RSS Canucks Team Notes

[Vancouver Canucks]

Post-Deadline, should a Teddy Blueger extension really be on the table for the Canucks?

When reports were made earlier in Trade Deadline Week that the Vancouver Canucks were considering a post-deadline extension for pending UFA Teddy Blueger, some read it as a bit of negotiation gamesmanship. It might have been that the Canucks were trying to increase the trade offers coming in for Blueger by suggesting that they were happy to keep him if said offers never got up to snuff.

But if that were the case, it was a game of chicken that GM Patrik Allvin and Co. lost. The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and Blueger remains a Canuck. That being the case, one has to now assume that the reports were accurate, and that the Canucks are truly considering some sort of extension for Blueger.

Is that a wise idea if so?

Blueger, the player​

Entirely within the vacuum of his performance as a player, it’s hard not to argue that Blueger has earned an extension. Amid one of the most turmoil-laden seasons in franchise history, Blueger has remained a beacon of consistency. In fact, though injuries limited him to just 14 games pre-deadline, Blueger has eight points in those 14 games, good for a 0.57 PPG average. If that holds, it’ll be the most productive season of his career. And how many Canucks are going to call 2025-26 anything close to their best?

Points aside, Blueger continues to do all those little things that many thought would make him an ideal candidate for some contender to add as depth at the deadline. He’s skating 16:14 a night, he’s starting most of his shifts in the defensive end, and he’s killing penalties. The only thing that has slipped at all in Blueger’s game, here at the age of 31, are his faceoffs, down to a near-career-worst 45.8%. One has to assume that is at least partially down to a late start and needing to shake off some rust while facing centres in mid-season form.

Put all that together, and under plenty of circumstances, a Blueger extension might make sense. On the ice, there’s little chance that Blueger’s play is going to hurt the Canucks anytime soon. Of course, if we’re talking impact, then the context of the Trade Deadline has to be applied next. Allvin spoke about a lack of offers for Blueger, but surely there had to be at least something out there at some point along the way. We saw other bottom-six centres like Michael McCarron (second round pick), Scott Laughton (third round pick), Sam Carrick (third and sixth round picks), Nic Dowd (second and third round picks) go for better-than-decent returns. With the Canucks maintaining an unused retention slot, there almost had to be at least a little draft capital theoretically available for Blueger.

Management must be thinking, to some extent, that a Blueger extension is worth more than said draft capital, in both the short and long run. The line of thinking where Blueger gets extended to prevent him from “walking away for nothing” doesn’t really fly if the team had the option to trade him, and is a little too close to a sunk-cost fallacy for comfort, anyway. The motivation to keep Blueger has to go beyond that.

Concerns with keeping Blueger​

An immediate concern about a potential Blueger extension that will be raised is around roster space. The Canucks’ forward corps already got a little squishy at times this season, and there’s hope of more youth being injected into that mix next year. In the end, it was probably assumed by most that more bodies than just Kiefer Sherwood, Conor Garland, and David Kampf would be shipped out.

If we look just at Blueger’s centre position, he’d be extending to slot somewhere into a depth chart that could still include Elias Pettersson, Marco Rossi, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson. We’ll count Filip Chytil out of the centre picture for now, but prospects Braeden Cootes and the recently-recalled Ty Mueller will both make a push for a spot in camp.

In a world where Sasson makes an oft-expected transition to the wing, and where both Cootes and Mueller develop further in the AHL next season, there is a theoretical spot left open for Blueger, platooning in the bottom-six with Räty – as he will presumably do for the rest of 2025-26, regardless of an extension.

There seems to be little chance of Blueger truly blocking anyone, at least not for the 2026-27 campaign. If someone like Cootes pushes their way onto the roster, Blueger can be pushed down the depth chart easily enough, or even slide over to the wing himself. The Canucks wish they had more forward prospects gunning for jobs, but they really don’t, at least not yet.

One could talk here about team culture. As those aforementioned prospects spend more time in the NHL with the Canucks, it’s important that they’re receiving the right kind of mentorship. By all accounts, Blueger is a consummate professional with Cup-winning experience who sets a positive example for his teammates. He’s the exact kind of veteran to keep around in the room for that exact purpose.

There is, of course, always the possibility of trading Blueger again at some point in the future, if he does indeed sign a contract extension. There’ll almost certainly be another hot market for centres at the 2026 Trade Deadline, and at the 2027 Trade Deadline, and so on…

Whatever draft or prospect capital may have been made available for Blueger this year may be made available again. There was a lot of talk about the Canucks potentially taking on flippable cap dumps to sell in the future, but it’s always better when the players you’re flipping are players you actually want around in the meantime.

But if we look at all these factors at the same time, it becomes clear that the main and most important mark of whether a Blueger extension makes sense for the Canucks will be the term. The rebuild is on, the draft picks are being acquired, and those forward spots are going to be needed eventually. Blueger may contribute positively on and off the ice right now, and he may not be blocking the progress of anyone yet, but the longer he sticks around, the more likely it is that he starts to get in the way.

Sign Blueger to a one- or maybe even two-year extension at about the same price he’s at now, and most should be able to get on board for that. Plan for him to be a good influence and a bit of a stabilizing force for the youngsters for another partial season or two, and then plan to cash in on him thereafter.

Anything more than that, however, and the Canucks would be best to pursue other, similar options that are available on short-term deals. Simply put, Vancouver’s days of signing veterans to long-term contracts should be at an end here, and at an end for a good long while. That’s as true for Blueger as it is for anyone.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/post-deadline-should-teddy-blueger-extension-table-vancouver-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Lankinen’s 32 saves not enough as Canucks lose 3-2 in OT vs. Jets

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

Starting lineup​

Doing my best @BatchHockey impression. Here goes:#Canucks line up vs @NHLJets

Hoglander – EP40. DeBrusk
Ohgren – Rossi – Boeser
Kane – Raty – O’Connor
Sasson – Blueger – Karlsson

EP25 – Hronek
MP29 – Willander
Buium – Mancini

Lankinen@Sportsnet650 pic.twitter.com/JgRw36fCg4

— Randip Janda (@RandipJanda) March 7, 2026

Sportsnet 650’s radio host, Brendan Batchelor, is out tonight due to illness. Randip Janda gets the nod for tonight’s starting lineup.

Head Coach Adam Foote is not messing with Friday night’s winning lineup. That means no 6’9″ Curtis Douglas. The only change is that Kevin Lankinen gets the start tonight.

First period​

Morgan Barron gave the Canucks a scare when he rang a snapshot from the top of the right circle off the post two minutes into the game that left Lankinen sprawling in desperation, but it stayed out.

It took the Canucks a few minutes to settle into this game. They did not register a shot on goal for over seven minutes into the opening period – but they made it count.

Teddy Blueger sends an outlet pass to a streaking Max Sasson through the neutral zone. He enters the zone and drops it back to Linus Karlsson, so burrows through two Jets players and gets enough on the shot to fire it into the far-side top corner over Connor Hellebuyck on the Canucks’ first shot on goal of the game.

Canucks goal

One shot, one goal! Karlsson snaps one past Hellebuyck!

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/jE89FDaNbr

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

1-0 Canucks.

