Tocchet: 'It's going to be harder' for Canucks to meet expectations this season

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is anticipating a more difficult path to success this season after his club's breakout 2023-24 campaign.

"We made strides (last season). ... But if we only do the same thing we did last year, we're going to get the same result," Tocchet told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "So, our expectations have to be higher, and we have to embrace that it's going to be harder."

Vancouver won the Pacific Division with 109 points last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The surge in the standings resulted in Tocchet winning the Jack Adams Award, but he recognizes how difficult it can be for a team to sustain success.

"This year's expectations are higher, and it's going to be harder," Tocchet said. "So, the two things for me: How are we going to handle expectations? And how do we condition ourselves that it's going to be hard?"

The Canucks boasted the sixth-ranked offense in 2023-24 but were a strong team in all facets of the game. Quinn Hughes won the Norris Trophy and goaltender Thatcher Demko was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. However, an injury to Demko in the first round of the playoffs hindered the club's championship aspirations despite reaching Game 7 of the second round with Arturs Silovs between the pipes.

Vancouver lost some key contributors - namely Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov - in free agency but added Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Daniel Sprong in an effort to bolster an offense that dried up in the playoffs.