Canucks' defensive problems reach new low as questions rise around Adam Foote

The Adam Foote era is off to a rough start, and a quarter of the way into the season, there's little evidence that the Vancouver Canucks are any better than last year. In fact, most of the underlying numbers suggest they might actually be worse.

Offence was anticipated to be a problem, and that fear has been confirmed. Vancouver sits near the bottom of the league in shots per game and goals scored, struggling to create anything resembling sustained pressure.

That part isn't surprising. What is surprising is how vulnerable the defence has become.

Defence was supposed to be a strength for the Canucks, backed by a top-three of Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, and Marcus Pettersson.

Instead, they've allowed the most goals in the NHL, the highest expected goals against per 60 at even strength, and the most high-danger chances against per 60.

With numbers like that, it's no surprise that many fans are starting to wonder if Adam Foote's impact has gone backwards rather than forwards. Some of Vancouver's key defenders have visibly taken a step back.

Save for Pettersson, every blueliner has been a step backward defensively, while the forwards, headlined by Jake DeBrusk and newcomer Lukas Reichel, have been heavily out-chanced.

The team's inability to generate offence only leaves them defending even more, perpetuating their possession problems.

Without Thatcher Demko's earlier heroics, things might have looked even darker. His injury has taken away the one safety net they had.

For now, the Canucks are fortunate not to be sitting at the very bottom of the standings, but the warning signs are impossible to ignore.