The ice was very tilted in the Jets’ favour after the goal. But Kevin Lankinen was up for the challenge, stopping a few solid Jets chances. It took the Canucks nearly five minutes after registering their second shot of the game, as Marco Rossi tips a Jets clearing attempt, which lands perfectly in an area for Brock Boeser to skate onto the puck and fire a backhand shot on Hellebuyck. Liam Öhgren was nearly able to tuck home the rebound, but missed the chance.

It was a bit more of the same after this point. A lot of Jets pressure, but as he did on Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Lankinen had a strong first period. He stopped 14 of 15 shots he faced in that game, and all 10 he saw in this opening frame. Nils Höglander and Elias Pettersson added a pair of shots on goal in the final minute of the frame, but the Canucks were still outshot 10-5 through the first 20 minutes.

Second period​

Just like the first period, the second started slowly. The Jets had a slight edge in the shot on goal department and registered the best chance when Adam Lowry found Gabe Vilardi in stride entering the Canucks zone. Vilardi holds the puck in a shooting position, dropping Lankinen out of his crease, dekes around the sprawling goaltender and tries to tuck it in behind him. However, the puck slides through the crease with the net wide open because Victor Mancini boxed out Cole Perfetti.

The Jets held the zone after the chance, which resulted in Zeev Buium taking the first infraction of the game. With the extra attacker, the Jets cause chaos around the Canucks net. Vilardi, again, sends the puck through the crease behind Lankinen. The puck bounces out to the slot for Morgan Barron to get a Grade-A chance on net, but Lankinen made the save lying on his side along the goal line.

Vancouver’s penalty killers did a great job of not allowing the puck to the middle of the ice on the ensuing power play, and held the Jets without a shot on goal. Considering the Canucks’ penalty kill was at 66.7% in the five games post-Olympic break, it was a solid kill.

That power play opportunity sparked something in the Jets. Following the power play, the Jets continued to pour it on, sending another two chances through the crease behind Lankinen, but couldn’t find the equalizer.

The Canucks’ best chance came with about five minutes to go in the second, when Sasson, for the second straight game, used his speed to his advantage by chipping the puck past the defender when on a rush through the neutral zone. Much like his empty net goal against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sasson was first on the puck and fired a cross-crease pass to Karlsson, who hit the outside of the post on his one-time attempt.

Winnipeg had another high-quality chance near the end of the period, this time from its fourth line. Dylan Samberg took a blast from the point; Barron attempted to flick the puck to his forehand, which went perfectly onto the stick of Cole Koepke for a chance. Lankinen comes way out of his net to get a piece of it, but Koepke grabs his own rebound. He takes the puck behind the net for a wrap-around attempt, but Elias Pettersson (D) drops to his knees and keeps the post covered to keep the puck out.

The Jets were turning up the heat, and it felt like, with all these chances, it was only a matter of time before they would capitalize. And with under a minute remaining, they did just that.

After an icing call with 12 seconds remaining, Jonathan Toews wins the faceoff directly to Mark Scheifele, who wheels the puck to the high slot and fires a wrist shot top shelf past Lankinen to tie the game heading into the final break.

Mark Scheifele ties it late in the 2nd.

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/DKTbp7a5zZ

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

1-1 tie.

Third period​

The Canucks didn’t have strong starts to the first two periods, but they were just saving their best efforts for the third.

Linus Karlsson wins the race to the loose puck in the left circle, draws a penalty while also shovelling a pass to Teddy Blueger in the slot. With his back turned to the net, Blueger is able to see an open Öhgren, who drops to a knee and fires a shot through Hellebuyck’s five-hole to give the Canucks the lead just over 30 seconds into the period.

Canucks goal

The Canucks retake the lead right as the 3rd period starts!

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/65yqOj6Dom

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

2-1 Canucks.

As most of the game has gone to this point, the Jets continued to control play territorially. The Jets’ dynamic duo of Kyle Connor and Scheifele got to work in the offensive zone, and nearly connected on a one-time slot shot from the Canadian centre. But it was the Canucks’ Finnish netminder who won that battle.

Lankinen stops the one-timer!

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/K6vY6DbpYc

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

The next 12 minutes or so were as expected: the team trailing pushed hard to tie the game, but Lankinen wasn’t having any of it. But he faced his biggest challenge when Sasson took a cross-checking penalty when he sent Dylan Demelo headfirst into the boards with six minutes to go.

Winnipeg was generating some threatening pressure on the ensuing power play. Schiefele held the puck on the left half-wall, drawing Filip Hronek toward him. With Marcus Pettersson following Cole Perfetti to the slot, this left Vilardi all alone at the net front, and he made a couple of dekes and roofed a backhand shot over Lankinen to tie the game, again.

Gabriel Vilardi ties it on the power play.

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/aLg4nw47ua

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

2-2 tie.

This game is going to overtime.

Overtime​

The Canucks started the extra frame with Blueger, Öhgren, and Hronek. After the faceoff win, Blueger changed for Rossi, who gave possession to the Jets following a wrist shot from distance. The Jets then maintained possession for a while, getting their best chance on a Kyle Connor rush, but Lankinen made the save.

An errant Jets pass leads to the Canucks regaining possession, and Jake DeBrusk springs Pettersson on a breakaway. He shoots from the hashmarks, but Hellebuyck makes the right pad save.

After the Pettersson chance, the Jets head the other way on a three-on-two. Connor drops the puck to Scheifele, who passes it to Josh Morrissey, who attempts a slap-pass to Connor. That pass attempt deflects off Hronek’s left skate and behind Lankinen.

Morrissey wins it for the Jets in overtime.

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/ICYgR5ftYY

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 8, 2026

3-2 Jets Final.

Takeaways from tonight’s game:

– Lankinen had a nice bounce-back performance after he was pulled following three second period goals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced, but walks away with the loss on his record. It hasn’t been his best season, and I find he slides out of his crease and out of position far more than he did last season, but it was a solid effort for the Canucks netminder.

– Sasson and Karlsson just look better when they’re playing with each other. Karlsson was quiet without Sasson in the lineup, being held pointless in the three games without him. It’s no surprise that he’s now picked up points in three straight now that he’s back in the lineup. Their chemistry stems back to their Abbotsford days, but it’s a duo that should stick together moving forward.

– The third on Sasson and Karlsson’s line is Blueger. And I just find it hard to believe that there wasn’t a market for him. Blueger is a better player than David Kämpf, whom the Canucks were able to sell to the Washington Capitals for a sixth-round pick. Don’t get it twisted, Blueger is still just a fourth-line centre on a contending team. But even at that point, he had eight points in 14 games. And after this last set of games, he’s up to 11 points in 16 games on the season.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/instan...h-vancouver-canucks-lose-3-2-ot-winnipeg-jets

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

WDYTS: Who do you predict will lead the Canucks in scoring in 2026-27?

Welcome back to WDYTS, the only hockey column on the internet that is still one of the least awkward places to see your own name online.

Speaking of awkward, you find us in an awkward moment. As many of you know, these columns are prepared a little earlier in the week and are usually published on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or sometimes Sundays! For this week, that means that some of you will be reading these words on the cusp of the Trade Deadline, some of you will be reading them on it, and some of you will be reading them in the aftermath.

