Garland making most of increased role with Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Conor Garland is liking his role this season.

The Vancouver Canucks forward is playing more minutes. He’s getting more responsibility. And for the most part, he’s getting results.

“It’s just been a bit of a different role this year: penalty kill, first line (at times), playing a lot, so I’m just trying to stay healthy and help us win each and every night,” Garland said Friday. “But it’s a fun role to have. It’s a privilege to have those minutes.

“Obviously, a little dip the last couple of nights, so I’d love to get back at it.”

Garland had an assist on Teddy Blueger’s empty-net goal in a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday and hopes for more when the Canucks (9-4-3) host the Nashville Predators (5-10-3) at Rogers Arena on Sunday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNSO).

Garland has 12 points (four goals, eight assists), third on the Canucks behind defenseman Quinn Hughes (17 points; three goals, 14 assists) and center J.T. Miller (16 points; six goals, 10 assists).

The 28-year-old is in his fourth season with Vancouver, which acquired Garland and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes for forwards Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson and Antoine Roussel on July 23, 2021. Through his first three seasons, Garland’s average ice time per game ranged from 14:32 to 16:24. This season, he’s averaging 18:55.

“He wins a lot of battles,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “He’s quick at the puck and he holds pucks too. He doesn’t throw pucks away and when you do that, it makes the other team play defense. When you throw pucks away it's easy to defend, so I think he’s one of our better players to hold onto the puck and make a play.”

At 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, Garland isn’t the biggest out there. But teammates agree with Tocchet that he’s great with puck possession and is also strong on the forecheck.

Garland can also bring a little sandpaper, according to left wing Jake DeBrusk, who has played two games with Garland (with center Elias Pettersson) this season.

“He’s got a little ‘Marchy’ (Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand) in him to be honest with you. I don’t think he’s as dirty. I can say that because I played with Marchy,” DeBrusk said with a laugh.

DeBrusk was drafted by the Bruins and played 465 regular-season games and 47 Stanley Cup Playoff games for them before signing a seven-year, $38.5 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) with the Canucks on July 1.

“They’re similar in some ways, that’s for sure,” DeBrusk said. “Those guys have to fight for every inch with how small they’ve been their whole life, right? So, that’s why it’s an easy comparison for me.”

Garland is also familiar with Tocchet, his coach when the two were with the Coyotes from 2018-21. Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau as Canucks coach Jan. 22, 2023.

“Obviously, he’s played a lot for me,” Tocchet said Saturday. “He’s an energizer type of guy. He drives lines and I play him on the penalty kill in the third so that gives him an extra 90 seconds so if there’s four penalties, he usually gets a minute or 90 seconds of that, so you’re going to 17 to 20 (minutes).

“But you have to be careful too; I don’t want to overplay him, but sometimes when you want to get your team going, sometimes you look for guys like that to get your team out of a funk.”

Tocchet looks to Garland to help other players either get out of their individual funks or get up and running again. The latter happened against the Blackhawks, with Garland playing on the third line with center Blueger and left wing Dakota Joshua, who made his season debut Thursday after being diagnosed with testicular cancer over the summer.

The three were first put together on the third line last season -- Garland and Joshua also played with Miller and Pettersson last season -- and it proved to be a consistent trio. Garland had 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games last season, Joshua had 32 points (18 goals, 14 assists) in 63 games and Blueger had 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 68 games.

“When we first started it was easy clicking and from there, the chemistry built,” Joshua said Saturday. “Just knowing what suits one another’s games and being on the same page as far as what we’re trying to do, it’s helped us out a lot.

“Obviously, this is going to be our first chance to do it this year, but it’s just easy to read off each other. It just clicks. He’s easy to play with.”

Garland said the three had a good session at Friday’s practice because they “did the same concepts we had last year that were effective for us.

“It makes us a better team when ‘Dak’ gets back in the lineup and he's going to take some time to get to where he was, but hopefully me and Teddy can help him.”

Garland and Joshua, especially, have formed a great friendship outside of the game. They like to needle each other, as shown when the two tended the drive-thru at a local Tim Hortons on Nov. 7.

“Sorry for the wait. We’ve got an amateur up here,” Joshua told one drive-thru customer regarding Garland.

Garland said the drive-thru shift was “tough.”

“I have a new respect for people when I go through the drive-thru and how much of a grind it is,” he said. “Sometimes it’s nice to see that and maybe next time if they mess up my order, I’m not going to be too mad or understand why because it’s a stressful job. I was very thankful for the girl who worked with us in that hour.”

Joshua said Garland “didn’t have the drive-thru skills that I have, but he was a good assistant on the drive-thru. He’s better supporting on the ice than on the drive-thru for sure.”

That support on the ice is what Garland is here for, after all. And the bigger role, which he’s earned.

“That’s why you train in the summer and work on your game each and every day, to play as much as you can, to help the team in all situations,” Garland said. “I enjoy it. Whatever situation I’m in I love, but right now I’m just trying to continue to play well.”