It seems like an oxymoron to call the Vancouver Canucks a sleeper.

The only team in a hockey-mad city, the Canucks attract an incredible amount of media attention compared to most teams in the NHL. With so much noise around the Canucks, it’s hard for them to fly under the radar. 

When things are going well in Vancouver, the bandwagon fills up in a hurry. When things head south, the pitchforks and torches come out.

We saw both sides of this coin in the past two seasons. 

The Canucks were terrific in 2023-24, winning the Pacific Division and earning their head coach at the time, Rick Tocchet, the Jack Adams Trophy as the league’s best coach.

Everything seemed in place for another big season in 2024-25, but things got bizarre real fast in Hollywood North.

J.T. Miller took a leave of absence, then was traded to the Rangers, due to irreconcilable differences with fellow star forward Elias Pettersson, who saw his production dip to 45 points after posting totals of 102 and 89 in the two previous seasons.

The soap opera surrounding Miller and Pettersson led to other issues, which in turn negatively impacted Vancouver’s performance. The Canucks missed the playoffs, and their 90 points were 19 fewer than they tallied in 2023-24.

Things turned even more dour when Tocchet chose not to return and instead took a job with the Flyers.

Then came the rumors surrounding captain and face-of-the-franchise Quinn Hughes, who is being connected with a move to New Jersey to play with his two brothers.

With Miller and Tocchet out, and Hughes’ heart rumored to be in New Jersey, it’s easy to see why the Canucks are unfancied in the betting market ahead of the new campaign.

Sitting as high as 80/1 (BetRivers) to win the Stanley Cup, the Canucks went from division winner to also-ran in just over a calendar year.

And while most hockey pundits would advise you to stay away from this circus, bettors have to be willing to explore opportunities to buy low. And this could be an excellent one.

For all their shenanigans, the Canucks have themselves a solid roster. They’ve got a couple of stars in Hughes and Pettersson, there is plenty of depth around them, and their goaltending tandem has the potential to be one of the best in the NHL, so long as Thatcher Demko is healthy.

Just a couple of years ago, Demko was considered one of the best goalies in the circuit and was consistently a trendy pick to win the Vezina Trophy.

The California native posted a .913 save percentage in 182 games between 2021 and 2024, but injuries derailed his momentum, which put his career with the Canucks in doubt.

That all seems to be behind the 29-year-old, who has a terrific deputy in Kevin Lankinen. The Finn has blossomed into one of the most underrated netminders in the league in recent years and put up terrific numbers as Vancouver’s starter last season.

You should be able to poke holes in an 80/1 long shot, and you can certainly find faults with this roster – they could be weak down the middle if Filip Chytil can’t stay healthy – but there really aren’t any alarming red flags.

The defense, anchored by Hughes, looks solid with the addition of Marcus Pettersson, and there are a lot of scorers who can pick up the slack on a nightly basis. Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, Evander Kane, and Nils Hoglander are all bona fide top-six players, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki could get there in his sophomore year.

Even if you think backing the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup is out of the question, there are plenty of other ways to buy low on Vancouver.

Adam Foote to win the Jack Adams at 25/1 would be my favorite play of the bunch, as he will certainly garner plenty of support if the Canucks are around the 100-point mark. Vancouver is +320 to hit that plateau, which shows just how much value there is by backing Foote in his debut behind the bench.

PICK(s): Canucks (80/1, BetRivers) | Adam Foote to win Jack Adams (25/1), to get 100+ points (+320)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.