So, it’s a little too late to ask you to predict anything for deadline day. But it’s also too early to ask you for your review of what went down. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that next week. For now, however, we’re taking the opportunity to bust out of our current timeline a bit and cast our eyes way toward the future.

Let’s talk about the team scoring race. Whether one realizes it or not, and whether one really wants to call it a race, there is a bit of a contest for who leads the Canucks in scoring in 2025-26, with departed players excluded. Currently, it’s Elias Pettersson with a scant 35 points, but Filip Hronek is close behind with 32. Jake DeBrusk comes in at third with 29, and we don’t really need to go on from there.

Don’t worry, we’re not asking about this scoring race. Just listing the top three was sad enough.

But the nice thing about sports is that there’s always next year. So, what about next year’s team scoring race? From where we’re sitting, it looks like a fairly wide-open field.

But what about from where you’re sitting?

This week, we’re asking you:

Who do you predict will lead the Canucks in points for the 2026-27 season?​

Let it be known in the comment section.

Last week, we asked:

Will the Canucks be better represented at the 2030 Olympics than they were at the 2026 Games?​

You answered below!

nickmac89:

Hah! we better be! Since we’ll be drafting so high this year and next, let’s optimistically say our first this year and next will make their Olympic rosters.

RDster:

Honestly, I don’t know and am not concerned whether they will be better represented in France than in Italy. I didn’t watch one Olympics game in 2026 and I’m not going to watch one in 2030 either. I’m here for NHL hockey and that’s IT.

Kiwi Canuck:

Considering we’re supposed to be in a rebuild, chances are high we have less representation. I’m not 100% certain EP40, Hronek, and Lankinen will still be here. I’m certain the others…Blueger, Kampf, Ravinskis, and Reichel won’t be. As for our prospects…Willander and maybe Öhgren might, but I doubt any of the others make it…that includes any we draft this or next season. I doubt we select Stenberg.

burnabybob:

(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)

Unless they luck out with some draft picks, it’s possible the Canucks have less representation in 2030 than they had this year. Buium could find a spot with Team USA if he keeps developing. Maybe Willander with Sweden, but I bet EP 40 won’t be on the next Olympic squad, and maybe Lankinen won’t make the Finnish roster.

BananasAndPepsi:

I don’t see the Canucks being better represented in 2030. I’d guess they’ll have three: Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, and…Gavin McKenna. (Yes, I’m calling a draft lottery win.)

Magic Head:

Sure, if they draft 30 players from France, Latvia, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland, they’ll have at least 30 players at the Olympics in 2030.

Reubenkincade:

No.

Uncle Jeffy:

My guess is there will be two. Ravinskis and Sansonnens. The only other is potentially Buium, but there is an awfully long list he would have to climb.

FV Fan:

Only if they add the country of Team Kitten.

Stephan Roget:

The official (optimistic) prediction is ten participants (though not all of them will still necessarily be Canucks by then.) That’s Elias Pettersson, Filip Hronek, Anri Ravinskis, and Lukas Reichel back from the current Olympians, plus Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Liam Öhgren, Aatu Räty (still a believer), Basile Sansonnens, and, yes, the first selection the Canucks make in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Honestly, there’s an outside chance Teddy Blueger is still playing some good hockey by then, so maybe add him to the list, too.

Mostly, this all serves as a good reminder of how long four years will be in the sport of hockey.

Jibsys:

The Canucks were already well represented at the Olympics, just not on any of the good teams.

My guess is that they have fewer Olympians next time around but hopefully better players overall.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/wdyts-predict-lead-vancouver-canucks-scoring-2026-27

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

3 Stars of the Week: Brock Boeser nets three goals in a resilient week for the Canucks

Welcome back to Stars of the Week at CanucksArmy! Every week, we’ll be bringing you our Top Three best and brightest performers on the Vancouver Canucks that week. Disagree with our picks or have your own stars to nominate? Let us know in the comments below!

Congratulations to both the Vancouver Canucks and to you, kind reader, for making it past the NHL trade deadline.

A moment to commemorate the members of the Canucks organization who did not, in fact, escape the trade deadline unscathed: Conor Garland, Tyler Myers, David Kämpf, Jett Woo, Lukas Reichel.

A moment to commemorate the members of the Canucks organization who are somehow still there: Evander Kane (self-explanatory), and Teddy Blueger (what return could Vancouver have possibly asked for to make a Blueger deal unfeasible?).

After the flurry of activity at the deadline, the Canucks visibly played like they had the weight of the world lifted from their shoulders to an almost comical degree. After they began the week with a demoralizing 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, they bounced back with a truly commendable 6-4 comeback effort against the Carolina Hurricanes after allowing four unanswered initial goals, and then earned their first win since January against the Chicago Blackhawks. They ended the week with an overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets which was a moderate redemption game for Kevin Lankinen after he was pulled against Carolina earlier in the week. The Canucks will be on the right track if they keep up this pace: still losing against far better teams, but putting up a fight rather than accepting their fate before they even take the ice for warmups. The Canucks will not be a good team for quite some time, but they can still be a team with some fight left in them.

Rock Bottom Stats Corner​

Games played this week(s): 4
Games won this week(s): 1
Goals scored this week(s): 13
Goals against this week(s): 18
Total points gained this week(s): 3
Games since last win: 1
Games won in 2026: 3
Goals scored in 2026: 52
Goals against in 2026: 100
Players traded in 2026: 6…and now that we are past the trade deadline, we won’t hear that Hunger Games tribute sacrifice cannon again until the summer.

Max Sasson​

Max Sasson is the secret to this team’s success. This is clearly something expected and universally agreed upon…right?

After Vancouver traded away noted star centre David Kämpf, Max Sasson drew back into the Canucks line-up for the first time since before the Olympic break, slotting into the fourth line. In terms of the scoresheet, Sasson had a three-point week, and, statistically speaking, Sasson was the highest even-strength offence driver on the ice for two straight games.

It’s a good thing Sasson earned first star of the week accolades, because he might need the clout to leverage in the local real estate market. Sasson was apparently living rent-free with Conor Garland.

#CBJ Conor Garland said #Canucks youngster Max Sasson was living w him rent free in Vancouver this season, but the “rent” is coming due now that Garland has been traded.
Sasson is in charge of packing Garland’s belongings so they can be shipped to Columbus.
“He’s gonna be busy.”

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 7, 2026

With Garland now sent to Columbus, Sasson has been tasked with the role of professional UHauler. Being forced to confront Vancouver rent prices is maybe the worst outcome for any player at the deadline. I send my thoughts to him at this time.

Brock Boeser​

It was a relief to see Brock Boeser find the back of the net multiple times in one week – a reminder of times gone by, yes, but also a reminder that #6 has still got a finishing touch.

Things in Vancouver have been far from ideal since Boeser unexpectedly extended with the Canucks on July 1st to a seven-year contract. Perhaps it was underestimated just how quickly things would fall apart, but there is no way that Boeser and his camp did not foresee choppy waters ahead for the team.

Boeser put up three goals this week – yes, even his empty-net goal that sealed the game against Chicago counts. Boeser had previously not had points in consecutive games since January, and even before, multi-point games have been few and far between for the winger this season.

Round of applause for tonight's axe recipient. pic.twitter.com/j7od12BewL

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 7, 2026

Here is Boeser looking the happiest he has looked all season while holding an axe, which seems fitting for this season. Given that the Canucks have only won three games in 2026, so the introduction of the locker room winning axe earlier this season has been almost forgotten. If they’re trying to build up room chemistry from the ground up, I think a post-season visit to an axe-throwing rage room might be on the menu.

Filip Hronek​

It is hard to understate how important Hronek is to the Canucks at the moment. He has been driving play from the back end and topping ice time not just for defencemen, but for all skaters. Hronek’s best showing was certainly against Carolina, where he had himself a three-point night and played over three minutes more than the runner-up skater, Marcus Pettersson.

While it is fruitless to be adding anything to the conversation surrounding Hronek and the captaincy – a conversation that should not even be happening until the team has stopped having an identity crisis – it is important to note that leadership is not a “one-size fits all” trait. Hronek has stepped into being the backbone of the blue line and a key pillar of the entire team with as much grace as he could muster in this situation. Please note his following comments which truly just get to the point of a rebuild:

Filip Hronek on being the last defenceman remaining from the playoff team 2 years ago:

“It is sad, but something new & exciting is coming” #Canucks pic.twitter.com/bzqC48pSDR

— Randip Janda (@RandipJanda) March 4, 2026

He is not the most talkative in front of a camera, that much is true, but he is clearly well-respected and sets an example for others in a primarily internal-facing role, which is fine. Even necessary, actually. Maybe Hronek is not the captaincy type, or maybe he is; he brings consistency right now, and that’s what matters.

Honourable Mentions​

Nils Höglander, Marco Rossi, Nikita Tolopilo

There has not been much reason to have honourable mentions in 3 Stars this season, for obvious reasons, but there were a good handful of players this week that showed signs of life. It should go without saying, but the current state of the team as a collective does not represent the potential or the ceiling of any individual player. Tom Willander, for example, is one of the most exciting young players on the roster at the moment, but he has been routinely forced to play a role that makes him look like Sisyphus with his boulder.

Höglander played his way out of the bottom six, Rossi announced his arrival as a Canuck with a solid stretch of games, and Tolopilo continued to hold strong while being put into an unexpected role. Those are moral wins; we count those.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/3-stars-week-brock-boeser-nets-3-goals-resilient-week-ancouver-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Curtis Douglas knows his role and is ready to battle for new Canucks teammates

Curtis Douglas understands the assignment.

The massive winger, claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, skated with his new teammates for the first time on Monday morning. He is expected to suit up and make his Canucks debut on Monday night against the Ottawa Senators, although Adam Foote wouldn’t fully commit to putting Douglas in the lineup tonight.

Curtis Douglas takes the ice for first time with #Canucks pic.twitter.com/NuAWnE26wM

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 9, 2026

When he met with the media for the first time, Douglas discussed the opportunity in front of him and fully grasps that he has been brought in to provide an element of toughness and physicality that has been missing from the Vancouver lineup this season.

“I know it’s a younger, skilled group and I think it will be fun to get in there and mix it up a little bit and be there for the younger guys and not let other teams push us around at all,” Douglas said.

At 6’9”, Douglas joins New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe as the tallest players in the National Hockey League. In 29 games this season with Tampa Bay, the 26-year-old Toronto native registered a pair of assists, picked up 92 penalty minutes and dropped the gloves on eight occasions.

He says he’s hoping to put those same traits on display with the Canucks.

“It’s pretty simple for me,” he explained. “It’s getting in on the forecheck and making sure guys on the other team going back for the puck are going to pay a price. And just bringing that toughness and some passion and hopefully the fans will like that, too. As a new guy coming into the league, obviously it’s your dream to play in the NHL, so I’ll do whatever I can to stay and whatever I can to contribute and be an asset to the Canucks. So whatever they need me to do, I’m here for it.”

At morning skate on Monday, Douglas found himself on a line with Aatu Räty and Drew O’Connor. It’s been a whirlwind weekend that saw Douglas claimed on waivers on Friday, and the scramble was on to join his new teammates in Winnipeg on Saturday. He had Sunday off to catch his breath and is ready to report for duty starting tonight.

Douglas said he didn’t know any of his new teammates before he met up with the club, but he did play against a handful of the current Canucks in last year’s American Hockey League playoffs when he was with the Tucson Roadrunners.

He’s in the NHL now and hoping to stay for the long haul, although he’s a pending group six unrestricted free agent, so he will require a new contract after this season. That makes these final 19 games on the Canucks schedule important to Curtis Douglas. And his best path to a new deal is to play to his strengths whenever he’s in the lineup.

“I think a big transition to playing professional hockey is the guys are bigger, faster, stronger and sometimes, people get caught,” he said. “ It helps some of the guys to feel a little safer to play their game and do what they need to do if I’m out there and able to take care of business for them if they can’t do so or making sure that no one on the other team is taking liberties or that kind of thing.”

Without question, at his size and with his frame, Curtis Douglas cuts an imposing figure. It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of presence he will carry over the final six weeks for the Vancouver Canucks.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/curtis-douglas-knows-role-ready-battle-vancouver-canucks-teammates

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Canucks keep stranglehold on last place with gutsy 2-0 loss to Senators

Travis Green and his Ottawa Senators rolled into town Monday night, and to all the haters who said it would be a tedious, low-event hockey game, well, you were correct. Honestly, great call from the haters.

Losing 2-0 or 19-18, it ultimately doesn’t matter, however. Maintaining your ability to draft a top-three pick is the only endgame here, though I will say this contest was better than others we’ve watched this season. The bar is low, of course, shockingly low, but at least the team didn’t seem to be openly pouting about being stuck here?

And look, I get it, a lot of the veterans who got shipped out thought 2024 was the start of something great. That a lot of their plans were based on a team led by Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, Thatcher Demko, and Elias Pettersson. It was probably hard to switch up from that to “we think this AHL trio is going to be gangbusters for us this season.” But the vibes were bad, we all know it. It doesn’t matter why they were, but things around here were depressing. The culture on this team was essentially an in-game chat of a game of Warzone.

Now, it at least feels a bit lighter. Partly due to the trade deadline no longer being an escape pod, and partly because a lot of the veterans were sent to live on a farm upstate, it left a group of young men who are excited to prove they belong in this league, and Evander Kane.

And while once I finish this article, I will never think nor want to view anything from this game ever again (I encourage you to do the same), at least when watching Travis Green slowly choke the life out of anything resembling excitement in hockey, you were able to appreciate the feisty push back from the Canucks.

No, they weren’t able to solve the Ottawa Senators’ defensive system, as this is a hard league to win games in, after all.

But they hung around and made Ottawa work for the victory, which, low bar aside, is a welcome reprieve from watching Conor Garland stare 1,000 yards into the distance on the bench as he wonders if Max Sasson will remember to write “Fragile” on the proper boxes, should he get traded.

I don’t think we need to wax poetic any longer about this game, so let’s just dive right into the dystopian nightmare known as Travis Green hockey.

Best anticipated debut

Confirmed Douglas sighting #Canucks

— Dragon Was Slayed (@522IntoOvertime) March 10, 2026

With so little to watch for, you bet your ass that the debut of Sir Douglas the Tall is going to garner some excitement in Vancouver. This fanbase got just a taste of big man swagger when Nikita Zadorov briefly patrolled the blue line in Vancouver, so you can excuse people for chasing that dragon and looking forward to seeing if the rebuild years, which will be lean, at least come with a healthy dose of “eff you” energy in the form of angry shoves, big hits, and occasional fisticuffs.

You might beat Vancouver easily for the next several seasons, but a solid combination of youthful exuberance and Burnaby 8 rinks late-game-emotional-baggage-anger-energy will go a long way in keeping this fan base entertained and supportive.

I will say that I was disappointed that on the first shift, Sir Douglas didn’t drop his gloves and point his sword at Brady Tkachuk and challenge him to a duel, but baby steps. He, in fact, did nothing of note in this game, which I attribute to the fact that it was a 1-0 game, and Curtis wants a job next season. Running around chasing hits and costing his team a victory is probably a quick way to find himself benched, so it wasn’t surprising to see him have a bit of a cautious debut.

Also, it was jarring to go from Kyle Wellwood rocking 42 to this new Winter Soldier variant.

That being said, the next time we get a blowout game or someone takes a run at a Canucks player, I look forward to the jousting tournament from Curtis.

Best this is where the big boys play

Tkachuk and Cozens down low must be a nightmare to deal with

— Tyler (@politicstcan) March 10, 2026

The Senators’ offence is fueled by Brady Tkachuk just sort of bowling into people like he’s overstayed his visit on a Saturday night on Granville, and he put it to good use early on. The first big scoring chance from Ottawa was off a play where Linus Karlsson lost a board battle, and Tom Willander stepped up to try and cover, leading to Tkachuk receiving the puck down low in front of Kevin Lankinen:

Lankinen made a good save by standing his ground and was actually really good throughout the night. Again, this wasn’t exactly a barn burner, so the offensive chances from both teams weren’t exactly lighting the world on fire, but credit where credit is due, as Kevin was solid in this one.

Brady then had another great scoring chance where the Senators essentially threw a ball for their Golden Retriever to chase down, and it almost resulted in Tkachuk redirecting the shot into the net with his skate:

It was a grindy, low-event game that brought to mind the 2003 trap era of hockey, the kind of hockey Darby Henrdickson and Wes Walz would be proud of, and if you hear the sound of someone screaming and wishing for a sweet release from this life, that would be me.

Best new PBs

Elias Pettersson has tied his career high in PIMs: 18

— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 10, 2026

First, Elias Pettersson sets a record for blocked shots, and now he’s out here reaching new heights in penalties. The transformation to embracing the “little things” is both impressive and also horrifyingly scary. Do I think he has fully turned into Loui Eriksson? Of course not. Don’t be silly.

Am I worried he is trending that way rather quickly? Of course I am, you’d be silly not to. As long as he doesn’t put a puck into his own empty net, we’re safe, but I find myself wondering if it’s only a matter of time with the way Adam Foote pulls his goalies early in games.

Anyways, here is the monster penalty Elias Pettersson earned in this game for…slightly touching someone with his stick?

To be fair, nobody has drawn more penalties from flops on the Canucks than EP40, as he has perfected the art of the Myotonic goat. You can’t really complain about him having to balance things out by taking an eyebrow-raising penalty once in a while.

Also, with Tyler Myers gone, someone has to pick up the burden of handing out lower-back cross-check penalties, so on that end, it shows savvy veteran leadership.

Best glimmers of hope

Ohgren/Rossi/Boeser is wiiiiiiiiiiiiild

— Curtis Hilton (@CHiIton20) March 10, 2026

We talk about it often, but glimmers of hope are all you have during seasons like these. Glimmers of a better future, one in which single line tracking on the Skytrain doesn’t rear its ugly head at you on a rainy day.

And on this night, the Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, and Brock Boeser line was the most offensively intriguing trio in the game for Vancouver, as they actually looked like they might score on occasion.

Their best chance was probably the shorthanded two-on-one rush started off of a delightful Brock Boeser defensive read in his own zone:

Boeser continued that defensive energy and would later pick off a puck in the Senators’ zone, before finding Liam for the shot attempt on net:

Somehow, for one period, Brock Boeser turned into an elite defensive takeaway machine, and I was absolutely here for it.

If we fast forward to the second period, the trio started a counterattack from their own zone that ended with Rossi almost feathering a pass through right in front to Liam:

Remember, glimmers of hope don’t have to include goals or even successful passes; they just have to make you think “that would have been cool if it had worked.”

Rossi would then later generate a zone entry with possession, leading to Brock Boeser threading a pass over to Öhgren in the high slot, only to be denied by, let’s check my notes, oh that’s right, James Reimer:

Yes, James Reimer got a shutout in the year 2026, don’t let that get you down! Focus on the glimmers! Remember the pass that almost got to Liam? Remember how fun that was??

Now, the offence was completely shut down in the third period, but for two periods, these three men had us wondering if we should come up with a fun nickname for them, and damn it, that’s better than nothing.

Best glimmers as far as the eye can see

Zeev Buium constantly looking to take Senators players 1-on-1 on the breakout, and is getting the #Canucks moving the right direction consistently in this first period.

Best period he's played in a bit. Great to see.

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) March 10, 2026

The other glimmer in this game? The play of Zeev Buium. Again, I have to caution that none of these highlights will ever be like that journey we took with Quinn Hughes, where this rookie suddenly turned into a superstar in some Marvel-like scenario. In the normal (boring) world, you have to groom your younger players into being top-level players, which means a lot of lows before you start hitting the highs. Instead of the rip-roaring 80s, where cocaine was on every table, Vancouver danced the night away; the Canucks now live in a world in which finishing your taxes early means you earned yourself a light beer. That’s the kind of energy this team is at.

So on that end, sure, maybe using his speed to generate repeated zone entries might not seem that exciting after the Hughes evolutionary track, but this is the reality of the world. Watching Zeev push the Senators back on their heels, allowing him to enter the zone and buy time and space for his teammates? That’s the good stuff:

He had around four or five big rushes like this throughout the game where he would move the puck up the ice with confidence, making cuts to evade incoming checks, and finding a way to gain the zone with possession.

Which means, yes, he earned himself a light beer for the night.

Best standing tall

Refreshingly feisty period for Canucks, who were outplayed but battled to 0-0. Hoglander gave Stutzle a good jolt behind net, away from puck — probably for Stutzle boarding him w/o penalty last season. Lots of edgy tension w Curtis Douglas (Fir) around for backup.

— Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) March 10, 2026

It wasn’t quite at the level of the battle of Florida, but the Canucks seemed to be doing a good job of matching shove for shove and face wash for face wash on the night, something this team has struggled with for a couple of seasons now.

Nobody fought or threw a massive hit, but you could see some of the checks landing with a bit of spice, and after every other whistle, there were some heated talks.

The best highlight of the first period was Nils Höglander throwing a “I could have murdered you if I had wanted to” hit near Tim Stützle’s head after he had fallen to the ice:

Nils straight up thunders his butt into the boards just above Tim’s head just to let him know, which is something I found quite endearing.

Best give credit where credit is due

Lmao Sasson’s face after that save

— HöggyHronek1721 (@HoggyHronek1721) March 10, 2026

My favourite reaction of the game? Max Sasson getting a semi-breakaway on James Reimer and then nodding his head and admitting it was a “good save”:

Any struggling beer leaguer worth their salt recognizes and appreciates this move from Max. Sometimes you do, in fact, have to hand it to them.

Best vintage EP40

What a rush from EP40.

Hogs chemistry is great.

EP40 with the vintage reverse hit, blocked shot, and the grade A chance which results in a penalty drawn#canucks

— (@CanucksRebuilds) March 10, 2026

Absorbing hits with his derriere to keep puck possession was a staple of EP40 in his prime, so it was nice to see him bust out that move a couple of times in the game. One of which led to a rush that didn’t score, but at least showcased some slick passing and drew a penalty on the play:

I’m still at the point where I am screaming angrily at the TV for EP40 to shoot from every single spot on the ice instead of trying to pass it, but whatever.

Look, I understand the vision on the play, and it would have been a nice goal had Jake DeBrusk scored in his nightly cameo, but at this point, just shoot the puck my man. Pretend it’s NBA Jam and there are heat spots all around the ice, and if you score from one of them, it’s worth like eight goals or something. No angle is a bad angle; shoot from behind the net for all I care. Just shoot the puck. For once in their lives, the people who bang on the glass and scream “shoooooot” are in the right.

Best it’s a pirate’s life for me

Yeah I’m over it, Douglas get out there run someone through the glass. #canucks

— Coco (@AllLoveCoco) March 10, 2026

I would be remiss if I didn’t first show Linus Karlsson getting a penalty for, let me check my notes again…ah yes, allowing himself to be dragged to the ice:

Seems like an odd call, but alas.

And while the Senators didn’t score on the ensuing power play, they did score just as it expired, and they did it in a shades-of-grey, nonconventional way:

Yes, that is Ridly “Old” Greig on a pass off the gloves of Shane “The mean bean” Pinto.

Now, at first glance, that appears to be a simple situation in which the goal will be waived off. Clearly the puck went off Pinto’s gloves directly to Greig; that is a hand pass, as we all understand it.

Except the Amazon Prime crew talked about a rule where if you’re defending yourself from potential injury, you can essentially do whatever you want with the puck. It’s the “Homer Simpson, he’s gonna open and close his mouth while walking forward, and should he happen to eat a pie, how is it his fault?” rule.

This is the same Amazon Prime crew that said Elias Pettersson was the captain of the Canucks, however, so I began doubting their research.

This is also the same league that, for an entire season in 1999, if any part of your skate, toe, skate lace, or bated breath was in the goalie crease, the goal was called off. Until the Finals, when Brett Hull scored with his entire foot in the crease, and then all of a sudden the league was all “oh hey, we sent out a DVD in the mail before the playoffs that explained a new rule in which if you maintain possession of the puck, you can toe the crease as hard or as often as you want, so go live your kink life to the fullest.”

All of which is to say, the rules don’t tend to be rules in this league; they’re more like guidelines than anything.

What does the actual rule say?

This is the hand pass rule, clear as mud. Can argue it wasn’t intentional but the Sens absolutely received an advantage.

Canucks are finishing 32nd, and this game doesn’t matter in the big picture, just confusing pic.twitter.com/46OqW6Sip6

— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) March 10, 2026

I guess you could say Pinto didn’t allow the puck to do anything. How could he allow a non-sentient entity to do something?

I don’t think Shane Pinto meant to nail that perfect pass by jumping into the air, closing his eyes and turning his head, and in a way, I kind of want the goal to count because if you can pull that off, have at it, good sir.

But also, it feels like if this game were against the Rangers or Bruins in the Finals, and it was Vancouver doing this, I think we all clearly know what the call on the ice would have been.

Best prophet of doom

Sens have held 10 of their last 12 opponents to 23 shots or fewer. #Canucks have 9 so far with 6 minutes to go in 2nd period

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 10, 2026

Vancouver would end the night with 16 shots on net, which, yeah, not great. But this is Travis Green, and looking at you impassively in the eyes while he attempts to murder your enjoyment of anything is sort of his specialty.

Which meant there weren’t a lot of highlights in the offensive zone as the game wore on.

What we do have, though, are the glimmers. Never forget the glimmers.

So here’s Zeev Buium using his skating to create space and setting up a nice cycle in the offensive zone that led to a Fil Hronek shot on net:

Yay!

Best out of nowhere

Karlsson with a make shift RKO/Stunner on Zub there. #Canucks

— The Line Change (@LineChangeVAN) March 10, 2026

Artem Zub wasn’t pleased with Linus Karlsson spraying Reimer with ice, which led to a scuffle, which led to the first-ever LKO:

Now I saw some people saying it was a Stone Cold Stunner, which is exposing them for the frauds that they are. No boot to the stomach, no dropping onto his ass, no beer drinking celebration, that’s no stunner, my friends.

Clearly that’s a cutter, and Linus pulled it off almost flawlessly.

Best at least make it subtle

i am sooooo sick of marcus pettersson

— taylor ⁹⁴ (@vanucks94) March 10, 2026

My favourite penalty of the game was when Marcus Pettersson got called for holding. At first, you’re like, “ok, so he held his stick for a second in the corner,” but then the clip keeps going, and it eventually ends up with MP3 spinning around and bending over while STILL holding onto the stick, and I mean, yeah, that’s an easy penalty call:

Best grinding to a halt

i know we’re 32nd in the league and we’re all desensitized to it but god the #canucks are frustrating to watch

— Nikan (@Nikan__D) March 10, 2026

I don’t want to say the Senators’ offence carried the day in the third period, but it was slightly ahead of Vancouver’s. All of which led to, yeah, a bit of a dry turkey of a period to end the game on.

Dylan Cozens generated a nice look on net off a great pass off a board battle from Brady Tkachuk, only to be thwarted by Lankinen:

And then the Senators got a two-on-one shorthanded rush after Drew O’Connor was denied on the puck entry, leading to Shane Pinto air mailing a pass over to Tim Stützle, who couldn’t get a handle on it:

That was sort of it from Ottawa, as again, this third period was fully in a Travis Green lockdown.

As for Vancouver, I don’t know if they were thinking they needed the perfect shot to beat James Reimer, which seems odd, but one of their best looks on net was a shot that Jake DeBrusk missed by about three hundred feet:

Hey, at least it was a good zone entry and setup from Elias Pettersson?

Hold onto those glimmers!

Best all roads lead to this

#canucks about to be SHUTOUT by 37 year old james reimer. too bad james reimer is gonna get a SHUTOUT.

— Nikan (@Nikan__D) March 10, 2026

Brady Tkachuk would then ice the game after a point shot into traffic, aka the Canucks favourite offensive weapon, ended with a counterattack that netted the second goal of the night for Ottawa:

I have seen better games, but I have also seen worse games this season. As stated earlier, at least this game felt like Vancouver wanted to win the game and was willing to work for it, rather than some of the other offerings we’ve been given.

