The Vancouver Canucks weren’t supposed to look like this in New Jersey. Not after the week they’d had. Not after trading away their captain. Not after arriving on the back end of a loud, emotional storyline that never actually made it to the ice.

The three players Vancouver netted for Hughes made positive first impressions in their Canucks debuts on Sunday.

BOTTOM LINE: The Vancouver Canucks will try to break a three-game road skid when they visit the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey is 10-5-1 in home games and 18-13-1 overall. The Devils have gone 16-6-0 when scoring at least three goals.

Get New Jersey vs Vancouver hockey betting preview, spread and over/under insights for their matchup on Dec. 14.

The New Jersey Devils reportedly did make an offer for star defenseman Quinn Hughes before his trade to the Minnesota Wild.

The Rangers could use another impactful forward and should make a big push for Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.

Welcome back to another edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats,

Zeev Buium scored in his first game since being traded to Vancouver, Thatcher Demko stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced and the Canucks beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Sunday.