What Vancouver hoped would be a continuation of the progress that the Canucks enjoyed last season has instead turned to disappointment in the midst of their slow start. Amid all the despair, Nils Höglander has been the city's beacon of hope.

Growing pains are on the way, but in the meantime, Höglander’s adjustment to the NHL has gone better than even his most fervent supporters expected. It’s not just his skill that’s impactful, but how miserable he makes life on the opposition each shift he’s out there.

Höglander’s defensive game is at the root of this, even in the early stages of his NHL career. Half the battle on defence is effort, maybe even more, and Höglander’s never short on it. He works non-stop every shift. That gives him a lot of power to stick around in an NHL lineup, even if the