The draft cannot come soon enough, however.

Best sure have at it

Messaging #Canucks says he needs time to consider their offer pic.twitter.com/sgheZmrcSo

— RogNuckStri𝕏 (@RogNuck) March 10, 2026

Best complete lack of surprise

TWO goals for Conor Garland pic.twitter.com/Sabz8T4spx

— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 9, 2026

I am just going to put this out there: any player who leaves this team will most likely have a bump in their play. If EP40 ever gets traded, his play will improve due to the fact that they are no longer on the last-place team in the NHL.

Unless you’re JT Miller. For some reason, not him.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...old-last-place-gutsy-2-0-loss-ottawa-senators

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks sign NCAA free agent Austin Brimmer to one-year AHL contract

The Abbotsford Canucks have added depth to their roster courtesy of the NCAA free-agent pool.

On Tuesday, the club announced that they have signed forward Austin Brimmer to a one-year AHL contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. He will also join Abbotsford for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign on a professional try-out agreement (PTO).

Brimmer, 24, is coming off a career year as a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he co-led the team with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 36 games. Over four NCAA seasons, Brimmer recorded 80 points (33 goals, 47 assists) and 70 penalty minutes in 133 games split between RIT and Long Island University, where he spent his first three collegiate seasons.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, the Ontario native brings a sizeable physical presence as a right-wing option. In addition to co-leading RIT in scoring this season, he also led the team in hits. His combination of size, physicality, and willingness to play an abrasive style should provide a jolt of energy to an Abbotsford roster that has been dealing with injuries and lineup shortages.

Admittedly, my viewings have been limited. That said, his offensive upside appears fairly modest — which isn’t unusual for an AHL PTO.

He should bring some bite, though. A grinder who hits everything that moves, but likely not someone you’re counting on for offense. pic.twitter.com/S3k8UkMfAU

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) March 10, 2026

Brimmer represents the first of what many expect could be a string of NCAA additions for the organization. With opportunities available throughout the Vancouver Canucks’ system, the NCAA free-agent market continues to offer an intriguing pathway to add talent without sacrificing future assets.

With 15 games remaining on their schedule, the Abbotsford Canucks currently sit last in the Pacific Division with a 21-30-3-3 record and were forced to dress just nine forwards in each of their games over the weekend due to injuries and promotions. Abbotsford will host the Manitoba Moose for a midweek doubleheader as the club continues its six-game homestand at the Abbotsford Centre.

Brimmer has not yet been officially added to the team’s roster page, so his jersey number and AHL debut have not yet been confirmed.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...ee-agent-austin-brimmer-one-year-ahl-contract

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

5 Canucks who should see increased roles down the final stretch

The Vancouver Canucks believed they would be in a completely different position than the one they’re currently in. At the start of this season, they were aiming to return to the playoffs, but before 2025 had even come to a close, they traded Quinn Hughes and were forced to set their sights on the future.

Now, the NHL trade deadline has passed, and their roster is set for the remainder of the season. As the Canucks prepare for what’s next, it’s important they put their developing players in key roles now so they can properly learn and grow where it matters most: in game situations. With 18 games remaining this season, it is vital to give these five up-and-coming players a bigger role down the final stretch.

Nikita Tolopilo​

Thatcher Demko is out for the remainder of the season, and Kevin Lankinen has been promoted to the starter position, but now is the perfect opportunity to put Nikita Tolopilo in the number one spot.

In his last two starts before the Olympic Break, he allowed two goals on 73 shots and earned a joint shutout in a game he played just under 58 minutes. Since returning to NHL action, Tolopilo has started in three of the Canucks seven games, earning their only win across this span. Across the season, he has a .899 save percentage, leading all Canucks goaltenders.

As the Canucks head into a critical decision about their goaltending duo, Tolopilo should be the go-to guy, giving him the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

The Canucks know what they get from Demko and Lankinen – both 30 – as starters. So, with just under a quarter of the season remaining, putting the soon-to-be 26-year-old in this pressure role allows him to show himself in the lead position as the Canucks consider where they will be in a few years’ time.

Last season, the Canucks had another goalie trying to break into the NHL level, Artūrs Šilovs. He struggled when he played with the higher team, but led their farm team to a Calder Cup. The Canucks traded him over the summer to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he has been playing well.

It is essential that the Canucks don’t find themselves in a similar spot and give Tolopilo time to find his game.

Tom Willander​

Tom Willander is in his rookie season and is already showing himself to be the future of the Canucks’ defence. He’s played important roles for the Canucks, featuring on the power play and playing on his off-hand when needed. Giving him a larger role and continuing to put him in important positions will further his development at a time when the Canucks will need him the most.

In five of the seven Canucks games since returning from the Olympic break, the Swede has logged a minimum of 20 minutes of ice time. This reflects higher than his current average of 15:56 and needs to hold steady down the final stretch, potentially even increasing by a couple of minutes. The 21-year-old has proven he wants to grow, going home to Sweden over the Olympic break to continue training, and the best place for him to do that is on the ice during games.

Three Canucks players receive more ice time than Willander: fellow rookie Zeev Buium, along with veterans Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson. Tyler Myers was another player who saw more ice time than Willander, and the Canucks traded him at the deadline. Both are right-handed, and with Myers’ departure, this opens the door for the Swede’s role to increase down the final stretch and highlight himself as a part of the Canucks’ future core.

On the ice is where the 21-year-old will grow the most. Playing him more for the remainder of the season will let him learn the most valuable lessons, which he can carry into his summer training as he loads up for a strong sophomore campaign.

Liam Öhgren​

Heading into the Olympic break, Liam Öhgren was undoubtedly one of the Canucks’ most effective players, and he has kept that up since NHL action returned.

The Swede has featured on the second power play unit, is seeing steady time on the penalty kill, and hit a career-high three-game point streak just before the break. His ice time has been steadily increasing since joining the club, and he recently logged a career-high 17:57 time-on-ice.

When Öhgren first arrived in Vancouver via the Quinn Hughes trade, there were some questions as to whether or not he’d go down to the AHL following a few games with the Canucks. But he quickly proved himself to be a valuable piece on the NHL team.

A contributing factor to his success is the stability he has had playing at the highest level of hockey, rather than continuously going up and down between the AHL and NHL. Öhgren has shown that when he has stability, his game improves. Giving the Swede more responsibility through the remaining schedule allows him the time to learn and continue to elevate his game.

As the Canucks focus stays on development, the 22-year-old is growing into a well-rounded forward for the team. He is a player who is already making a difference and, with an increased role down the final stretch, has the potential to continue taking his game to new heights and show himself to be a valuable player for the future.

Aatu Räty​

Since the Canucks traded go-to faceoff guy JT Miller during the 2024-25 season, faceoffs have been a weak point for them. Currently, they sit 24th in the league with a 51.1% win percentage.

Within the team, Aatu Räty leads with a 61% success rate. Trading centre David Kämpf has opened up a spot in the lineup for the Finn, and he has played in the team’s three games since the trade deadline. Across these three games, he has an average win rate of 67%, with most faceoffs taken in the defensive zone.

