Rick Tocchet has already warned his Vancouver Canucks players sa国际传媒� the looming NHL season wonsa国际传媒檛 be easy.

The team made strides last year, the head coach said Wednesday ahead of training camp. The bar has been raised for this yearsa国际传媒檚 campaign.

sa国际传媒淭o get to the next plateau, there are higher expectations and itsa国际传媒檚 going to be hard. We know that,sa国际传媒� Tocchet said in Penticton, B.C., where the team will open its camp on Thursday.

sa国际传媒淪o thatsa国际传媒檚 the next level. It starts day one (on Thursday). My thing is donsa国际传媒檛 waste a rep out there.sa国际传媒�

The Canucks finished atop the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record last season, then ousted the Nashville Predators from the playoffs in a gritty, six-game first-round series. Vancouver then fell to the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game second-round set.

Last fall, Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, said everything would have to go right for the team to make a playoff push. That doesnsa国际传媒檛 change this season, he said, despite last yearsa国际传媒檚 success.

sa国际传媒淭he challenges will be greater, certainly. But I believe the team that we started with last year, we have just as good a team to start the season this year and probably better,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淎s long as the team builds off what they did last year, stick to what the coaches tell them, stick to the system, stick together in good times and bad times, this team has a chance to do pretty well.sa国际传媒�

Some key players will be missing as Vancouversa国际传媒檚 training camp begins, however.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Wednesday that star goalie Thatcher Demko will not be on the ice when the team begins itsa国际传媒檚 pre-season preparation.

Allvin did not disclose the reason for Demkosa国际传媒檚 absence, but said the 28-year-old American has been making progress.

sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檚 been in working extremely hard and he seems to be in a great mindset,sa国际传媒� the GM said.

Demko missed several weeks of the regular season and much of Vancouversa国际传媒檚 playoff run last spring with a knee injury.

The six-foot-four, 192-pound goalie has a career 213-116-81 regular-season record with a .912 save percentage, a 2.79 goals-against average and eight shutouts across seven seasons with the Canucks.

Allvin also announced that veteran centre Teddy Blueger and defensive prospect Cole McWard will also miss the start of training camp after each had sa国际传媒渕inor lower-body surgery.sa国际传媒�

Vancouver previously announced winger Dakota Joshua wonsa国际传媒檛 be present for the start of camp as he recovers from surgery for testicular cancer.

Tocchet said hesa国际传媒檒l have no problem filling the holes, and plans to switch his lines up a lot in Penticton.

sa国际传媒淣othingsa国际传媒檚 set in stone,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 think itsa国际传媒檚 important that you have different puzzles at different times.sa国际传媒�

The coach added that he expects standout centre Elias Pettersson to begin on a line with Canucks newcomer Jake DeBrusk.

Vancouver inked DeBrusk, a former Boston Bruins forward, to a seven-year, US$38.5 million deal when the NHLsa国际传媒檚 free agent market opened on July 1.

The glare on Pettersson is expected to be bright once again as he enters the first year of a new eight-year, $92.8 million contract. The 25-year-old Swede struggled at times last season and put 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games.

Rutherford said he was impressed with how Pettersson looked when he returned to Vancouver ahead of camp.

sa国际传媒淗e seems to be a guy thatsa国际传媒檚 more relaxed and more comfortable. And for obvious reasons,sa国际传媒� said the president of hockey ops. sa国际传媒淭his is a guy that I believe has worked really hard this summer. Hesa国际传媒檚 done everything he can to play as a top-line player. sa国际传媒� The expectation for him is to be one of the top players on our team.sa国际传媒�

A number of Canucks hit milestones last season, including Quinn Hughes, who led all NHL defencemen in scoring with 92 points and won the Norris Trophy as the leaguesa国际传媒檚 top blue liner.

Several players could once again have career-best years for Vancouver, Tocchet said, but theysa国际传媒檒l need to be consistent and not allow frustration to creep in when things go wrong.

sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檝e just got to drive yourself every day when you have a great year,sa国际传媒� the coach said. sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檝e got to keep creating that environment where they can achieve those goals, whatever they are. And the main goal is winning. Thatsa国际传媒檚 really what it comes down to.sa国际传媒