrong ways. That鈥檚 not to diminish Henrik Sedin at all, but he鈥檚 nearing retirement age. After that sits Brandon Sutter, Markus Granlund (who plays better as a winger) and Michael Chaput.

Wait. I鈥檓 forgetting someone important, aren鈥檛 I? What鈥檚 his name again? Ox? Beast? Rare glimmer of hope?

Bo Horvat was initially projected by many to be a third-line centre, perhaps moving as high as the second line if he met his potential. Guess what? Those people were both bad and wrong. .

Horvat is now playing upwards of 18 minutes a night. He turned a weakness (his skating) into a strength, and he is the catalyst of a highly effective second line alongside a revitalized Alex Burrows and a dangerous looking Sven Baertschi.

It鈥檚 not inconceivable to imagine him anchoring the top line down the road.

Oh Bo, 麻豆传媒映画loves you so.

Improbable goaltending depth

In short succession, the 麻豆传媒映画Canucks managed to exile two franchise caliber netminders. First Cory Schneider, then Roberto Luongo. They also somehow did it in a most irritating fashion for both keepers.

麻豆传媒映画doesn鈥檛 deserve any good goalie karma at this point, but they still got a bit of it, somehow.

Ryan Miller was an expensive signing, but he鈥檚 a steady 鈥榯ender and a calming influence in the locker room. It remains to be seen if he鈥檒l re-sign next season.

Jacob Markstrom is still improving, but he possesses incredible reflexes and superb athleticism. He鈥檚 stolen games for 麻豆传媒映画this year.

The real prize may be Thatcher Demko. The young stopper had a statistically similar career to Cory Schneider in Boston College. It took Schneider half a year to find his form in the AHL, whereas Demko has looked stellar after just a handful of games.

Improbable though it may be, I鈥檓 excited to say that Vancouver鈥檚 got a bit of depth in the puck stopping department.

Lottery Pick Excitement

It鈥檇 be easy to read this as a sarcastic comment. (That stands to reason. Sarcasm is the lingua franca in Bulietown lately) But please believe me when I say that it鈥檚 not.

Lottery picks are the best! Was I disappointed that 麻豆传媒映画landed the fifth overall pick instead of, say, Auston Matthews or Patrik Laine? Sure. But Olli Juolevi is a great prospect, and following the development of Vancouver鈥檚 young picks is one of the surpassing joys of fandom. At least for me.

It's exciting knowing that 麻豆传媒映画is potentially in the mix for a cornerstone player in 2017. I mean yeah, it鈥檚 kind of like receiving a big box at Christmas and unwrapping it only to find a note inside that says, 鈥淭BA鈥�, but it鈥檚 a happy thought all the same.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin

If you鈥檇 told me 18 years ago that the Canucks would be built around identical Swedish redheads for the next decade and a half, I would have incredulously plugged a Linkin Park CD into my Discman and tuned you out, rap-metal style.

I sometimes have to remind myself how unique they are, and how lucky 麻豆传媒映画is to have them.

Twins, with enduring top-line talent and the greatest on-ice chemistry you鈥檒l ever see. And they are tough, and professional, and they don鈥檛 complain, and they love this city and province. It鈥檚 the gift that keeps on giving. Well, that and a .

I鈥檓 getting the feels. Are you getting the feels? This is probably a good place to end the list, since I can鈥檛 think of a single better early Christmas present to find under the tree than Vancouver鈥檚 wonder twins.

. Can鈥檛 beat that. Oh baby! I gotta get me one of those.