The 23-year-old is proving himself to be a reliable presence in the faceoff dot. Right now, when the stakes are low, the Canucks can keep letting him develop in game situations, battling different guys across the league.

Linus Karlsson​

Linus Karlsson is in his first full season with the Canucks and has done well, signing a two-year contract extension that will start next season. Last season, he helped lead the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, to the Calder Cup, and he has translated his game to the higher level.

After signing a two-year extension on January 2, the 26-year-old showed less offensive production until it eventually dried up. He recorded his first point in nine games on March 4, against the Carolina Hurricanes. This triggered his second three-game point streak of the season, which ended after the Canucks were shut out by the Ottawa Senators on Monday. During this span, he collected four points, one goal and three assists.

Including new guy Curtis Douglas, Karlsson has the fourth-lowest ice time on the team, averaging 11:41. Despite the low ice time, the Swede sits fifth in Canucks scoring with 28 points. The club chose to re-sign him for a reason, and giving him more opportunities may bump his game up another level, finding the heights of his offence on a struggling team and seeing where he fits in long-term.

As the Canucks’ season winds down and the playoffs are out of the picture, now is the best time for them to build towards the future and test developing players in bigger roles to see how they fare.

This team has players who have the potential to be key to the Canucks’ future success, and they need to start putting them in positions to either showcase their talents so there are no question marks heading into next season. The only way to do that is by giving them more responsibilities on the ice.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Who do you want to see get an increased role down the stretch? Let us know in the comments below!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/5-vancouver-canucks-increased-roles-final-stretch

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Scenes from practice: Kane back on Pettersson’s wing after missing game vs. Senators

The Vancouver Canucks practiced for a second straight day at Rogers Arena ahead of Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators. A number of veterans who were given Tuesday off were back with the team on Wednesday.

What we saw​

#Canucks at practice
Kane-EP40-O’Connor
Öhgren-Rossi-Boeser
Sasson-Blueger-Karlsson
Douglas-Räty-DeBrusk
Höglander

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 11, 2026

Evander Kane, who missed Monday night’s 2-0 loss to Ottawa with an upper body injury, was back on the ice along with Brock Boeser, Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson, who were given maintenance days on Tuesday.

The Canucks make a few subtle tweaks to their forward lines as they prepare to face the Predators.

Kane skated with Elias Pettersson and Drew O’Connor, while the middle six lines of Marco Rossi with Liam Öhgren and Brock Boeser, along with Teddy Blueger between Max Sasson and Linus Karlsson, stayed intact. Jake DeBrusk found himself on a line with Aatu Räty and newcomer Curtis Douglas, which left Nils Höglander as the team’s lone extra forward.

With just six defencemen on the active roster, there were no changes on the blueline. Filip Hronek was paired with Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson formed a duo with Tom Willander, while Zeev Buium and Victor Mancini skated together.

The Canucks devoted a significant portion of the early stages of practice to a power play that failed to click on three opportunities against the Senators. More than that, the Canucks did not register a single shot on goal in 5:03 with the man-advantage on Monday night. The coaching staff was particularly disappointed with the team’s zone entries, so that seemed to be a point of emphasis as they ran through power play drills.

Filip Hronek remains on the point on the top unit with Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Marco Rossi as the forwards. Zeev Buium and Tom Willander were on the second unit along with Evander Kane, Linus Karlsson and Drew O’Connor.

DeBrusk remains the team’s runaway leader in power play goals with 11 on the season; however, he has not scored with the man advantage since a January 8th game against the Detroit Red Wings. Despite not having played for the team since mid-January, Kiefer Sherwood sits second in power play goals with six.

Thursday will be the second game of an eight-game homestand. Nashville is coming in off a 4-2 win in Seattle on Tuesday night.

What we heard​

Adam Foote on the need to give Nikita Tolopilo a run of games at the NHL level down the stretch to aid with the organizational evaluation process of the netminder: “I don’t know if you need to see a run. We can see it with how we’re doing it. I hear what you’re saying, but he’s going to get enough games. We’re going to manage it with what we think is best for both of them (Tolopilio and Kevin Lankinen), whether it’s physically or mentally. I don’t know if he’ll get maybe as much as you’re suggesting, but it’s definitely something we’ve thought about.”

Adam Foote on whether Evander Kane’s 1,000th NHL game is on his coaching radar (Kane needs nine more games to reach the milestone): “I want to see him get that. Who knows what Evander is going to do moving forward? We haven’t talked about whether he wants to play after this, but I’m sure he does. You always want a player to reach those goals. It’s a great thing to have in your hat.”

Jake DeBrusk on rediscovering his power play scoring touch: “Obviously, for me in that net front bumper area, if shots aren’t coming, I’m not really doing anything in terms of producing. I have to be good on my recoveries and try to find guys and make plays. We had a couple of good looks against Chicago just a couple of games ago and got one there. So it’s not bad. But we have to have that killer instinct if we have a couple of tough break-ins, we have to have to get some shots on net and get recoveries that’s how you break down good penalty kills.”

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-practice-kane-back-petterssons-wing-missing-game-ottawa-senators

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks nearing agreement to build practice facility at Britannia Rink

The Vancouver Canucks and City of Vancouver are nearing an agreement to build a practice facility at Britannia Rink, CanucksArmy has learned.

Sounds like the Canucks and City of Vancouver are close to an agreement to build a practice facility at Britannia Rink. It will include a state of the art gym, off ice training facility, lounge and locker room. The build will also include office space for the city.

— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) March 11, 2026

According to sources, it will include a state of the art gym, off ice training facility, lounge, and locker room. The build will also include office space for the city.

Construction on this is still TBA as there are still some things that need to be finalized. The Canucks have been working with the city on this potential space for quite some time and like the proximity to Rogers Arena.

Sources indicate that both the Canucks and city of Vancouver have renderings of this project, which would lead to believe this is quite far along.

Today marks some great news to the end of a story that has consumed this market for far too long.

In their search for a practice facility, the Canucks checked out spots all over the lower mainland, but at the end of the day, Britannia was always the location that made the most sense from a logistical standpoint. In early June, X.com user Ryan Bains posted a photo of President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford, GM Patrik Allvin, President of Business Operations Michael Doyle, along with Dax Aquilini — son of team co-owner Roberto Aquilini — paying a visit to Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre in South Burnaby. As we reported back in June, that group also visited Britannia on the same day.

Roughly a 10-minute drive from Rogers Arena, Britannia is an ideal location for a practice facility, and while the structure itself is outdated and will need some work to get up to NHL standards, the ice at Britannia underwent a major upgrade in the last year and reopened to the public just last month after a brine leak in March 2024 that forced its closure.

What matters the most is that the Canucks finally have their spot and are near the finish line of finally putting this story to bed. With the Calgary Flames getting set to move to their new arena in 2027-28, the Canucks were set to become the only NHL club without a dedicated practice facility. Now, they’ll only hold that title for as long as it takes them to get Britannia ready to go.

More to come.

READ NEXT: Max Lapierre talks 2011 Canucks’ core, his new podcast, and more​

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...eement-build-practice-facility-britannia-rink