Miscast and underutilized in Toronto, Josh Leivo was well on his way to establishing himself as a quality middle-six forward in Vancouver.
Leivo was counted on as a strong two-way presence who could play both wings while shuffling up and down every line in the top nine. The 27-year-old isn’t dynamic enough to help in transition — he’s very much a complementary winger — but he’s a beast at winning board battles and was really effective on the forecheck which quietly helped him drive excellent 5-on-5 results. Since joining the Canucks in the middle of the 2018-19 campaign, he ranks behind only J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson with a 51.1 percent expected goal differential, with Vancouver controlling 55.6 percent of actual goals with him on the ice.
Leivo’s offensive numbers don’t jump off the page but that’s because he isn’t much of a power play threat. At 5-on-5, he’s put up 1.61 points per hour over the last two years, which is a credible middle-six pace.
The only concern (and it’s a major one) with Leivo is health. He took a brutal season-ending hit from Vegas’ Nick Holden in December that broke his kneecap and wasn’t fit to play more than seven months later for Vancouver in the playoffs. Canucks general manager Jim Benning confirmed that Leivo would have returned if the team made it to the Stanley Cup Final so he’ll certainly play again, it’s just a matter of if he’ll be able to pick up where he left off. That’s a valid concern when you consider the effect that a major knee injury could have on a forward who’s already a below-average skater.
For that reason, Leivo is probably in the market to sign a one-year deal that should come close to $1 million. He could prove to be a bargain, a capable third-line winger for that type of price, but a team would have to be confident he can put this injury behind him.
