Rick Tocchet has already warned his Vancouver Canucks players 鈥� the looming NHL season won鈥檛 be easy.
The team made strides last year, the head coach said Wednesday ahead of training camp. The bar has been raised for this year鈥檚 campaign.
鈥淭o get to the next plateau, there are higher expectations and it鈥檚 going to be hard. We know that,鈥� Tocchet said in Penticton, B.C., where the team will open its camp on Thursday.
鈥淪o that鈥檚 the next level. It starts day one (on Thursday). My thing is don鈥檛 waste a rep out there.鈥�
The Canucks finished atop the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record last season, then ousted the Nashville Predators from the playoffs in a gritty, six-game first-round series. Vancouver then fell to the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game second-round set.
Last fall, Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, said everything would have to go right for the team to make a playoff push. That doesn鈥檛 change this season, he said, despite last year鈥檚 success.
鈥淭he challenges will be greater, certainly. But I believe the team that we started with last year, we have just as good a team to start the season this year and probably better,鈥� he said.
鈥淎s long as the team builds off what they did last year, stick to what the coaches tell them, stick to the system, stick together in good times and bad times, this team has a chance to do pretty well.鈥�
Some key players will be missing as Vancouver鈥檚 training camp begins, however.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Wednesday that star goalie Thatcher Demko will not be on the ice when the team begins it鈥檚 pre-season preparation.
Allvin did not disclose the reason for Demko鈥檚 absence, but said the 28-year-old American has been making progress.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been in working extremely hard and he seems to be in a great mindset,鈥� the GM said.
Demko missed several weeks of the regular season and much of Vancouver鈥檚 playoff run last spring with a knee injury.
The six-foot-four, 192-pound goalie has a career 213-116-81 regular-season record with a .912 save percentage, a 2.79 goals-against average and eight shutouts across seven seasons with the Canucks.
Allvin also announced that veteran centre Teddy Blueger and defensive prospect Cole McWard will also miss the start of training camp after each had 鈥渕inor lower-body surgery.鈥�
Vancouver previously announced winger Dakota Joshua won鈥檛 be present for the start of camp as he recovers from surgery for testicular cancer.
Tocchet said he鈥檒l have no problem filling the holes, and plans to switch his lines up a lot in Penticton.
鈥淣othing鈥檚 set in stone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that you have different puzzles at different times.鈥�
The coach added that he expects standout centre Elias Pettersson to begin on a line with Canucks newcomer Jake DeBrusk.
Vancouver inked DeBrusk, a former Boston Bruins forward, to a seven-year, US$38.5 million deal when the NHL鈥檚 free agent market opened on July 1.
The glare on Pettersson is expected to be bright once again as he enters the first year of a new eight-year, $92.8 million contract. The 25-year-old Swede struggled at times last season and put 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games.
Rutherford said he was impressed with how Pettersson looked when he returned to Vancouver ahead of camp.
鈥淗e seems to be a guy that鈥檚 more relaxed and more comfortable. And for obvious reasons,鈥� said the president of hockey ops. 鈥淭his is a guy that I believe has worked really hard this summer. He鈥檚 done everything he can to play as a top-line player. 鈥� The expectation for him is to be one of the top players on our team.鈥�
A number of Canucks hit milestones last season, including Quinn Hughes, who led all NHL defencemen in scoring with 92 points and won the Norris Trophy as the league鈥檚 top blue liner.
Several players could once again have career-best years for Vancouver, Tocchet said, but they鈥檒l need to be consistent and not allow frustration to creep in when things go wrong.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e just got to drive yourself every day when you have a great year,鈥� the coach said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to keep creating that environment where they can achieve those goals, whatever they are. And the main goal is winning. That鈥檚 really what it comes down to.鈥�
