Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau gives insight on upcoming season

With the NHL season just over a month away, Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau has high hopes as he returns for his first full season with the team.

Boudreau was hired part way through last season, and he says the team has a lot to build on from the 2021-22 campaign.

“We want to be positive, look at the good things we did and build off of it,” Boudreau told Global News on Wednesday.

“There’s always room for improvement, but I think one of the things in talking to the players this summer is that everyone is excited to get back and get ready to play.

“Talking to Elias (Pettersson), to J.T. (Miller) to Brock (Boeser), to all of them, they can’t wait to get here and start training camp. That’s a great sign.”

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Trade rumors involving Miller have been whispered over the past two seasons, but Boudreau said he has big plans for the 29-year-old forward who joined Vancouver in 2019 from Tampa Bay.

“I don’t anticipate (Miller) going anywhere,” Boudreau said over a zoom call.

“I talked to him last week and he’s very excited about (returning to the team). I think his wife is giving birth either today or tomorrow. Once that’s over, he’s getting over here and he can’t wait to start the season (as well).”

Looking forward to the upcoming season, Boudreau said he has high hopes for a couple new faces on the team.

“I watched a lot of (Ilya) Mikheyev play, whether video in the summertime or watching the Leafs play over the years. I’m really excited to see him and (Andrei) Kuzmenko.

“The conversions we’ve had and the video we’ve seen is that (Kuzmenko) is a really skilled player. (We might) have gotten a real secret weapon in free agency.”

The Canucks signed Ilya Mikheyev, a former Toronto Maple Leafs winger, to a four-year, $19 million deal this offseason, as well as Kuzmenko to a a one-year entry level contract from the KHL.

Boudreau will look to build off his impressive 32-15-10 record from the 2021-22 season, and perhaps have the team return to the playoffs.

Single-game tickets for the Canucks went on sale Wednesday.

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