RSS Canucks Team Notes

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Canucks nearly ruin the perfect tank game, still find a way to lose 5-3 to Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres represent the world in which the Vancouver Canucks make a spirited run for the playoffs. Coming off a 10-game winning streak that was stopped by Brendan Gaunce, as expected, the Sabres have just now put themselves within a point of a Wild Card spot. Which is the reality the Canucks would face should they ever decide to go on a spirited run of their own, that even after racking up all those dubs, it still takes even more spirited winning on top of that to leapfrog enough teams to even stay in conversation with the playoffs.

And after watching the Sabres defeat the Canucks 5-3, it just gets harder and harder to envision a scenario in which Vancouver finds a way to stay hot long enough to start stringing together victories. PDO benders aside, the Canucks just have no juice. No aura. No moxie. No tenacity. No vigour. No fortitude. No pluck. No spunk. No oomph. No pep. Not even a little vim. Certainly no mettle. Surely no zing. Never zing.

The point is, watching the Canucks is downright depressing right now. And while adding up the losses in their thirst for first is clearly the right move at the moment, when you hear talks that the Canucks might be looking to extend Kiefer Sherwood, it feels rather deflating.

Which isn’t to say I don’t appreciate Kiefer Sherwood, as he’s a very easy player to enjoy. In a perfect world, he would very much be part of an elite third line for a playoff-contending team.

But Vancouver is in a position where there is just such a dour cloud hanging over the team that they should truly be looking to trade anyone and anything with a pulse, save for a handful of the younger players. “Signing veterans for the culture” is a proud tradition in hockey, but when you’re dealing with a team that had a generational locker room divide that single-handedly took down the Quinn Hughes era, I don’t know how you don’t just try and trade as many of the veterans as you can in an attempt at a total restart.

Hand the keys over to the kids and see what vibe they can generate. Bring in new veterans when the time comes and have them walk into the culture your new core created. I know “But the Sabres!” was the boogeyman for a total rebuild for years, but if your pro scouting is on the ball, and you have enough lottery tickets in the form of draft picks, how is that not the right way forward with this team?

Because the truth of the matter is this team’s future isn’t with Brock Boeser, or Elias Pettersson, or Thatcher Demko. The retool of a two-year turnaround is quaint, but the reality is this team will be struggling for many years while they try to inject enough talent to be consistent contenders for the postseason.

So until then, nobody should be safe. Every option should be explored. And extending veterans’ contracts should be the last thing on your mind going forward.

I am at the point where it feels like even the veterans themselves would prefer a fresh start elsewhere, as I cannot think of a less motivating line in the NHL than Evander Kane, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. And I don’t say that to be mean! I am not using snark! I just, man, when I watched that line against the Sabres in the third period, it just felt so underwhelming. I could almost feel the lack of excitement and energy oozing off of them through the screen.

I just don’t know if the Canucks have ever felt less dynamic than they do right now. What I do know is that when Kiefer Sherwood and Drew O’Connor are your most consistent, exciting offensive players at even strength, then your roster is problematic.

So while the Canucks may have fallen one Brendan Gaunce short of beating the Sabres, it doesn’t change the fact that this isn’t a retool year; it should be a full-on rebuild.

Otherwise, we are just doomed to repeat ourselves, forever stuck in the time loop of “man so tight, almost like a playoff game.”

Best showing your intentions early

U.S. Olympian Thompson pounces on loose puck in slot and quickly whips home 21st goal of season and ninth in last 13 games to open scoring. #Canucks #Sabres

— Ben Kuzma (@benkuzma) January 7, 2026

Tage Thompson is a giant man who scores a lot of goals, with hands so soft they should be illegal on someone like him. It’s the “Todd Bertuzzi” white unicorn all general managers chase, that really big beefy boy who can destroy people equally with a big hit as well as a deft dangle.

So it was not too surprising when Thompson was the guy who opened the scoring for Buffalo, when a fortuitous bounce saw the puck land in his feet after a nice rush from Bowen Byram:

Marcus Pettersson tries his best to handle Tage, and while I won’t bemoan someone losing that battle, we still have to point out that ultimately, MP3 failed on his assignment. I give him credit for trying to take away Tage’s stick for as long as possible, but ultimately, the ogre who haunted the halls of Hogwarts is able to shield him off the puck and snipe one past Demko.

The good news is that it wasn’t an egregious defensive breakdown that caused this goal. The bad news is that some of those come later.

Best cursed image

LET BOESER SCORE OH MY GOD

— kay ❋ (@quinnspetey) January 7, 2026

Much like Chuck McGill, Brock Boeser lives and dies by lighting the lamp, something he has struggled with as of late. He did manage two assists in this contest, which is a nice showing for a top player in dire need of points, but ultimately, his whole thing is shooting the puck real good and stuff. This continues to escape him due to a variety of bad luck, uninspired play at times, and, of course, bees.

He did almost score on the Canucks first power play of the game when he had Ukko-Pekka Luukonen swimming in his crease for a rebound, before ultimately shuffling a backhander wide of the net:

We all kind of knew that Quinn Hughes elite puck control hid the impact having so many passenger players had on the Canucks, and as much as JT Miller remains a hotly debated player in this town, his absence is felt in that regards as well. Add in Elias Pettersson losing his swag/mojo/whatever fun name for confidence you want to assign, and you have a team that just lacks play drivers.

You see flashes of it in Liam Ohgren, Elias Pettersson does something once in a while to remind you that he’s still inside there somewhere, and Conor Garland is probably their best puck on the stick guy right now, but ultimately this is a team that doesn’t have the horses to play any kind of hockey but work the puck down low and feed it to the point or throw it in front.

Actually, oddly enough, Evander Kane is one of their more dynamic forwards in that I think he makes some of the better passes on the team. It’s just the whole lack of defense thing kind of takes away from it.

Which is why Kiefer Sherwood and Drew O’Connor probably stand out in this system. They have the speed and effort to get in on the forecheck and force their way to the net, which is what Sherwood did on the Canucks first powerplay of the game:

He fights off a check, gets the puck back and feeds the point, then gets off a shot in the bumper spot before collecting his rebound and getting that on net as well.

Even though all the Canucks goals came late in the game, I would say the first period was their best effort of the night. They generated their most amount of high danger chances in the opening frame and generally looked like they had some energy to their efforts. They actually generated five shots on that first power play and if it weren’t for the high level play of Luukkonen, the Canucks most likely score there.

You at least felt like it was a possibility they might get a goal in the first period, which is something I didn’t feel for a single moment during the second period.

Best double Dion homage

Krebs with a hit in the Dzone that wiped out two #Canucks like they were bowling pins. Sheesh. #Sabres

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) January 7, 2026

Peyton Krebs threw the best hit of the night when he ordered the two for one special after he landed a hit on Nils Höglander that then took out Liam Öhgren, thus proving my theory that Krebs hates umlauts more than any other player in the NHL:

You may laugh at this, but which diacritical marks are next? The Trema? The circumflex? The tilde??

I swear to god, if you touch the cedilla…

Where does it stop, Peyton?

Where. Does. It. Stop.

Best if it doesn’t work, try try again

The Canucks constantly feed the puck back to their points. How often do those points score on their shots? One percent? Two percent? #Canucks

— Kerry Banks (@bad_kicker) January 7, 2026

The Canucks second power play did not go nearly as well as their first, as not only did they generate zero shots on net, they also gave up a a goal on an odd-man rush counter attack:

Tom Willander manages to not play neither the shot nor the pass, which allows Alex Tuch to find Cody McLeod for the clinical finish. Willander probably needs to play that with more patience, as you can see the second he lunges for the puck Tuch passes around him with ease, almost as if he was waiting for that movement, so mark this down as another one of those “Welcome to the NHL, kid” moments for the young defenseman.

Best keeping up with the Buffalos

Buff speed is much better than #canucks .. not enough speed on the team.

— Robbie Mann (@RobbieMann77) January 7, 2026

While Vancouver did genuinely play well in the first period, it did feel like Buffalo was getting the more dynamic chances. Which again, that’s sort of been the storyline all season long, that’s kind of how you get to the bottom of the standings. You work your bag off, but you simply aren’t good enough to create enough offense. You live your life off of thoughts, prayers, PDO and lucky bounces, which doesn’t make for the most exciting hockey in the world.

Meanwhile Buffalo was able to cycle the puck in the offensive zone and almost find Josh Doan for the tap in at the side of the net:

Chalk that up to another blown defensive moment for the Canucks as well, though, because for reasons (bees?) unbeknownst to me, Tyler Myers moves off of Doan to try and close the gap on Mattias Samuelsson, putting Höglander in the awkward spot of having to try and jump up to take his previous check.

Is this the complicated hockey Adam Foote talks about that we wouldn’t understand? Where you play man to man, but you can change which man if you’re feeling it, even if it means confusing your teammates into blown coverage all season long? Perhaps.

Alex Tuch then almost made it 3-0 after a diving Josh Norris got the puck out of the zone and sent the Sabres on an odd man rush adventure:

First off, absolutely love that effort from Norris. Dude dives twice to get the puck out and that is the kind of stuff you can inject straight into my veins.

Secondly, I think Zeev Buium plays this a little too aggressive, as he jumps up to make a play on Jason Zucker, but again a Buffalo veteran uses that to his advantage by feeding the puck over to Tuch to skate into a breakaway in the space behind Zeev. Kiefer Sherwood is around the area, but he has to absolutely hoof it to try and get back into the play, now that Buium has left the scene.

To make matters worse, both Buium and Sherwood track Zucker after the breakaway instead of Tuch, leading to Owen Power skating right into a terrific scoring chance set up by that same Tuch, forcing Demko to make a tremendous stop.

If anything it was one of the more entertaining first periods of the season from Vancouver at least.

Best shorthanded kings

Turned the game on just in time to watch Sherwood pass the puck to Connor who’s 2 feet in front of the night and still manages to miss.

Please stop passing to DOC

— Farine (@_Farine) January 7, 2026

DOC and Sherwood are not only the even strength kings, but they are now the shorthanded kings as well. Long gone are the days of Elias Pettersson and JT Miller using shorthanded odd man rushes as the only place in the world they could still connect as humans, now we live in the reign of the cowboys:

The reason you feed DOC there is because Kiefer had nowhere else to shoot. Maybe you can pop a low shot for a rebound, but man alive, in a season like this go for the pomp and circumstance. If you’re going to lose a game, give me a clean one timer shorthanded finish versus banging in a greasy one.

The only other option would have been to swing to his backhand and go top shelf like a young Igor Chernyshov, but that would require multiple draft picks and rebuilding and such.

The Sabres would then almost score on a Noah Östlund scoring chance after Brock Boeser deflected a pass behind his own defense:

I am mostly showing this because I want to believe in a world in which Noah Östlund joins Liam Öberg and Jonathan Lekkerimäki on Vancouver, proving some sort of HUT based chemistry bonus that pushes their OV up to like 96 or whatever.

The Kyle Wellwood rejoins the team after the Canucks pull him from a special throwback pack and he’s like 99 OV, and now we’re talking about a proper rebuild.

That’s how the NHL works, right?

Best the Big Short

Sherwood having a tough game, that stock keeps plummeting #Canucks

— TheCanucksCurse (@TheCanucksCurse) January 7, 2026

The Sabres would then make it 3-0 on another Byram assisted rush, as this time he purposely found his target in the form of one Alex Tuch, who was able to lift the puck up high despite being in tight on Demko:

Byram basically walks around Drew O’Connor and PO Joseph, before finding a wide open Tuch after Kiefer Sherwood kind of goes full JT Miller on his defensive coverage.

Which again, that’s sort of a staple of this team. Losing their man, leaving guys open, the GOTI system Tocchet left in place is long gone as not a game goes by where you don’t see multiple Canucks looking lost and confused in their own end.

Don’t believe me? Here’s Jake DeBrusk, someone who has played better since the fear of the healthy scratch was instilled upon him, just sort of floating away from Zach Benson despite being the first forward back:

He ends up chasing the puck far side, which leads to a lot of open ice as the Sabres rush the puck forward on net.

Then you had Alex Tuch almost scoring again, this time after Jason Zucker finds him all alone in front after Evander Kane and Brock Boeser combine to both blow coverage:

Tuch literally just skates in a giant circle and finds himself open right between the veteran wingers and easily gets a dangerous shot on net.

You then had Andre the Giant Tage Thompson showcasing the joys of big beefy centers, as he absolutely bodied Elias Pettersson off of the puck behind the net before finding Doan for another scoring chance in the crease:

It was just another night in which you found yourself watching another team in the middle of the pack with more weapons, leaving you nervous about what this management might do if this team does happen to go on a little bit of a hot streak before the trade deadline.

Surely you can’t watch the Avalanche and think this year is your year. Surely.

Best veteran presence

Don’t worry, folks, a Kiefer Sherwood contract extension will cure all! #Canucks

— Grady Sas (@GradySas) January 7, 2026

Leave it to Sherwood and O’Connor to generate the best scoring chance of the second period, as this time Kiefer spins and puts the puck wide of an open net:

I think Luukkonen tries to sell the Drew O’Connor body contact a little too hard, as he flops forward and ends up stuck in a save animation while facing backwards, so he’s lucky Sherwood just missed on the 360 no scope shot.

Best hold on there

You cannot watch this #Canucks team play and tell me honestly that there’s a credible path to turning it around quickly without a period of disciplined rebuilding.

