During the off-season, both Canucks goaltenders became free agents. Cloutier was re-signed on July 18, 2001, while Essensa agreed to a contract with the Buffalo Sabres. With Essensa's departure, Cloutier established himself as the team's starting goaltender in 2001–02. He notched his first shutout as a Canuck on October 13, 2001, in a 4–0 win against the Avalanche. The following month, Cloutier was named NHL Player of the Week on November 6, 2001. He earned a second such distinction near the end of the season on March 18, 2002. Eight days later, he recorded his seventh and final shutout of the campaign in a 4–0 win against the Los Angeles Kings, setting a new team record. His seven shutouts surpassed Gary Smith and Garth Snow's previous team record of six, accomplished in 1974–75 and 1998–99, respectively. Cloutier's mark was later surpassed by Roberto Luongo, who recorded nine shutouts in 2008–09. Cloutier finished his first full season with Vancouver posting 31 wins, 22 losses and 5 ties with a 2.43 GAA and .901 save percentage. He played in a career-high 62 games despite missing nine games in January and February 2002 with an ankle injury.