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 7, 2026

Spoke like a man who didn’t see this tip pass from Karlsson, that’s the kind of play you can retool with:

Fil Hronek to Linus Kalrsson to Liam Ohgren, that my friends was the first shot five minutes into the third period and what a shot it was.

If it wasn’t for the flurry of last minute goals from the Canucks, this game felt like it had slipped into a coma as Buffalo looked to coast out the rest of the game.

Best why not make it four

What the fuck am i watching!!! #Canucks

— Jaden (@tedhitchcock007) January 7, 2026

Why waste time defend when few defend do trick?

Yes, that’s Planet Ice Evander Kane just sort of vibing in his own zone as Zach Metsa floats by him to score his first career NHL goal, as the Sabres fourth line makes the Canucks pay with their top line on the ice.

I will say it again, there is just something about the combination of Kane, Boeser and Pettersson that I do not enjoy together. Whatever it was the Lotto Line had, this is the opposite of that. It’s like watching your parents divorce on ice or something.

Kane basically stops skating and hands the open lane to Metsa, making it 4-0 Sabres and all I will say is I saw Andrei Kuzmenko get traded for less.

Best I didn’t hear no bell

DeBrusk trade value #Canucks

— Michael Paweska (@mrpaweska) January 7, 2026

The Canucks got a bit of a break when Jake DeBrusk got high sticked, giving his team a four minute powerplay to work with, resulting in DeBrusk scoring the first goal of the game for Vancouver:

Nothing fancy, just some old fashioned get the puck on net and see what happens type of hockey, and it works. DeBrusk uses some nifty hand-eye coordination to bat the puck in out of the air, but that’s sort of his thing, the guy excels in the blue paint game because of that.

DeBrusk would almost score again on the second powerplay, this time after once again setting up shop in Tim Hortons and almost deflecting a puck passed the Sabres goaltender:

I will say that the healthy scratch seems to have done wonders for Jake, so maybe the Canucks should start using that punishment/motivation technique more liberally with every player?

Best what’s good for the goose

Holy what a snipe from Petey #Canucks

— james cooper (@User673987) January 7, 2026

In what looked like a mirror image of the Sabres first goal, Elias Pettersson found himself in between the faceoff circles after some fortuitous bounces gifted him the puck in his feet:

EP40 spins it to wins it, and of course a game in which the Canucks looked as dead as the Dread Pirate Roberts have now managed to make it a two goal lead.

But surely it stops there.

Best it doesn’t stop there

Liam Ohgren took a big hit to make a play in his own zone and gets rewarded by scoring a goal. Tough kid

— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) January 7, 2026

Liam Öhgren would then make it 4-3, leaving you enough time to ponder “if only Evander Kane had tried to play actual defense on that fourth goal” before we watch some Liam clips.

I want to say that Liam Öhgren has impressed me the most from the players who joined from Minnesota. That’s not to say Buium won’t develop into a top player or that Marco Rossi won’t end up being a top six producer, but just as it currently stands, Liam is my boy.

I just like the way he plays, and you can tell a lot about a hockey player by the way they pick themselves up off the ice after a hit.

Some players get trucked into the boards, and they look like they really struggle to get to their feet. You can just tell they didn’t like that hit one bit, no sir, and they would like it if that never happened again.

With Liam, though, he eats the hits and tends to bounce back up.

Just before his goal, Liam races back hard to win a chase for the puck, knowing he is going to pay the price physically:

You see him land on the ice, take a split second to make sure he isn’t broken in half, then jumps up and gets back into the play.

Eventually this leads to Linus Karlsson making a fantastic forecheck behind the net, getting the puck back to the point to Marcus Pettersson, who then finds Liam who shoots through the screen of Max Sasson to make it a one goal game:

I don’t know the ceiling for Liam’s NHL career, but I will say that I just really like the way he plays the game. I just think this is one of those guys you can win hockey games with, where the moment is never too big, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Best fun while it lasted

#Canucks take the L

— David Cee (@CanucksIn4) January 7, 2026

Canucks take the win in life, that is. The thirst for first won on the day, as the Sabres would score on the empty net fairly quickly after Demko was pulled:

Which left the Canucks just enough time for Buium to shine a little bit, as he almost scored on a rush to the net in the dying seconds of the game:

And then Zeev almost set up Boeser for a goal moments later after another slick offensive move in the slot:

Which is pretty much all you are hoping for at this point. The Canucks continuing to improve their drafting odds, while some of their younger players have some big moments to shine in.

It might not be fun to watch at times, but at least it’s trending in the right direction.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...k-game-still-find-way-lose-5-3-buffalo-sabres

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Is there a number at which a Kiefer Sherwood extension would make sense for the Canucks?

It didn’t take long after the NHL lifted its holiday roster freeze for the trade-related drama to pick up surrounding the Vancouver Canucks once again.

There may have been a sense that things would progress fairly naturally and straightforwardly from the Quinn Hughes trade onward. Having already dealt their most valuable trade-chip, the Canucks – as voiced by POHO Jim Rutherford – seemed to verbally commit to a genuine rebuild.

Then came the second-guessing, the hedging, the talk of ‘hybridization.’ And the same old worries began to seep in again.

Now, if there was one thing that the Canucks faithful had been told was going to happen for sure, it was that the team was going to sell high on premium pending UFA Kiefer Sherwood. The fairly consistent talk over the past month had been that Sherwood would be sold to the highest bidder and that the bidding should reach at least as high as a first-round pick, if not higher.

Many had gone so far as to almost consider that first-rounder an asset already in hand.

But then, this past weekend, Elliotte Friedman dropped a bomb on that notion by reporting that Canucks management had decided to attempt to re-sign Sherwood after all and had made him a significant contract offer.

Understandably, Vancouver fans reacted as if a rug had been pulled out from under them. To be told to expect the team to make a choice that will benefit them in the long run, only to see them switch gears and take a more short-term approach, would not just be frustrating; it would be something that this fandom has experienced far too much in the past.

But, for one, an extension has not been signed yet, and until that happens, a Sherwood trade still remains the most likely outcome.

And, for two, Sherwood is a unique enough player that he bears at least some consideration as to whether there is any type of extension out there that might make sense for both team and player.

Obviously, there are plenty of numbers that might work for the Canucks. If Sherwood was willing to sign a new version of the same two-year, $1.5 million contract he’s currently playing under, well, why wouldn’t the Canucks say ‘yes’ to that?

Of course, Sherwood has earned a much larger deal than that. Rumour has it that the Canucks’ latest offer for him was somewhere in the neighbourhood of four years at a $4 million AAV. How workable is something like that?

The average NHL salary for the 2025-26 is about $3.5 million. By that standard, all Sherwood would have to do over the next four years to return surplus value on a $4 million cap hit would be to perform slightly above-average, and that sounds pretty doable, right?

Unfortunately, the NHL’s average salary is heavily skewed by the biggest superstar contracts at the top of the charts. The median salary is lower than that, and if we think about the average salary for a ‘middle-six’ player – as in someone who is not top-line – then that’s probably closer to about $2-2.5 million.

So, by that notion, Sherwood would have to really outperform the average player in his same position over the next four years for such a contract to have positive value. Again, that sounds doable, but it’s starting to sound like a more risky proposition.

It’s not too hard to find some cautionary tales around the NHL. There’s a good one right next door. The Edmonton Oilers traded for Trent Frederic at the cost of a couple draft picks, and then doubled down on that decision by signing Frederic to an eight-year, $3.85 million AAV extension.

Many gawked at that price tag, but the argument made at the time was roughly what we’ve stated above: it’s barely above the NHL average, the salary cap is going up anyway, so, really, what could it hurt?

Already in Year One of that contract, however, Frederic is hurting. He was recently made a healthy scratch, and the Oilers are committed to that deal for seven more years after that one. It’s not hard to see how a lengthy extension for a role-playing veteran can turn sour.

Nobody is suggesting that the Canucks are going to sign Sherwood to an eight-year deal. But Sherwood is already 30, and will turn 31 next month. Even a four-year deal buys ages 31 through 35. Those are not exactly prime years. Sure, Sherwood has developed later than most, and maybe his prime comes a little later than most. But the risk for a drop-off is there, and it gets steeper with each year added to an extension.

There are other factors to consider here. There’s the roster jam the Canucks are already experiencing up front, and that is only going to become exacerbated in 2026-27 if the team isn’t able to sell off some pieces as young players join the roster. On the other hand, you’ve got the mentorship factor and the possibility of Sherwood having a positive impact on the development of those youngsters.

But the most important factor to consider in a Sherwood extension is the opportunity cost, which is the potential trade return given up by choosing to keep him instead.

We tend to agree with the speculation that Sherwood should return a first, if not more. He’s one of the more impactful UFA rentals available, period, and that’s before we take into consideration his current $1.5 million cap hit – which could easily be retained down to a below-league-minimum $750,000.

And so, even if we can get to a point where a mid-term, mid-salary extension makes some sense – as in, a point where we can see Sherwood returning fair-to-good value over that rumoured four-year, $4 million AAV deal – we still don’t have the whole equation. Because the real question is this: what’s going to make a bigger positive difference in the long run, four-ish more years of Sherwood, or a new prospect drafted in the first round?

It’s not a slam-dunk here, either. As we said, Sherwood probably has some good years left, and he has proven a capable mentor. Few players set a better example for others with their own play.

But the odds of the Canucks really doing anything of note in those same four years are looking slim. So, the opportunity to use that time to develop a prospect so that they’re ready to fully contribute in a few years – as opposed to moving toward retirement, as Sherwood will be – is the opportunity that aligns far more closely with the team’s realistic timeline.

Think of how much of a difference having just two recent firsts in Tom Willander and Braeden Cootes ‘hit’ has made to the Canucks’ future outlook. It’s what the Canucks need more of, not less.

First-round picks are not guarantees. But the more one has, the better the odds. The Canucks can’t count on the first-round pick they obtained from the Minnesota Wild turning into a good player. But if they make a mid-to-late first-round selection with that pick, and then another with the pick they get for Sherwood, the odds of success have roughly doubled.

Could Sherwood play well enough to give surplus value on a 4×4 contract? Yes, that seems likely. But could he give enough surplus value on that contract to surpass the potential value of his own trade return?

That’s where we hit a snag. And that’s why, really, there is no realistic number that works for both team and player on a Sherwood extension.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/number-which-kiefer-sherwood-extension-make-sense-vancouver-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks: Elias Pettersson dealing with a nagging injury ‘probably for the rest of the season’

Elias Pettersson has returned from an injury that kept him out for eight games, but he says he’s still feeling the effects of it. In conversation with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, the Vancouver Canucks’ top centre said that his latest ailment is a nagging injury that he’ll have to deal with “probably for the rest of the season.”

“I think I was doing okay,” Pettersson said. “But injuries happen. Now that I’m back, I’m just trying to work my hardest out there and play the right way… It’s going to be a nagging injury for a while, probably the rest of the season. But I can play with it. In some situations, there’s some pain, but I can push through it.”

Pettersson’s injury kept him out for eight games. After playing in the Canucks’ December 5th game against the Utah Mammoth, which the Canucks lost by a final score of 5-1, Pettersson took warmups for the Canucks’ matchup with the Minnesota Wild the next night but did not play. Pettersson previously shared that when he took warmup for that game, he knew his injury would keep him from playing. While Pettersson didn’t divulge exactly what was ailing him or when he sustained the injury, he did share that it caused him to feel pain when shooting the puck.

“There was a lot of pain trying to shoot the puck, but it feels good now,” Pettersson told reporters last month. “You can feel bad off the ice, but when you get on the ice, it feels better. But yeah I tried but it was too much pain.”

In six games since returning from the injury, Pettersson has put up three goals and an assist, and has three points — two goals, one assist — over his last three games.

In the interview with MacIntyre, Pettersson also opened up about recent struggles in his personal life. Most notably, Pettersson talked about he and his wife Katelyn’s miscarriage, which Katelyn shared news of on social media last month. Their baby was due in July. You can read those quotes and the rest of what Pettersson had to say by reading the article over at Sportsnet.ca (linked here).

READ NEXT: Post-Hughes, who is now the Canucks’ most valuable asset?​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...n-dealing-nagging-injury-probably-rest-season

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks trade rumours: What can the Rangers offer up for Kiefer Sherwood?

At the very least, the Vancouver Canucks are keeping their options open when it comes to veteran winger Kiefer Sherwood.

It makes almost too much sense for the club to sell high on him, but they would seemingly like you – and every other NHL team presumably trying to lowball them – to know that they don’t have to trade him, and that they could sign him if they wanted to. So now that we got that out of the way…

Yes, the Canucks, in all likelihood, are going to move on from Kiefer Sherwood at some point between now and the NHL trade deadline. They sent a memo to 31 other NHL teams in November stating they were willing to listen to trade offers for their veteran players, and President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford quickly clarified that it was more about getting their trade deadline business out of the way sooner rather than later. In particular, that means moving out their pending UFAs, which is why Sherwood’s name has basically been at the forefront of trade rumours ever since.

The Canucks’ asking price for Sherwood is believed to be a first round pick plus a young player. To this point, no team has matched that, and Sherwood remains a Canuck through the halfway point of the season. Sherwood is on pace for 33 goals and is just two away from breaking the career-high in goals that he set last season, with 40 games left of runway to do so. As a result, Sherwood is due for a big increase from the $1.5 million annual salary he’s earned since the start of last season, when he signed on with the Canucks for two years in free agency. With Sherwood set to turn 31 in March, it doesn’t make much sense for the Canucks to be the ones to sign Sherwood’s next contract, which could very easily start with a five or a six and run anywhere from 4-6 years in length.

The list of potential suitors for Sherwood is rumoured to be a big one, and on Wednesday, one team was pretty firmly added to that list: the New York Rangers. That, of course, was when The Athletic’s Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported that the Rangers have identified Sherwood “as a primary trade target”.

“They were in on star defenseman Quinn Hughes before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild last month,” Mercogliano wrote. “As The Athletic previously reported, and have been pushing hard for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood, a league source said. The asking price is believed to be a first-round pick and possibly more for the 30-year-old who has netted 17 goals through 42 games and is in the final year of a modest contract that pays him $1.5 million annually. The acquisition cost is prohibitive for the Rangers, but team president Chris Drury’s focus has been on netting a top-nine forward to bolster an offense that ranks among the lowest-scoring in the NHL.”

To the surprise of no one who has been paying attention, the acquisition cost of Sherwood is prohibitive for the Rangers, just like it has proven to be for every other suitor up to this point. At this stage, it feels like we’re headed for Quinn Hughes territory, where the Canucks simply wait until someone meets their asking price – in the case of Hughes, it was the equivalent of four first round picks – and then pull the trigger on a deal.

In other words, it’s all going to come down to just how badly a team wants to add Sherwood. With Hughes, that team was Bill Guerin’s Minnesota Wild. For Sherwood, could that team be the Rangers?

Why the Rangers want Sherwood​

The reason the Rangers want Sherwood is simple. On top of his now undeniable offensive production, Sherwood’s baseline game makes him a dream for NHL coaches and GMs alike. As Canucks fans know, Sherwood plays with the same desperation and passion that helped him forge an NHL career in his late 20s, every single night. He won’t hurt you defensively, he can kill penalties, and on the forecheck? That’s where Sherwood first gained the attention of the Canucks, when their defencemen were on the receiving end of Sherwood’s crushing hits and pressure while retrieving the puck during the first round of the 2024 playoffs between Vancouver and Nashville.

The Rangers have struggled to score this season and, at the time of this writing, are three points out of a playoff spot, with six teams separating them from the second and final Wild Card spot in a jam-packed Eastern Conference. They would obviously like to give themselves an edge in that race, and they might want to do it sooner, rather than later.

Now, the reason the Rangers wouldn’t want Sherwood – especially at a hefty acquisition cost – is also important to mention as well. New York just lost both star goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenceman Adam Fox to injuries this week. Shesterkin was forced to leave Monday’s game after being involved in a collision with Utah’s JJ Peterka, and is expected to head to IR at some point this week, with no clear timetable for return provided. If he’s out for an extended period of time, adding Sherwood to a team that has relied heavily on their All-Star netminder might not only be a moot point, but downright reckless as well. As for Fox, he was just activated from LTIR and played just three games before landing right back on LTIR, meaning he’ll be sidelined for at least another month.

Those are two key contributors for the Rangers, and it would be a bold move to add to a team on the outside looking in of the playoff picture that just lost those two players. But let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Sherwood is their guy, and that they plan on signing him to an extension – meaning he wouldn’t simply be a rental – which would make the move much more defensible.

What would the Rangers give up?​

Let’s say the Rangers meet the Canucks’ rumoured asking price and cough up a first round pick along with a B-level prospect or young roster player. The Rangers own two first round picks in this year’s draft. One is their own, and the other is Carolina’s, which the Rangers acquired in the K’Andre Miller trade. However, the Hurricanes first comes with a condition: better of CAR or DAL 2026 first round pick and is top-10 protected. But based on the current standings, the pick would almost certainly be a late first round pick, as Carolina sits fifth and Dallas is second in the NHL standings. The Rangers would almost certainly prefer to acquire that pick in a trade rather than their own, which will likely be in the 12-20 range instead of the 22-32 range.

As for the player involved? A quick look at DailyFaceoff.com’s ranking of the Rangers’ prospect pool tells us their top three prospects are: Gabe Perreault, Scott Morrow, and Malcolm Spence.

Now, obviously, the Canucks would be ecstatic to get their hands on any of these prospects, especially Perreault, who has five points through 11 NHL games and is currently skating on the Rangers’ third line. But you’re kidding yourself if you think the Rangers would ever give up a first round pick plus one of their top three prospects. Instead, if the Canucks really wanted to get one of these prospects, they’d almost certainly attempt to entice the Rangers into a one-for-one swap of Sherwood for one of them. And honestly, they might even need to sweeten the deal a bit to get their hands on a prospect like Perreault, for example.

But if the Canucks stick with their ask of a first round pick plus a player, we can assume that Perreault, Morrow, and Spence are off the table. Might the Canucks be interested in Brennan Othmann, who the Rangers selected 16th overall in 2021 but has yet to establish himself at the NHL level? Othmann just turned 23 this month and has spent most of his season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he’s amassed 12 points in 21 games.

What about 19-year-old right-shot shutdown defenceman EJ Emery, whom the Rangers took 30th overall in the 2024 draft? Emery was born and raised in Surrey, and his father, Eric, played pro football for the BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders, and Ottawa Roughriders from 1985 to 1987. Some other names in the Rangers’ pipeline that might entice the Canucks are 20-year-old centre Carey Terrance and 22-year-old AHL winger Brett Berard.

One of those names, along with Carolina’s 2025 first round pick might be exactly what’s on the table if the Rangers are serious about adding Sherwood to their group.

READ NEXT: CANUCKS: IS IT BOESER’S TURN TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE PRESS BOX?​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...s-what-new-york-rangers-offer-kiefer-sherwood

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Patrick Kane scores 499th and 500th NHL goals in Canucks’ 5-1 loss to Red Wings

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​

Projected #Canucks lines vs. @DetroitRedWings

Kane. EP40. Boeser.
DeBrusk. Kämpf. Sherwood.
Öhgren. Sasson. Karlsson.
O’Connor. Räty. Höglander.

MP29. Willander.
Buium. Hronek.
EP25. Myers.

Lankinen

4pm on @Sportsnet650 https://t.co/J6DNM1E8Qt pic.twitter.com/p13ceP1hfQ

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) January 8, 2026

First Period​

Jake DeBrusk made a strong move towards the net on the opening shift of the game, forcing Simon Edvinsson to take a penalty and put the Canucks on the power play early in this one. On the power play, Elias Pettersson, Tom Willander, and Brock Boeser teamed up on a couple of good looks, but the Canucks’ first man-advantage opportunity of the night was ultimately an unsuccessful one.

Back at 5v5, the Canucks continued to put the pressure on the Red Wings, and five minutes into this one, the Canucks had spent minimal time in their own end and were outshooting the home side 3-0. It was a nice start for them.

Elias Junior Pettersson made a nice play at the Detroit blue line to keep the puck in the offensive end for his team, leading to a great scoring chance for Kiefer Sherwood, whose shot was turned aside by John Gibson. The Wings quickly went the other way with a 2-on-1 of their own, but Kevin Lankinen got a piece of Dylan Larkin’s attempt with his glove, keeping the game scoreless.

The Wings got their first power play chance of the night when Marcus Pettersson tripped up Dylan Larkin. The Canucks killed that one off, but late in the period, Zeev Buium and David Kampf took penalties in rapid succession to give Detroit an extended two-man advantage, and they wasted little time in converting, as Patrick Kane surprised Lankinen with a quick short side shot to open the scoring:

Patrick Kane opens the scoring late in the first period on the two-man advantage.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/E1T3bB7wBU

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 9, 2026

1-0 Wings.

Some takeaways from the first:
-Really liking the look of the Buium-Hronek pairing. When he was originally acquired from the Minnesota Wild, I remember thinking Buium would immediately replace Quinn Hughes on the top pairing and on PP1. And while he did immediately step in and quarterback the Canucks’ first power play unit, it took longer for him to get regular reps next to Hronek, but I’ve liked the look of those together. Hronek has been so good this year, so who better for Buium to learn from?
-I don’t think we talk enough about how disappointing Marcus Pettersson has been this season. Way, way too many minor penalties and downright abysmal play with the puck on his stick. That trade and the subsequent extension look like a big mistake.
-Kevin Lankinen made some good saves, but holy smokes the Wings missed the net on more than one prime scoring opportunities in that opening period.

Second Period​

The Wings picked up where they left off, and didn’t take long to push their lead to two. After Elias Pettersson fanned on a shot attempt, Detroit went the other way and scored after an odd-man rush:

Axel Sandin-Pellikka adds to the Red Wings lead, putting them up 2-0.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/ojg8a9WTud

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 9, 2026

2-0.

Not sure how much the clip does it justice, but this was an absolutely abysmal defensive effort from EP40. Rarely see that from him.

The Canucks got another power play chance shortly after the Sandin-Pellikka goal, and on this one, Jake DeBrusk made good on his chance to get the Canucks on the board.

CANUCKS GOAL

Jake DeBrusk gets the Canucks on the board with yet another powerplay goal to add to his season total.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/NalWB9JvSH

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 9, 2026

Nice play by Zeev Buium at the line in the leadup to this goal. 2-1.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the Wings to answer. Detroit cycled the puck around and broke the Canucks’ defensive system so badly that both Kiefer Sherwood and Tyler Myers (for some reason) were both at the point while the puck was worked down low. Not much chance for Lankinen on this one.

And just like that, the Canucks are back down by two.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/f3eKMMjhIt

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 9, 2026

3-1 Wings.

The Canucks mustered up a strong push to close out the second, but ultimately, they got outscored, outshot, and outworked in the middle frame.

Some takeaways from the second period:
-Prime’s Coast to Coast league whiparound show is truly a gift. If you’ve got an Amazon Prime subscription (which you’ll want for Monday’s game), you already have access to it.
-It’s hard to watch this team’s veterans go through the motions while not really knowing if the Canucks plan to actually get rid of any of them. Is this a rebuild or isn’t it? And if the answer is no, then what’s the actual plan?
-Liking what I’m seeing from Nils Höglander. Time to get him onto Pettersson’s wing. Enough with this fourth line/healthy scratch nonsense. (I wrote this line before the Canucks put Höglander-Pettersson-Boeser together for the final two shifts of the period.

Third Period​

The Canucks entered the third down by a pair of goals, and it stayed that way thanks to Kevin Lankinen making a huge save off of Dylan Larkin early in the frame. The Canucks nearly pulled within one just before the 10-minute mark, when Aatu Räty let fly with a wrister from the point that Drew O’Connor deflected, but John Gibson got just enough of it to hold the shot out.

They kept working hard and kept getting the puck up ice and into the Detroit end, but it felt like the plays died right before the Canucks were actually able to create a scoring chance off of them. It was back-and-forth action for much of the third, and from an entertainment perspective, you couldn’t really complain.

With just under five minutes remaining, the Canucks pulled Thatcher Demko and sent out an extra attacker. And Patrick Kane promptly scored the 500th goal of his NHL career. The Wings spilled out over the boards to celebrate, further prolonging the end of this game.

Patrick Kane gets career goal number 500 on the Canucks empty net.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/ncxm5KO2m1

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 9, 2026

4-1.

Lucas Raymond added another Detroit goal to make it 5-1.

Some takeaways from the third:
-Really liked what Aatu Räty and Drew O’Connor managed to do on a line together. Would love to see Räty keep getting chances.
-Another strong game for Kiefer Sherwood. Friday would be a great day to pull the trigger on a trade.
-This team is a directionless disaster.

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

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/instan...-vancouver-canucks-4-1-loss-detroit-red-wings

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL trade values: Could the Canucks get back what they paid for Marcus Pettersson?

As the Vancouver Canucks continue to consider trading off veterans in their so-called hybrid rebuild, and as everyone else speculates about those considerations, there is one name that has been largely absent from the discussions, despite being a somewhat logical candidate for a deal. That player is Marcus Pettersson.

On the surface, that makes some sense. When the team acquired the now-29-year-old Pettersson from Pittsburgh last January, they signed him to a six-year, $5.5 million AAV extension. At that point, Pettersson was clearly a part of the long-term plan in Vancouver.

But here now, a full calendar year later, that long-term plan sure appears to have changed. And one can’t help but wonder whether Pettersson fits into that plan better as a veteran support piece or as a re-cashed trade-chip.

As far as Canucks management and their outward statements are concerned, the current goal seesm to be for them to hang on to all three of their veteran defenders in Pettersson, Filip Hronek, and Tyler Myers. The thinking there is that the veteran trio lines up very well with the unseasoned trio of Tom Willander, Zeev Buium, and Elias Pettersson, and that maintaining the veterans will aid in the development of the youngsters. On that front, the senior Pettersson makes perhaps the most sense to hold onto. Hronek and Myers both play the right side, so if one of them were to theoretically be moved, at least the other would remain. Pettersson, however, is the only vet on the left-side, aside from P-O Joseph and Derek Forbort, who may not return from injury this season.

Trade Pettersson now, and the Canucks would be left with a very raw and inexperienced left side of just Buium, E. Pettersson, and Joseph, and that’s a very dramatic swing for a team that started the season with Quinn Hughes over there.

Then again: who cares? We don’t need ICBC to tell us that the 2025-26 season is a write-off. The Canucks are in second-to-last place, they show no real signs of rebounding from there, and the situation will only presumably get worse as sell-off trades occur over the next two months.

With Pettersson under contract for five more years after this one, the 2025-26 season is not the only consideration here. But the 2026-27 season is not one to pin any hopes on either, and past that point, one has to question the whole ‘mentorship’ angle. Buium and E. Pettersson will be that much older and more experienced by then, and there’s nothing stopping the team from picking up another support vet in the interim, or from developing someone else from within, like Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Suffice it to say that the period of time during which this Pettersson extension was meant to make the biggest difference now neatly aligns with the period of time during which the Canucks are expected to lose, and a lot. That should mean that the team is at least open to exploring Pettersson’s trade value moving forward, as in trying to determine whether he’s worth more to them as a roster player or a trade-chip that has been exchanged for some future assets.

And if they’re considering that, the real question to be asked is whether or not Pettersson could still, at the very least, return what the Canucks paid for him. Is there a refund available here, or are they going to relegated to the equivalent of ‘store credit’?

When Pettersson was acquired by the Canucks, he came along with Drew O’Connor and cost the Canucks a conditional first round pick – previous acquired from the New York Rangers in the JT Miller deal – and prospect Melvin Fernstrom. Part of the valuation, however, included the dumping of Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais’ contracts.

It’s not exactly true, but close enough to say that Pettersson cost the Canucks roughly a first rounder. That first rounder was eventually flipped once again to the Philadelphia Flyers, but ended up being used at 12th overall in the most recent draft on prospect Jack Nesbitt.

What we’re really asking then, is if Pettersson could still return a first in his current state.

When Pettersson arrived in Vancouver, he was pitched as a guaranteed-top-four, borderline-top-pairing defender, and through his 31 games with the Canucks to close the 2024-25 season, he played at about that level. Most folks were pleased with Pettersson’s play in general, and the value the Canucks seemed to achieve in locking him up to a reasonable extension early.

It has to be said, however, that Pettersson’s stock has dropped in 2025-26. Offensively, he’s averaged about 30 points a season in his NHL career, but currently has just nine in 43 games, and is thus pacing for fewer than 20. He’s been outscored 23-30 at five-on-five play. His Corsi is at just 45.2%.

Now, any struggles in Vancouver this year have to be at least partially related to the team’s overall struggles. And Pettersson is still carrying his fair share of the load with an average of 20:58 a night. But if he’s not the problem himself, then he hasn’t been much a part of the solution.

Still, one bad season does not erase a decade of top-four play. And that extension, while not as shiny as it first appeared, still rings through as having surplus value. It was signed, after all, before the salary cap leapt up this past offseason, and before it leaps up again next offseason. A $5.5 million cap hit has quickly made the trip all the way to about average for a top-four defender, and will be below-average soon enough. What that means is that all Pettersson has to do is maintain his status as a top-four throughout the next five years for this contract to have fair value. Anything better than that is gravy.

And this becomes especially true when the teams who might consider trading for Pettersson consider their options. There are never all that many quality defenders available in any given trade market, and moving forward, to acquire a player of Pettersson’s ilk through free agency is definitely going to cost a team more than $5.5 million per year.

Put that together with some of Pettersson’s more specific skills, like penalty killing, leadership, and throwing the occasional devastating hit, and one has to imagine that, if the Canucks were offering him around, there would be some interesting suitors.

To return the equivalent of the 12th overall pick may still be a bridge too far at this point. That’s a very valuable asset. But what if the Canucks are looking for just a first round pick, in general? That seems a lot more doable. And that would probably still feel like the Canucks getting their worth from the whole series of transactions.

But would it be worth their while? Probably! First round picks are gold to even a hybrid-rebuilding team, and they remain lottery picks. Any mid-to-late first, like the one the Canucks are currently holding from the Minnesota Wild, has a chance to be an impact player, but they also have a decent chance of busting. Having multiple mid-to-late firsts, however, increases the odds of at least one of them hitting. And the Canucks need some hits more than anything right now.

Pettersson’s own potential as a mentor, as a stabilizer, and perhaps even as someone who can continue to play meaningful minutes toward the end of his contracts as the Canucks become more competitive cannot be discounted. But those are qualities that don’t necessarily need to come from Pettersson, and especially not if he can be cashed in for something the Canucks need right now.

We mentioned Forbort already. The Canucks got a very good year out of Forbort in 2024-25. He became a star penalty killer, played nearly every night, and earned himself a raise – and last year, he did it all for the low, low price of a $1.5 million cap hit.

There’s nothing really stopping the Canucks from trading Pettersson now and then seeking out some lower-cost veterans via free agency to cover any further desire for experience and leadership on their blueline. It might be a ‘have your cake and eat it, too’ scenario, and that makes it sound like something well worth exploring.

After all, who doesn’t like cake?

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-trade-values-could-vancouver-canucks-back-paid-marcus-pettersson

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Why the Canucks should not trade for Jesperi Kotkaniemi

It appears that a former Vancouver Canucks target is being made available for trade.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Carolina Hurricanes and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are both looking for a fresh start:

“So, Kotkaniemi did not make the Finnish Olympic team, and we kind of talked about how surprising it is that he really wasn’t on the radar. I think anybody would understand that it was a really painful moment for him. Very, very disappointing.

“Just in making some calls on Thursday … I started hearing Kotkaniemi’s name a bit. I think what’s happened is in the aftermath of him not making the Finnish team, there is an understanding around the league that he needs a fresh start, and the Hurricanes are considering it. I think they have some offers coming their way.

“Kotkaniemi has been in some offers. [The Hurricanes] offered him to LA for Philip Danault; the Kings decided not to do that. They offered him to Vancouver in the Quinn Hughes package – it sounded like their package involved Kotkaniemi and [Alex] Nikishin.”

But in Vancouver, we’ve done this song and dance before with Kotkaniemi. He has been linked to the Canucks for a while, whether in a potential Elias Pettersson trade, a Quinn Hughes trade, or simply as a regular target. However, it didn’t make sense then, when the Canucks were still trying to compete, and it would make even less sense now when they’re headed toward a rebuild.

Kotkaniemi, 25, has only appeared in 25 of the Hurricanes’ 44 games this season, often serving as a healthy scratch. The Finnish centreman has just two goals and six points with a minus-two rating in just 11:08 minutes of average ice time. He’s not trusted to play in every game, and when he does get in, he’s only getting fourth-line minutes.

Not only is the 2018 third-overall pick not producing offensively, or defensively – he’s dead last in Corsi Percentage, Shot Share, Expected Goals Percentage, Scoring Chances, and High-Danger Scoring Chances For Percentage of all Hurricanes forwards at 5v5 – but he’s got an ugly contract that comes with that baggage.

After hitting restricted free agency as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, Kotkaniemi signed an expensive offer sheet with the Hurricanes as a payback move after the Sebastian Aho offer sheet a few summers earlier. The Hurricanes signed Kotkaniemi to a one-year, $6.1 million contract, a deal the Canadiens had no choice but to accept compensation for. In turn, the Hurricanes might now regret this decision, as with a high AAV as an RFA, Kotkaniemi’s qualifying offer would have been high. As a result, the Hurricanes’ hands were tied, as they had to meet the player’s higher ask, which came to an eight-year, $4.82 million AAV contract.

During his time in Carolina, Kotkaniemi reached a career high of 18 goals and 43 points in 2022-23, but has since declined. It’s officially hit rock bottom now with him not even making the lineup every night.

How would he fit in on this Canucks team?

The only reason he fits is that he technically fits the Canucks’ goal of adding players 25 or under right now – he’ll turn 26 this summer.

But as it stands, the Canucks are trying to offload forwards from their roster. Not only to build assets for the future, but to give the young players on their current roster more ice time and more opportunity to see what they have in them to determine whether they are a piece of the future, or they can be an asset to use in a trade that becomes a piece to help the future.

While not deep in talent, the Canucks have Elias Pettersson, Marco Rossi, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, David Kämpf, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson as centres on the roster. Of course, Rossi, Chytil, and Blueger are currently out with injury. But the latter two appear close to returning as they are on the current road trip. Reinforcements down the middle are coming. There’s not a real positional need for Kotkaniemi anymore.

Is this not another recclamation project? The Canucks have already tried that this season with Lukas Reichel. How did that workout? Of course, Kotkaniemi has been more productive at the NHL level than Reichel has. But the situation remains the same — an underproducing forward who needs a change of scenery.

And what would Kotkaniemi cost? Whatever his price tag, the Canucks are in the business of acquiring picks and futures, not trading those for roster players now.

Nothing about the move would make sense from a Canucks perspective. The player would not be a part of the team’s future. He doesn’t exactly fit into the Canucks’ preferred age range, and they can’t make the excuse of, “well, at least he’s producing!” because he’s often a healthy scratch.

This move didn’t make sense when they thought they were contending; it doesn’t make sense now. Learn from the mistakes of trading futures for win-now veterans (Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor) and let another team give Jesperi Kotkaniemi a chance to revitalize his career.

READ NEXT: Beyond gunning for a high first round pick, the Canucks’ lack of direction is hard to ignore​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/why-vancouver-canucks-should-not-trade-jesperi-kotkaniemi

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Scenes from morning skate: Demko starts, Karlsson and Öhgren get top six opportunities for Canucks vs. Maple Leafs

The Vancouver Canucks (16-22-5) reach the midway mark of their six-game road trip when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs (21-15-7) at Scotiabank Arena. Tonight’s game is set for a 4pm PT face-off on Hockey Night In Canada.

The Canucks are out to snap a five-game winless skid (0-3-2) while the Leafs have collected points in eight straight (6-0-2).

What we saw​

#Canucks took line rushes as follows in Toronto on Saturday morning:

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Karlsson
Öhgren-Sasson-Boeser
DOC-Kampf-Sherwood
Kane-Räty-Höglander

M. Pettersson-Hronek
Buium-Myers
D-Petey – Willander

Extras: Joseph, Bains
Red non-contact: Garland, Blueger, Chytil pic.twitter.com/w64DVpxjvk

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 10, 2026

After a team day off Friday, the Canucks conducted a full team morning skate in Toronto. Linus Karlsson will return to the right wing on a line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk while Liam Öhgren bumps up to play with Max Sasson and the struggling Brock Boeser. Evander Kane, who has gone 10 games without a goal, drops to the fourth line with Aatu Räty and Nils Höglander.

On defence, the Canucks are reuniting Marcus Pettersson and Filip Hronek on a top shutdown pair. Zeev Buium will skate alongside Tyler Myers. And Elias Pettersson will remain in the line-up for a second straight game after being scratched for three of the previous four outings. He will partner with Tom Willander.

Thatcher Demko gets the start in goal. He’s looking to snap a personal five game losing skid (0-4-1). He allowed four goals on 19 shots in a 5-3 loss in Buffalo in his last outing on Tuesday. His last victory came on December 19th against the New York Islanders.

The Canucks have dropped a season-high five straight following a 5-1 loss in Detroit on Thursday. Jake DeBrusk scored on a second period power play. He has scored in back to back games and three of the last four. His last eight goals have come with the man-advantage.

One area the Canucks have had success lately is the power play which has clicked in each of its last four games and is 5/16 (31.3%) over that span. However, the Canucks have scored just four goals at 5-on-5 over their last four games. They have been outscored 5-0 in first periods in those games and have given up the first goal in eight of their last nine outings.

Two days shy of his 31st birthday, former Leaf David Kämpf returns to Toronto with two goals and an assist in 22 games since signing with Canucks in mid-November. Two of those points came in a December 30th game against Philadelphia.

Conor Garland, who has missed the past four games with an injury, rejoined the Canucks and took part in this morning’s skate. Garland along with Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil all took to the ice in red non-contact jerseys.

The Opponent​

#Leafs morning skate:
Knies-Matthews-Domi
Maccelli-Tavares-Nylander
Cowan-Roy-Robertson
McMann-Laughton-Lorentz

Rielly-Carlo
Ekman-Larsson-Stecher
Benoit-Myers
McCabe-Benning

Woll
Hildeby

— Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) January 10, 2026

The Leafs are coming off a 2-1 overtime victory in Philadelphia on Thursday. Easton Cowan’s sixth goal of the season was the OT winner after Scott Laughton scored a shorthanded goal with six minutes remaining in the third period to tie the game 1-1. In addition to tying the game, Laughton also won 19 of the 20 face-offs he took. Dennis Hildeby stopped 22 of 23 shots for the win in goal. Joseph Woll gets the start in net tonight. He is 9-4-2 with a 2.69 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

The Leafs have found ways to grind out results despite missing leading scorer William Nylander for the past six games. However, Nylander will make his return to the line-up tonight. He has 41 points in 33 games.

Auston Matthews leads the team with 21 goals. He had scored six times in three games prior to being held off the scoresheet in Philadelphia. Last Saturday, he passed Mats Sundin to become the all-time goal scoring leader in Maple Leafs history with his 421st career goal. Matthews has scored 18 times in 25 games against the Canucks.

Toronto has the second best home record in the league this season going 15-5-5 (.700). The Leafs are the second highest-scoring team on home ice with 91 goals and they have won six straight at Scotiabank Arena.

The Canucks will see former teammates Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher on the same defensive pair on the other side tonight. However, they will not encounter familiar faces Chris Tanev or Dakota Joshua who are both out of the line-up with injuries.

News and notes​

A year ago, after winter weather in Raleigh, NC scuttled their travel plans, the Canucks flew into Toronto on game day last January and blanked the Leafs 3-0. Toronto will make its lone appearance in Vancouver three weeks from tonight on January 31st. The Canucks swept the Leafs last season, have won three straight and four of the last five meetings.

The referees for tonight’s game are Jean Hebert and Michael Markovic.

What we heard​

Adam Foote on Conor Garland’s status: “Garly’s close. He could make it by the end of this trip which would be one of the last three. So we’ll see.”

David Kämpf on returning to Toronto to face the Leafs after terminating his contract in November: “Of course, I’m excited. I have a lot of friends there on the other side. It will be an exciting game. I don’t want talk about it too much. I made a decision. I think I’m happy with my decision. I’m here and I’m just moving forward.”

Don’t forget to join Rink Wide Vancouver for full postgame coverage after this game – and every game. The livestream starts moments after the final buzzer. Rink Wide is the place for full postgame analysis and discussion. Join the live YouTube chat with your thoughts on the hockey game. Tonight’s Rink Wide will originate live on location from Greta Bar YVR.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes...unities-vancouver-canucks-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Canucks management need to fully embrace the tank after 5-0 loss to Leafs

On its surface, the Vancouver Canucks’ 5-0 loss at the hands of the Toronto Leafs (Maple-based, according to rumours) is the perfect result for Vancouver.

It continues their thirst for first.

It continues to drive away that pesky “Hey, did you know the Blues were last place in January before winning the Cup?” response your annoying co-worker brings up any chance they get while they heat up their tuna pasta in the microwave.

And it continues to reinforce that the time to rebuild is indeed right now, because when you watch these lifeless Canucks, I don’t know how anyone walks away from these games thinking “Oh yeah, this group is a piece away from contending.” No offence to Adam Foote, who reminds us we didn’t play the game, so we wouldn’t understand how line changes work and stuff, but this was not a night in which the Canucks were “right there”. Aside from a decent opening period, the wheels on the bus fell off relatively quickly after going down 3-0 through twenty minutes.

Which is to be expected, of course. This is not a good team, and they are not built to win. If anything, this just shows how much heavy lifting Quinn Hughes was doing just to keep the Canucks in the conversation of being “right there” on a nightly basis. Someone on social media called the Canucks roster a house covered with black mould, and it’s time to tear everything down to its studs. It’s hard to argue that.

Which brings me to a sentiment I have begun to see more and more around town:

I don’t think this fan base has the constitution for a rebuild #Canucks

— Derek (@OhFFSDerek) January 11, 2026

This isn’t to call out Derek; it’s merely to show that, yeah, there are people who watch the fans grumble after losses like this as proof positive that this market can’t handle a rebuild. That a quick turnaround is a necessary objective for dealing with Vancouver. That people say they want a rebuild, but they don’t have the mentality to echarle huevos for a losing team.

I, however, would argue that this market does have the ability to support a rebuild; it’s just, you know, they’d just like to know it is, in fact, an actual rebuild.

Because, if we’re being honest with each other, it’s been over a decade from two management teams and the same owner, where the second this organization sniffs the tiniest scent of success, they seemingly declare the heavy lifting is over. If they get within spitting distance of the playoffs, well heck, that’s proof positive that it’s all gravy and sunshine from here on out.

Even with Jim Rutherford using the infamous “rebuild” word from Vancouver this season, that was quickly obfuscated with talk from Patrik Allvin of a “hybrid retool”, as if management couldn’t help themselves but put a foot out the door of any talk of having to wait out several losing seasons if it meant long-term success.

This team has done absolutely nothing to earn the trust of its fans, nor does it deserve it, quite frankly, which is why I think you see a lot of people watching these losses and continue to check over their shoulders for any danger. It’s hard to cheer on the losses when a small part of you is worried they’d trade next year’s first pick for a 20-something NHL-ready player.

Which isn’t to say that all rebuilds are guaranteed to work, of course. You can bring up countless stories of organizations failing to turn a team around into a consistent playoff contender. But after watching this team try for over a decade to force through short windows of opportunity only to fail to amount to anything more than a few mildly successful playoff runs, the time is ripe for a new approach. Fans are dying to see this team commit to a plan that, at least on paper, is set up to attempt long-term success.

Because ultimately, it was Vancouver hunting for short-term success that cost them the services of Quinn Hughes. Yes, the JT Miller and Elias Pettersson drama probably cost them an extra playoff run in the mix, but the window the team gave themselves when they traded for Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov was destined to be a short one regardless. If there were a time machine on hand for Vancouver, I would hope they would use it to go to the day they realized Quinn Hughes was a generational defenceman and started building long-term right there and right then.

Instead, we continue this loop of watching a team and praying they lose, so the team is forced to do the right thing.

Because that’s where we are right now, the JT Miller trade tilted the scales, then Quinn Hughes demanding out forced their hands. They didn’t walk into this rebuild with open arms; they were dragged into it kicking and screaming, and in the JT Miller case, looked to have dodged a considerable contractual anchor they otherwise would have happily accepted. This is why many people aren’t fully embracing the idea that this team will be in it for the long haul: it’s been rather reactive than proactive.

Which is why I would argue it’s the organization that doesn’t have the huevos to stick to a rebuild, not the fan base. If management came out and said they were going to make moves intended to make them a long-term threat, and openly embraced the idea of short-term pain for long-term gain, it would help with these games tremendously. Right now, fans watch the games and have to pray the team loses for fear of them going on a hot streak. Because a hot streak might change their outlook at the trade deadline, that “hybrid retool” leaves a lot of room for short-term thinking.

Whether it’s the job security of management or an owner who licks his lips at the idea of playoff revenue, short-term thinking always feels like it’s lurking around the corner, peering at you from down the hallway like Joel Hofer, afraid to jump into the rebuild game.

I also just watch this team and I see the veterans struggling on the Canucks, the players who are supposed to be the reliable ones. I can’t help but wonder where their heads are at with all of this. Signing with a team that has Quinn Hughes in its back pocket is a far different beast than what they currently have, so I wonder how many of them are eying the exit door, wondering if their sweet freedom is on the way. You just watch these games and see the lack of energy, the lack of urgency, and you just pine for a world in which they trade off anything to do with the old era and start off fresh.

Because part of the joys of a rebuild is starting over. Bringing in new guys who are ready to work in a losing environment and build toward winning again. Who can play games like this where they lose, but they at least look engaged and have some pushback? An environment where a new culture can be built that hasn’t been affected by past memories. Like any relationship that runs its course, sometimes starting over is the only answer for everyone involved.

If the team fully embraces the tank, much like they once embraced the hate, I think you’d find a fan base that was able to ride out the troubled waters far better than they are now. Because trusting the process is a hell of a lot easier to do when you a) know what the process actually is and b) agree with the direction it’s going in.

Until then, let’s watch some clips.

Best not anymore

Fully on team tank for the #Canucks. Except for tonight. Tonight, as always against the Leafs, is must win night.

— Grant Notenbomer (@Gnotenbomer) January 11, 2026

I will say that I used to follow this ideology, that no matter how bad a season Vancouver has, beating the Leafs should always come first. There is just something about their fan base suffering that makes everything feel right in the universe.

But with the way this season is going, you take any loss you can get, even if it’s against Toronto. Besides, that team is dealing with its own issues of facing its own mortality right now, so beating them no longer carries that same level of satisfaction. We all float down here.

As for the game itself, the Canucks best period? The first. They handily outshot the Leafs 15-6, which, if you’re Adam Foote, you point to that and exclaim about how a bounce here or there, and this night ends differently.

However, the problem with that is most of the Canucks opposition doesn’t have God awful defensive coverage, so with 15 shots, a majority of them created using Hodor levels of creativity in the form of “throw it on net and see what happens”, doesn’t quite land the same as “Oh hey, why did Tyler Myers just skate into the corner to try and triple team a dude on the penalty kill, oh Toronto scored again.”

There is a reason Rick Tocchet probably grinded out low-scoring wins because if your team can’t score, if you at least cut out the egregious defensive zone coverage mistakes, you do in fact have a chance to win on a point shot into traffic, especially when Quinn Hughes is running on a full tank of gas and doesn’t hate his life.

A good example of this is here are two of the shots the Canucks got in the period, both of them from the stick of Nils Höglander on a wraparound attempt:

Nothing against that shot; I like the moxie, and I enjoy it whenever I see the Canucks not shooting into traffic from the point, but this is a low-percentage play. It’s a greasy goal attempt in which you hope Nils either pushes it past Joseph Woll, or that Evander Kane manages to whack it in. Which can score, of course, but when you’re a team blowing coverage and giving high danger open looks to the other team, then yeah, you kind of understand that simply outshooting your opponent doesn’t tell the full story of the night.

The Canucks best player at even strength continues to be Drew O’Connor, as we all expected, as he was the most noticeable of the Canucks from where I was sitting.

He is effective at both ends of the ice, as he is able to stop William Nylander on a back-door attempt, something the team has struggled with this season:

Whatever you want to call Adam Foote’s system, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of players on the team have struggled with it. The swarm/man-to-man nature of it lends itself to chaos in your own end if you don’t switch off properly or get lulled into chasing the puck carrier, which is something Drew made sure NOT to do on this play. He tracked back and resisted the pull of the one puck that rules them all, and as a result stayed in position to make the defensive play on the cross crease one timer attempt.

DOC also tends to provide the most noticeable energy on offensive shifts on the team, as he does here by chasing down a zone-clearing pass attempt from Toronto, before unloading a shot in the slot:

And hell, when the occasion calls for it, he’s not above trying to do a little dingle dangle as he attempted midway through the first, when he dragged a puck off the boards and tried to shoot from betwixt his legs:

I honestly came down pretty hard on Drew O’Connor in the first month of the season, but I will willingly eat my words as he has been one of the best and most consistent Canuck skaters throughout the season.

Best start late start barely

Demko StatBone:

The #Canucks haven’t scored first in 4 weeks

— Demko’s Kneebones (@BluelineBardown) January 11, 2026

Matias Maccelli opened the scoring on the power play for Toronto just eight minutes into the game on a seeing-eye pass from Willy Nylander:

The penalty kill has struggled without Derek Forbort, who I assume has entered witness protection at this point. Sometimes I wonder when the day will come when I ask about him, and the Canucks claim to have never heard of him.

But even with the services of one Mr. Forbort and/or Teddy Blueger, no team can survive with this kind of penalty kill structure. Just before the pass from Nylander, the Canucks have overloaded the boards and have three skaters outside the faceoff dots, leaving Elias Pettersson as the lone skater to try to defend two Leafs players.

Watch the clip, and you see Tyler Myers commit the most egregious act of chaos as he chases down Auston Matthews before peeling off wide and heading to the corner down low. If Nylander hadn’t found Maccelli, he could have easily found a wide-open Matthew Knies as well.

Again, this is good for the tank, but hard on the eyes at times.

Best getting your cardio in

Nice to see Pettersson shooting one timers again. It’s been a veryyyyyy long time since we’ve seen it so hopefully it’s signs for good things to come. #canucks

— David Mo (@Canuckrandom) January 11, 2026

The Canucks went 0-for-6 on the power play on the night, and to their credit, it wasn’t an egregiously bad night for them in terms of puck movement and looks on net. They managed to create some scoring chances, but I wouldn’t say they had any high-quality shots either.

They continue to find Kiefer Sherwood in the bumper spot, so depending on how the rest of the season goes regarding trades, enjoy it whilst you can:

It’s nice to see the team leaning on EP40 as a one-timer threat and distributor from the Petterzone, something that feels like it had gotten lost in time.

But like much of the night, the Leafs simply created better looks on net, as they were able to cut through the Canucks coverage at a much higher rate than Vancouver. To add insult to injury, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was technically being paid by Vancouver to make this high-level pass down low to Auston Matthews for the backhander on net:

Now, I know this might come as a surprise to some, but that was Evander Kane blowing coverage on that shift, as he drifted off the Leafs captain and skated to the point, as is tradition. Live by the Planet Ice, die by the Planet Ice, as they say.

Best team Vittorio

Time for the #Canucks to send down DPetey and bring up Mancini?

— Mike in the Valley (@mikeinthevalley) January 11, 2026

A lot of Canucks defencemen have struggled this season, and Elias Pettersson sure is one of them. I just think he makes some bad reads at times, and I don’t know if that’s the system working against him or if the spotlight on him is too bright without Quinn Hughes around to lighten the load for everyone.

I will say that the Leafs’ second goal felt like a combination of the two, as DPetey looks like he’s trying to skate back over to his side of the ice and thinks Fil Hronek is going back to the right, but then Fil pulls up, and chaos once again ensues. With both defencemen caught on the left side of the ice, Max Domi is able to skate in and snipe one past Thatcher Demko:

I find that the Adam Foote system feels like a house of cards, where one mistake can bring the whole thing down with little effort. Players will chase a puck or decide to keep tracking a player out of position, and then everything falls apart as the team cannot figure out how to get back into man-on-man coverage.

Feels very high risk, low reward, which feels not optimal?

Best finishing strong

That was a period of hockey that the last place team in the league would play..What a mess lol#Canucks

— JR#11 (@JDOG0721) January 11, 2026

The Leafs would then make it 3-0 off a Steven Lorentz pass over to Willy Nylander, with a lone Marcus Pettersson spinning into space behind him:

This is life when you don’t have a defenceman who can generate zone entries at will, as Tom Willander skates in and forces a pass into the middle, before bouncing into the middle of the ice for Lorentz to start the counterattack. Marcus Pettersson is playing pretty high up on the back check, and when he can’t make a play on the puck, he gets spun around, like a record baby right round round round, giving Nylander all the time and space to skate the puck around Demko.

Which, to my earlier point, it’s nice that Vancouver outshot the Leafs in the opening frame, but at the end of the day, there was only one team making the big mistakes on their in-zone coverage, so yeah, shock of shocks, it was Vancouver who was down three goals as a result of it.

Best see you next year

Demko gets the hook after allowing 3 goals on 6 shots. Commitment to #teamtank. #Canucks

— Chris Leader (@cleader38) January 11, 2026

Thatcher Demko did not return to the game due to a lower-body injury, and, according to Adam Foote, he will be evaluated over the next few days. Which means I assume he will get the dreaded “day to day” diagnosis, and the next time we see him will be in the year 2027 with a new name, new haircut, and new life somewhere in Cabo San Lucas.

The change in nets didn’t change all that much, as once again Marcus Pettersson showed his commitment to the Dead or Alive lifestyle by spinning once more, this time after Easton Cowan (no relation to the Brabarian, but yes relation to Darren McCarty) walked around him and narrowly missed banking in a pass attempt behind Kevin Lankinen:

The Canucks defensive coverage continued to struggle, as this time they stacked three players down low, while Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren stood in the middle of the ice, leading to Nicholas Robertson getting off an open one-timer in the slot:

That shot very easily could have made it 4-0 had it not been for a big save from Lankinen. Which, again, it’s created because the Canucks just constantly break down in their own zone, which gives up so much time and space for the other team.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Leafs were winning the physical war as Brandon Carlo would then lay out Jake DeBrusk with a crushing hit in the neutral zone, much to the dismay of the Romulans:

My takeaway remains the same as ever: sell, sell, sell at the trade deadline.

Best rolling over

The number of grade A chances the #Canucks give up on the PP is insane

— Ethan (@Lindstrum) January 11, 2026

With the Canucks on the power play, it was Scott Laughton with the best chance, as he got a breakaway and attempted his vintage piss missile shot:

Tom Willander pinches up along the boards and gets beaten, which results in Laughton getting the scoring chance. And while some people may doubt the usage of a slapshot on a breakaway, I absolutely love it.

One, it’s primal as sh!t, because if you wire a 99mph clapper behind a goalie, you’ve let them know you are the superior being in a way a regular wrist shot can’t.

Two, Lankinen is basically Hasek in shootouts, so you might as well get creative in trying to beat him.

The Leafs would get another high-quality scoring chance on the same penalty kill, as Auston Matthews got a couple of shots off after an ill-advised Evander Kane pinch from the point:

To the Canucks credit, all five skaters get back to try and limit the damage, but right after Matthews gets his initial shot off, they all peel off to one side of the ice, leaving two Leafs players all alone on the right of Kevin. It’s sort of how this season has gone, the road to scoring chances is paved with good intentions and all that.

As for the Canucks, they had a couple of good scoring chances on the power play that were either stopped by Woll, or in Boeser’s case, the hockey gods currently hate him:

The pushback was few and far between in this one, however.

Best not like this

O'Connor

— akui ‍ (@didntkiss234) January 11, 2026

Drew O’Connor got his leg stuck in the ice and left the game briefly before returning. I will show a clip of it for posterity, just in case he, too, is listed as “day-to-day” tomorrow due to this, and we don’t see him again for many months:

Best finishing up

This is so embarrassing #canucks

— hammertime (@nucksEP40) January 11, 2026

John Tavares got the Leafs fourth goal, this time after the Canucks just couldn’t clear the zone to save their lives. Not to bring up Hughes again, but I do want to point out that there is such a stark difference in life when you have a zone entry/exit God, versus when you’re a regular human:

The Leafs put the pressure on Vancouver, and they just couldn’t find a way to get the puck out, and as a result, Toronto went up by four.

And much like the earlier Carlo hit, the Leafs towered over Vancouver physically once more, this time when Max Domi beat up Marcus Pettersson near the end of the second period:

You just watch these games, and everything is just so incredibly flat right now. I find myself looking up 1995 Ottawa Senators highlights to cheer myself at times, because at least they had the excitement of Lance Pitlick to watch.

Best more of the same

everyone’s asking me to turn this game off and I keep refusing and now I’m the only one left in the living room watching it

#Canucks

— em tweets (@empathytweets_) January 11, 2026

The third period was essentially a gentleman’s agreement between both teams to finish up the game in a timely manner, though Nylander almost got another goal when he pushed a puck wide of an open net:

Again, the Canucks defensive coverage is looser than that meat sandwich you used to eat in high school. Such is life.

Best line of the night

I suggest you stop fighting the fact that David Kämpf, Kiefer Sherwood and Drew O’Connor are the top line on the Canucks and simply embrace it. Worry about the implications of that another day.

For now, let us revel in Kämpf knowing that the best player to try and get the puck to right now is one Drew O’Connor, as he is your best even strength player on the team right now:

This was one of the best scoring chances of the third period, and once again, I urge you not to ponder the implications of that, but instead enjoy the beauty of it.

Best dying gasps

#canucks are NOT 'right there'.

— VanCity Sports (@vancitysportswx) January 11, 2026

With a late-game power play, Vancouver tried their vaunted “maybe it will go in off of Jake DeBrusk?” maneuver, followed up by the “maybe if we throw it in the crease someone will whack it in?” strategy:

Both fair choices, but both ultimately failed on this night.

Best shout out to Aatu

can’t wait until Foote pulls the goalie with seven minutes to go and we get instantly scored on #canucks

— Jisho (@glen_nelson) January 11, 2026

Just wanted to highlight that Aatu Räty probably played the cleanest rush defence on the night, as he easily shut down and contained John Tavares on this attempt in the third period:

Evander Kane then almost set up Aatu Räty for a goal, as Räty utilized the deft tip technique, nearly getting one past Woll:

For all of Planet Ice’s defensive issues, I will say I enjoy watching him make leading passes. Evander Kane might be the best player on the team now in terms of sending in passes for other players to skate into.

As for Aatu Räty, with his faceoff prowess alone, I wouldn’t take him out of the lineup anytime soon. You might as well see what you have in the young kids, and it’s clear that putting the current group of veterans into every game isn’t exactly creating a winning, zoned-in environment.

Best signs of a pulse

I miss Jim Benning. #Canucks

— Shiippai (@Shiippaii) January 11, 2026

The only real pushback on the night came from, who else, Kiefer Sherwood, who didn’t like the late hit attempt on David Kämpf:

Sherwood was penalized for it, and Toronto would get its final goal of the night on the power play:

I cannot think of a more depressing sight in the NHL right now than Brock Boeser killing off a penalty in a blowout game. It just feels so needlessly sad.

Still, kudos to Sherwood for being one of the few players who seemed to notice and/or dislike the fact that his team was losing. Probably bumps his trade value up to two first-rounders, I would think.

And that was the ball game. Toronto wins. Vancouver loses. And we continue to wait and see where this ride takes us.

See you Tuesday. Go Bills.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...lly-embrace-tank-5-0-loss-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Statsies: Aatu Räty stands out in 5-0 blowout Canucks loss to Leafs

Good grief.

It’s embarrassing. The Canucks are embarrassing. The young guys are getting ventilated and the vets are offering nothing in terms of support. How is there any trust in the direction of this team?

— Jason Brough (@SadClubCommish) January 11, 2026

The Vancouver Canucks got embarrassed on national television, losing 5-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Simply put, the gulf in quality between these two teams was on evident display, a completely lacklustre and lifeless display from the Canucks in this shutout loss. They couldn’t do anything of note, couldn’t get anything going, and just looked terrible as a whole. If the season until this point hadn’t proven that the Canucks need an actual rebuild, this game did so in spades.

Here’s the loss, by the numbers.

As always, you can find our glossary guide of advanced stats here.

Game Flow​

The game flow chart is misleading. Both the expected goals and Corsi favoured the Canucks not because they were better, but because they simply had relatively more of the puck. In the first, the Canucks had four power plays. Not scoring on them aside, usually when a team is on the man-advantage, they can generate some momentum and carry that forth going on into the return to 5v5. Instead, it seemed that the Canucks simply let the Leafs do whatever they wanted, and it resulted in Toronto capitalizing thrice in that opening frame. The rest of the way, Vancouver simply didn’t have anything in the tank to make this an interesting contest.

Heat Map​

Again, does the heat map show that the Canucks were relatively better at chance generation? Yes, but it wasn’t to the extent that it might appear. Overall, the scoring chances sat at 20-19 for the Canucks who also had a 12-8 high-danger chance edge. Vancouver actually split those up pretty evenly, with 4 in each period. That being said though, considering that they had quite a lot of the puck, it showed that the Leafs did more than their fair share to limit the damage that the Canucks could’ve done. As well, it wasn’t like Vancouver was particularly threatening even from the high-danger chances, with a lack of talent and finish on full display.

Individual Advanced Stats​

Corsi Champ: Zeev Buium bounced back after a rougher game last time out, posting a 77.78 CF% to lead the team against the Leafs. During the defenceman’s TOI, he had an 8-3 shot advantage, holding a 71.73 xGF% share and a 5-2 high-danger chance differential despite being on ice for a goal against. It was a relatively good night on the stat sheet for Buium, who got moved to play alongside Tyler Myers last night.

Development isn't linear and we're seeing that with some of the Canucks young players like Buium.

He's going to be fine long term and he'll improve but he's learning some tough lessons right now

— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) January 11, 2026

Corsi Chump: Elias Pettersson (the forward) didn’t have a good night on the stat sheet. Trailing the team in CF% with his 25.00, it translated to other categories as well as EP40 posted a team-worst 19.37 xGF% with a 1-5 hole in scoring chances and 1-3 deficit in high-danger chances. At the very least, he wasn’t on ice for a goal against, and did create some decent looks on the power play. Still, it wasn’t a very good game for Pettersson as a whole, but then again the entire team did not look great at all.

Boeser fumbling this cross-seam pass on the PP from Pettersson sums up his game right now.

0 goals in his last 18 games. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/yqPh9i0pgL

— Grady Sas (@GradySas) January 11, 2026

xGF: It is a sign of the times that Aatu Räty not only led this team in xGF% at 96.17, but also raw xGF with his 1.44. The kicker in all of this is that Räty only played 8:58 at 5v5 play, making him the third-least played Canuck last night. Räty was on ice for a 9-2 scoring chance lead and a big 7-0 high-danger chance advantage, which isn’t an insignificant proportion of Vancouver’s total amount of high-danger chances. The Finn also tied for the best FO% amongst Canuck centermen with a 40% win rate in the faceoff dot – again not a great raw number but one of the better ones on the team. Given how well he played, one can surely expect Räty to be scratched for the next contest.

GSAx: One of the most interesting things that comes from looking at GSAx is how eerily it can show when Thatcher Demko is hurt again. The American netminder came into this contest having posted shaky outing in his last couple starts, and continued that trend in the first. Facing only 0.53 xGF for just the first, Demko conceded 2 high-danger goals and 1 middle-danger goal to finish with a -2.47 GSAx before exiting the game with a lower-body injury. In relief, Kevin Lankinen gave up 2 high-danger goals against 1.74 xGF, meaning that his GSAx finished at a marginally better -0.26. Not the best from either, but hey, this Canucks team in front of them certainly wasn’t confidence-inspiring either.

Thatcher Demko left Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury, says Adam Foote.

He’ll be reevaluated over the next few days. #Canucks

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 11, 2026

As a team​

CF% – 61.74% HDCF% – 63.33% xGF% – 63.11%

The Canucks are not a good hockey team. They haven’t been all season and this game yet underlines it all that much more. Special teams that can’t accomplish anything, even strength play that’s uninspiring at best, and constantly chasing the game as opposed to playing their own style. The veterans are putting forward lacklustre displays and the rookies/young guys are floundering. It just feels like the bottom has fallen out – which is good for the long-term success of this franchise to collect some high-end talent.

Vancouver heads into Montreal for their next contest, taking on a surging Canadiens team approaching the other end of a rebuild.

Stats provided by naturalstattrick.com

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/statsi...ut-vancouver-canucks-loss-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Allvin and Rutherford clarify Canucks’ direction

Vancouver Canucks management provided some clarity on where the team is headed.

Canucks reporter Chris Faber met with General Manager Patrik Allvin and discussed the team’s direction at this point of the season, where they are sitting in last place in league standings:

“We are transitioning into a rebuild here, acquiring younger players through the draft,” Allvin said. “Obviously, the draft is really important for us. Since Jim and I got [here] three years ago, we’ve definitely always emphasized on getting younger. We see a couple of younger players coming up through the system, getting a chance to play now, with the amount of injuries we had; players like [Tom] Wilander, DPetey [Elias Pettersson], [Jonathan] Lekkerimäki – [Kirill] Kudryavtsev, and [Ty]Mueller got games last year.

Before the Christmas break, Allvin joined the panel after the first intermission on Prime Monday Night Hockey when the Canucks faced the Philadelphia Flyers. He discussed the Hughes trade and said the team planned to retool with a hybrid form. Faber asked him what he meant by that:

“We still want to continue to acquire young players and draft picks in order to continue to build our roster,” Allvin said. “We saw what we did with the Minnesota deal, where we’re acquiring some players that were already in the league. I think it’s important for us to continue to do so in our rebuild here, but it is also important to have veteran players in our lineup to help and support the younger players learning how to be a pro, and I think that’s how you grow as a team.”

You can watch the full segment below:

"The draft is really important for us in the long term plan and the direction we're going here."

General Manager Patrik Allvin speaks in an exclusive interview with Chris Faber about the future of the team and importance of the draft at the #Canucks annual Scouting Meetings. pic.twitter.com/SDO1VjI6lt

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 11, 2026

Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre sat down with Jim Rutherford to clarify his views on the direction of the team:

“I would suggest that we listen to teams when they call — about anybody,” Rutherford said. “But that would be the same whether we’re winning or losing. When someone talks about a hybrid rebuild, it means the team is not shopping every player.

“But prior to this, we already made the decision that we were going to go with younger players. Over the past few years, our staff has done a good job and we have a number of good young players, whether they’re in our lineup now or close to getting in our lineup. And those players are going to get a chance to play. Based on the circumstances with this team, this is the year to do it. The fact of the matter is we’re in a rebuild.”

You can read MacIntyre’s full interview with Rutherford here.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/allvin-rutherford-clarify-vancouver-canucks-direction

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks willing to listen on veteran players with term: report

In a season that certainly has not gone the Vancouver Canucks way, it sounds like management is open to finding ways to freshen things up.

According to a recent report from Thomas Drance of The Athletic, the Canucks’ front office has informed teams that they are more willing to listen on experienced players with years remaining on their contracts.

“At least in terms of what the club is projecting about its intentions,” Drance wrote. “The Canucks are now comfortable noting both publicly and in trade talks with various teams that they’re willing to listen on veteran players, even those with term who have recently committed to the organization.”

Drance didn’t name any particular individuals, but there are certainly a few notable players who fit that criteria.

One player that the Canucks locked up for a long time is forward Conor Garland. The 29-year-old signed a six-year contract extension, which is set to kick in next season. That deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million through the 2031-32 campaign. When healthy, Garland remains one of Vancouver’s best players. So far, he has scored seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in just 33 games, sitting tied for fourth in scoring with Jake DeBrusk.

While it’d be hard to trade him with yet another injury, goaltender Thatcher Demko also signed an extension on July 1 of last year. His three-year deal will carry an $8.5 million cap hit from the 2026-27 season through 2028-29. Demko has previously shown that he can be a world-class netminder, but this year has been a struggle for him. The San Diego, California, native has an 8-10-1 record this season.

There’s also Brock Boeser. The sniper chose to stay in Vancouver after some tough negotiations rather than find a new home this summer. The Minnesota native signed a seven-year contract, with an AAV of $7.25 million through 2031-32. Yet, his numbers are down from his 25-goal, 50-point performance during the 2024-25 season. In 42 games, the 28-year-old has notched nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points.

There’s less than a couple of months until the NHL trade deadline, one in which the Canucks are tracking to be very busy. As it stands, the Canucks (16-23-5) hold the worst record in the NHL, 11 points back of a Wild Card spot, and two behind the 31st-ranked Winnipeg Jets.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-willing-listen-veteran-players-term-report

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Canucks lose seventh straight with 6-3 loss in Montreal

After one of the most listless performances of the season last Saturday, under the bright lights of Hockey Night in Canada against the Toronto Maple Leafs no less, it felt like a boiling point had been reached surrounding the Vancouver Canucks. Yes, the tanking/beatings would continue until morale improves, but a lack of trust in management/ownership still had some fans unable to fully embrace the direction of the team. The dagger of a “hybrid retool” hangs like a dark cloud over this franchaise, as over a decade of experiencing how this team has been run does tend to lend itself to being worried about where the next “win now” move is lurking.

It led to what I can only hope is a feigned ignorance about why people could possibly be upset about the team after all of the losing they’ve been doing, as if the current tank the team finds itself in was simply the plan all along. That after fighting against using the word “rebuild” as if life on this planet depended upon it, they should be celebrated for kind of acknowledging that yeah, hey, maybe they can do with a bit of building for the future. For now. For a short time at least.

So for those in the back, you absolutely do not need to celebrate this team finally, after being stuck in a bed with a high fever for weeks, bleeding out of their eyes and ears, finally agreeing to go to a walk in clinic after falling down the stairs.

To give the benefit of the doubt to this owner and this management team would be asinine. It would be akin to trying to pet the tiger at the zoo because “his eyes promised me he wasn’t going to bite me this time.”

And as much as Francesco Aquilini would seemingly want you to believe, paying to support the Vancouver Canucks is not a privilege. How else do you explain a group of people seemingly more thin skinned than your chemistry teacher when you ask them why they didn’t do something with their degree. How else do you explain their level of arrogance when questioned about their process, one that has resulted in a couple of playoff runs and not much more? They deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don’t have to. They have people skills. They are good at dealing with people. Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?

So yes, put me in the group of people that thinks after over 10 years of watching the same story play out time and time again, that I will need a little bit more from the Canucks to believe they are committed to a long term vision. Being forced at gun point to focus on the draft for once isn’t exactly the selling point they think it is. I’ve seen the “heavy lifting is done” declared once too many times to push all my chips in on a true rebuild.

Which means we will watch how this season plays out in terms of shipping veterans out and seeing what draft picks they can start piling up. If anything came from the loss against the Leafs, it was management seemingly doubling down that yes, they are looking to rebuild this season, even if it might not involve shipping out as many veterans as you’d hoped. I do think they are going to make smart moves for the future this season, it’s more about the year after that where I wonder how much fortitude they have for the long haul.

And for what it’s worth, the Canucks’ 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens was much better than the contest on Saturday. For two periods the Canucks stayed in the game, and although the speed of Montreal clearly demoralized and destroyed any semblance of a defensive system the Canucks claim to have, there was at least effort there from Vancouver. The fact the game was tied 3-3 after two periods is a testament to their work ethic in trying to make their offensive zone forays matter, even if ultimately Montreal won the third period easily.

If anything, it was a great tank game. Show some spirit, keep up in the race, then watch as The Freeze races by you to win it easily. Gives you a bit of entertainment as the ship sinks, watching the band play on as the water starts spilling in.

Which is about as good as it’s going to get as we wait and see how the next few months play out.

Best before we begin

Adam Foote on whether the #Canucks will have to shut down Thatcher Demko for the season.

"Might be possible."

Also said: "He's got a couple things going on" (in terms of injuries).

— Trevor Beggs (@TrevBeggs) January 12, 2026

Kiefer Sherwood joined Thatcher Demko on the newly anointed walking wounded list, with Demko getting the “hey maybe we’ll see you again one day?” outlook and Kiefer getting the “1-3 weeks sure lines up with trying to trade him” timeline.

You also had Zeev Buium sitting this game out, and while I understand people want to see the kid play because why the hell not at this point, I also don’t think sitting out a game is going to hurt anything, either. Like I said in an earlier article, you could healthy scratch any single Canuck player and I would be like “sure sounds good why not” because honestly, why not. Adam Foote could announce he scratched Drew O’Connor because he didn’t like the pants he wore to the rink and I’d be on board, who cares right now.

The Canucks don’t need Buium to help them swarm a player and leave a guy open, lots of people can fill that role, that’s all I’m saying.

Best lets get it started in here

Scratching the number 1 D prospect instead of bum ass Myers or MP29 is the most Adam Foote thing I could ever think of #canucks

— Dani (@DJD0727) January 13, 2026

Nikita Tolopilo got the start for Vancouver, and he remains my favourite Canucks goaltender to watch over the last few years.

I’m not saying he’s the best, I’m not saying he is a bona fide starter, but from a purely aesthetic style, I like how he plays. He has this athletic, chaotic style that lends itself to highlight reel saves at times, even if it can lead to goals against at times. I just think he has the spirit of a 1980s goalie, and I am positive had he been born for that decade, he would have been out there matching Grant Fuhr pad stack for pad stack, wild glove save for wild glove save. In today’s world of almost robotic goaltending, I just like some of the “how the eff did he come up with that technique” he can bring to the table.

And while he ultimately got torched in this game, he started off making some fun saves? On the first shift where Vancouver let everyone know they were going to swarm the puck all night long, Tolopilo had to make a big save before he was even warmed up:

And speaking of new to the lineup additions, Vittorio Mancini made an appearance for the Canucks after being called up to the big club, making a slick backcheck to prevent a breakaway chance:

And then you had young Tom Willander shutting down a Cole Caulfield rush with a good physical check, followed up by Fil Hronek stopping a Lane Hutson move in its tracks with good positioning:

Now to be clear, this was the height of the Canucks defensive prowess on the night. I just wanted to point out that they came out of the gates looking engaged and trying to play smart hockey, even if it all fell apart by night’s end. This way when you talk about the game at work you can be like “hey the boys started out strong at least?” before going for a coffee and trying to remember what 2011 felt like.

Best against the tank operative

Ya know, the #Canucks are looking good at the start of this game. #VANvsMTL

— Canuck Girl (@CanuckGirl43) January 13, 2026

Taking Rutherford at his word about keeping some veterans around to guide the young players, I would put Conor Garland and Fil Hronek at the top of my “to keep” list. I just think they can perform even in the worst of seasons and always seem to keep a level head about them. On a human level, I want nothing more than for them to break free and enjoy a winning environment, as both men have now endured two losing franchises, but we can’t White Fang every player as much as we want to.

I will say that keeping Garland around does hurt Team Tank, as he automatically becomes a glue guy on any line he plays, to the point that he set up Brock Boeser for one of his best looks on net in weeks a few shifts into the game:

He is one of the few Canucks players who can handle the puck on their stick for a long period of time and doesn’t panic with it, slowing the game down until he can find an open passing lane. Here he enters the zone and instead of punting the puck in deep, he pulls up and finds Tom Willander streaking into the zone for a shot:

Does it feel bad when that’s one of the few rushing chances the Canucks generated on the night after watching Montreal generate approximately 47 rush chances on their first three shifts alone? Of course it does. But that’s just more proof that the right answer is team tank, as the Canucks simply do not have the depth of talent to keep up with most of the teams in the NHL.

Garland also garnered a handful of Selke votes for a reason, as he will do whatever it takes to make a defensive play, such as diving at the puck to make sure he can get a zone exit:

I think the market dictates which veterans you keep, i.e. if you get the right return you want, anyone is on the table, but all things being equal? Yeah, Garland and Hronek would be the guys I’d try and keep around to guide the younguns.

Best Raffi knows

nothing can go wrongo, we’ve got Tolopilo! #canucks

— Raffi Cavoukian (@Raffi_RC) January 13, 2026

There was a time when we all believed Tolopilo would get a shutout, partly due to Raffi revitalizing our childhood innocence in the belief that our parents would never get divorced, Dad just really likes sleeping on the couch. How else do you explain this ridiculous save on Ivan Demidov?

A couple of things to point out on this play.

• That’s why I love watching Nikita play in net. Reaching back with his stick to make a paddle save? Low percentage play, a high percentage play of me squealing with delight and clapping my hands like I just saw a magic trick for the very first time.
• I really, really enjoy watching Ivan Demidov play hockey. Super skilled player with speed that matches his hands and brains, which tends to happen more with top five picks. Right Vancouver? Right?
• I really, really hate watching Evander Kane in the defensive zone. And the neutral zone if the puck is heading towards Vancouver’s side of the ice. Offensively? Dude turns on his Pavel Bure rockets. He sees a loose puck in the offensive zone that could lead to a high-danger shot on net? Nobody works harder. He turns into Aragorn on a quest to save the world, there is nobody you’d rather have on your side. But back the other way? Holy hell is he a train wreck. That lack of effort on Demidov would have gotten Planet Ice benched in beer league, let alone most of the teams in the NHL. Absolutely brutal optics from a veteran that is, whether he likes it or not, firmly stuck in a mentor role.

As the game progressed, however, you started to see a couple of things forming. You saw Tolopilo struggling to deal with screens in front of the net, and you saw Vancouver going full Jurassic Park as they started traveling in herds, overstuffing sides of the ice, allowing more and more open looks on net. Kaiden Ghule almost made it 1-0 Montreal when he found himself wide open in the slot after Vancouver drifted away from defensive coverage, only to hit the post behind a screen Nikita:

Was it a sign of things to come? Of course it was, you read the score, you know how this went down.

Best sike

oh my god the #canucks have a lead

— Memarzadeh (@ArashMemarzadeh) January 13, 2026

Believe it or not, Vancouver opened the scoring in this game! Off the back of some strong board work from Linus Karlsson, Elias Pettersson was able to find Fil Hronek at the point for a shot, leading to EP40 finessing home the rebound:

The difference between this game and the Toronto game? That will to fight through traffic. Karlsson does a fantastic job of boxing out his check, and Elias Pettersson follows that up by fighting through his check to make sure he can get his shot on net.

Not a pretty goal, but the greasy kind of goal this team is going to rely on for most of the year. It might not be much, but it’s honest work.

Best playing with fire

Habs fans complaining they’re getting chances but can’t finish #Canucks

— MDWhite (@White3D64197) January 13, 2026

While this game was entertaining, you just watched Montreal’s speed and knew Vancouver was going to struggle with it. The system Adam Foote uses seems to rely on a lot of man-to-man, where quick decisions need to be made on the spot, which we have seen lead to a lot of breakdowns with this roster. When Montreal applies speed to that scenario, it just seemed to overwhelm Vancouver at times, leading to the “swarm swarm swarm!” moments we’ve all grown so fond of.

And Montreal almost made Vancouver pay for it near the end of the period, when Vittorio Mancini moved down to cover Demidov after Linus Karlsson lost the foot race, leaving Oliver Kapanen wide open, where he just missed out on tapping a puck into an empty net:

Marcus Pettersson is slow to get back to make a play on Kapanen, as I assume he thought Mancini had the middle covered, but the end result is a shot that could very easily been a goal. And don’t get me wrong, breakdowns in defensive coverage happen on all teams, but with Vancouver, it’s the rate at which it happens, and the high level of chances they give up that leads you to last place in the league.

Best from bad to worse

#Canucks after a not bad first period BB#6 takes a lazy penalty in the Montreal end of the ice now time to hold our collective breath to kill it off

— Peter (@peter_pdun11) January 13, 2026

Brock Boeser’s struggles continued on this night, as he was called for a hooking penalty after getting his stick into the hands of Philip Danault. And while I don’t love the amount of penalties they call for stick on stick crime, it’s something they call all the time in today’s NHL, and if you’re not fleet of foot like Boeser, it’s going to look even worse if you’re not moving your feet and leaning forward tugging your stick. Basically you’re giving the ref all the room in the world to make that call, which they did in this instance.

At least the Habs were good hosts and didn’t make Brock sit in the box too long, as they would score almost immediately on the following faceoff off a Noah Dobson shot into traffic:

Much like the Canucks’ earlier goal, it’s not much, but it’s honest work. Juraj Slafkovský literally just skates to the crease off the draw and sets up shop, as Marcus Pettersson chooses to remain a neutral observer rather than box out the Canadiens forward. Tolopilo is caught trying to peer around the screen and Dobson finds the back of the net.

To the Canucks’ credit, as mentioned in the opening paragraph, they at least pushed back in this contest. With the period coming to a close, Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson both did a fantastic job of drawing in multiple Montreal skaters, freeing up a lot of time and space for Hronek to unleash a nice clap bomb attempt:

It was a bit of older brother, younger brother vibe in this game, with Vancouver wanting to play with the big boys before ultimately being told to go to bed in the third period.

Still, it was entertaining to watch.

Best feel the need for speed

there are 3 certainties in life:
1. death
2. taxes
3. a #Canucks goalie standing on their head to bail the defense out

— rae!☆¹³ ²¹ (@strrawberrae_) January 13, 2026

Noah Dobson was the next contestant on “oh that’s what a fast team looks like”, as he would skate right around PO Jospeh to start the second period, forcing Tolopilo into making a huge save:

You see the Canucks kind of squish together in the middle of the ice on that play, which causes PO to be caught flat footed when Noah Dobson makes his move around him.

That being said, Vancouver would be the team to score next, as Evander Kane would rush the net to cash in the rebound off of a Aatu Räty shot:

Again, we know Evander can skate hard and work hard. You can see him hustle his ass off on the forecheck, hurrying the pass, and causing the turnover that leads to the goal.

It’s just defensively, that is nowhere to be found.

Best fun while it lasted

Patera stops that one #Canucks

— Jordan Weaver (@Pcuser44) January 13, 2026

If you thought Montreal was going to be stunned into a loss after that second goal from Vancouver, it only took under 10 minutes for them to forge ahead.

First up was Cole Caulfield getting denied by Tolopilo, only to see Vancouver struggle to get the puck out of the zone, leading to Nick Suzuki finding Alexandre Carrier for the Habs second goal of the night:

Mancini plays the resulting goal pretty poorly, as he ends up kind of standing around, covering nobody, before ultimately making a play on Suzuki and getting beaten with the pass. Ultimately it would help if a winger had covered Carrier moving in from the point, as I think Conor Garland was cheating a bit on the play, hoping for a zone exit to go his way.

Either way, it was a tie game.

Best make it quick

2-1 lead for the #Canucks just evaporated into a 3-2 MTL lead within 20 seconds.

— Izzy (@izzycheung37) January 13, 2026

Montreal would the make it 3-2 before the goal announcement from the previous goal had even completed, as Tom Willander is caught playing high, leading to who else, Ivan Demidov, finding Slavosfky behind the young Canucks d-man, leading to a tap in for Carrier’s second of the night:

Long gone are defending the guts of the ice. All hail whatever the opposite of that is, but it probably involves metaphors about pooping that wouldn’t get by the editor.

Best believe in Mike

We can tie #Canucks

— MDWhite (@White3D64197) January 13, 2026

The Canucks were undeterred by this blown lead, however, as Elias Pettersson quickly generated a two-on-one rush where he looked off Linus Karlsson and took the shot instead:

Look, I’m just glad we live in a world in which EP40 took that shot there. In months past, he would have forced a pass through that would lead to a giant heavy sigh from me, so I thank him for just going for it. He still generated an odd man rush, so add that to the video resume they may or may not be sending out to teams looking into the possibility of a trade.

Never doubt MD White, though, as Drew O’Connor, the 5-on-5 stud himself, turn into Todd Bertuzzi to set up the the Canucks third and final goal of the night:

That pass from PO Joseph to set this play in motion is one of the best passes on the year from any Vancouver Canuck. Just an absolutely filthy piece of business on that play.

And DOC bursting through the Montreal defensive pairing of Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj to set up Max Sasson for the finish is the kind of shining light we need to help us get through these dark times. It also marked the third goal that Montreal defensive pairing was on the ice for, as the Canucks made the Canadiens pay anytime they deployed their third pairing.

Best enjoy it when we can

Garland kicking Slaf’s stick away to defend the puck

Such a smart player for his size and oh so memeable. I love this man#Canucks

— What The Nuck (@WhatTheNuckPod) January 13, 2026

The reason I like Conor Garland is I feel like he would find any trick he possibly can to win a game of hockey. Size won’t hold him back because he is willing to ninja kick your stick away to keep possession of the puck:

I don’t have the stats to back this up, but I reckon he leads the Canucks in “are you sh!tting me” groans of annoyance from the opposition over the stunts he pulls. Garland is the guy who hides in the bathroom in Warzone with double shotguns, camping and waiting for you to walk through the door in the final circle.

Speaking of slick players, here is Demidov skating right around David Kämpf and unleashing a shot that almost trickles its way in:

Montreal is a fun team. When you add in their crowd atmosphere sounding like the sound of glass just hit the arena and Steve Austin is starting to walk out, and you can’t help but enjoy the game.

Best this is the end, my friend

Another goal through traffic on tolopilo. 4-3 ha….crap. 5-3 Habs now. Quick 2 goals to start the 3rd. #canucks

— just a guy. (@jaycee24_) January 13, 2026

We don’t have many more highlights to get to in the third period, as it is essentially Montreal scoring three goals and then locking it down.

Mike Matherson got the fourth goal of the night for Montreal, after four Vancouver skaters collapsed below the net, leading to Matheson getting off a near perfect shot over Elias Pettersson’s leg:

Tolopilo couldn’t track the shot, and it was a tricky one to boot, so I give him some leeway, but the Canucks goalie was definitely at fault on the Canadiens fifth goal:

At this point, I assume fatigue is kicking in, both mental and physical, as the young netminder faced over 40 shots on the night. When you add in a defensive coverage in front of you that is, at best, confusingly charming, I think as a goalie it just becomes a situation where you start second guessing everything you’re doing. Slafkovský shouldn’t score from that angle, but Nikita is caught moving to his right, leaving the top of the net open, and now Bob is your uncle.

Tolopilo would follow that up by making a huge save, though, as his 1980s spirit animal wasn’t about to be deterred by letting in five goals:

Oliver Kapanen is absolutely robbed, leading to him giving up on the game of hockey, because if you don’t score there, where else are you going to score, what’s the point of playing this game any longer, and oh wait no Kapanen scored a shift later:

Just another example of the Foote system at play, that high-level system that pedestrians who haven’t played in the NHL could not possibly comprehend.

From where I’m sitting, however, having Karlsson and DeBrusk chase Demidov, and then Hronek and Willander collapsing on Slafkovský leaving Kapanen wide open, seems less than ideal. At one point all four Canuck skaters (one was off on a line change) overload the left side of the ice, and Montreal makes them pay by moving the puck to the open side of the ice for the one timer.

Best at least we had fun

First Canucks on HNIC and now Amazon Prime . The whole world knows now #Canucks

— Vett (@RVetts) January 13, 2026

Vancouver would finish the night pushing for a goal, which I did honestly appreciate. At this point, you’re getting in reps and cardio during a tank like this, so it’s nice to see if Nils Höglander could finally get a goal:

He did not, but Elias Pettersson would then get a nice point shot on net that almost went in:

But ultimately didn’t go in either.

With the Canucks playing their second game of a back-to-back on Tuesday it doesn’t get any easier for the team. At this point, I am just hoping Höglander or Boeser get a goal if for no other reason I think mentally they could really use it.

Which is what a tank season is all about my friends. Hoping for small wins on the path to a top draft pick.

Even if one of those small wins is hearing the word “rebuild” from the top of the organization.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...-seventh-straight-6-3-loss-montreal-canadiens

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Blackfish: Lekkerimäki scores incredible goal, Cootes point-per-game in Prince Albert, and more

Welcome back to Blackfish: our weekly Vancouver Canucks prospect report.

The holiday season is behind us, and hockey is back in full force. In the AHL, Abbotsford worked through a four-game homestand with mixed results, while injuries and call-ups continued to shape availability. Meanwhile, the junior ranks saw major movement as the trade deadline officially arrived. One prospect even found out they are bound for Italy.

Here’s how the week unfolded.

Abbotsford Canucks​

It was a tale of two series for the Abbotsford Canucks, who returned home to the Rogers Forum for a four-game homestand.

After dropping the first two games to the Bakersfield Condors, the Canucks rebounded by sweeping the Calgary Wranglers over the weekend. The results were enough to drag them out of the league basement and into 30th place (of 32).

Most importantly, Jonathan Lekkerimäki returned to the lineup after nursing a nagging injury. It took him just 18 seconds to remind everyone why he matters to this team’s offensive success. Off the opening faceoff, he kicked the play into the offensive zone, snagged the puck out of mid-air, and slid a backhand past the Calgary netminder.

LEKKI LETS IT GO JUST 18 SECONDS IN pic.twitter.com/qz03sPIrOy

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 11, 2026

He later added the game-tying primary assist with one of his trademark snap shots and capped the night with one of the dirtiest shootout goals you’ll see all season.

Sure thing. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/qlt4T6yrpn

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) January 11, 2026

All told, it was a strong return: one goal, one assist, four shots, a highlight-reel shootout winner, and first-star honours.

Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t last. Lekkerimäki was out of the lineup the very next day, with the team labelling it an illness. At this point, durability is becoming a legitimate concern for the Swede. He has now managed just one game of action over the past month, continuing a frustrating trend of stop-start availability throughout his tenure here in North America.

The eventual shootout winner in that game came from fellow Swede Vilmer Alriksson. Over the four-game stretch, Alriksson recorded just one secondary assist, giving him seven points through a 34-game rookie campaign.

RICKY SHOOTS, JIŘÍ SAVES, CANUCKS WIN pic.twitter.com/qONzJmG9Xq

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 11, 2026

While gaudy offensive numbers were never expected, it’s fair that we hoped to see a little bit more on the finishing side, particularly given his consistent top-six usage and power play looks. The work at the net front and along the boards has been strong, but the next step is converting a bit more of that effort into results.

Anri Ravinskis also found the scoresheet, notching his second goal of the season. But the bigger news for him came after the games. The Latvian winger was named to Latvia’s Olympic team, receiving a late invitation after an originally selected player was sidelined.

RAVI IS OLYMPIC BOUND

Anri Ravinskis has been named to Latvia’s roster as an injury replacement for the Olympic Winter Games! pic.twitter.com/plLCEaeddy

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 13, 2026

It’s been a decent stretch for Abbotsford with regard to player availability. But that’s slowly getting tossed out the window again. Both Nikita Tolopilo and Victor Mancini, along with Arshdeep Bains earlier in the week, were recalled to Vancouver over the weekend, thinning things out quickly once again.

That left the Canucks in need of a goaltending recall from Kalamazoo.

Given recent form, Ty Young felt like the obvious candidate. While his AHL numbers earlier this season were (very) rough, he has been excellent since his reassignment, winning five of six starts and stopping 66 of 70 shots over the weekend.

Instead, Abbotsford recalled Aku Koskenvuo, who has struggled in his last two ECHL starts and currently has a 2-4-0-0 record with Kalamazoo. That said, he was without a doubt the better of the two while holding down the fort in Abbotsofrd.

CHL​

The writing had been on the wall, and with his junior career likely coming to a close at the end of the year, Braeden Cootes was officially dealt in the WHL. And it was a massive one.

DID SOMEONE SAY BLOCKBUSTER?

The @PARaidersHockey and @SeattleTbirds have finalized five-man, 12-asset trade involving @Canucks prospect, Braeden Cootes.

| https://t.co/GMNrzbsR4X pic.twitter.com/j26JtFqeQL

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 6, 2026

In a 12-piece blockbuster, Cootes was sent to the Prince Albert Raiders, a stacked club positioned for a deep playoff run. The Raiders currently sit second in the league in points percentage, rank third in goals scored (171), and are widely viewed as legitimate title contenders.

After a brief holiday break, Cootes joined his new club and made his two-game debut over the weekend. He began on the third line — a predictable “get your feet wet” assignment — before jumping up to the second line, which is more in line with what we expected for him. He also saw time as the half-wall flank on the top power play unit.

While he went pointless in his first outing, Cootes broke through in Game Two with his first goal and a multi-point performance.

Braeden Cootes has his first goal as a @PARaidersHockey.

Hes also added an assist. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/2Bie17yDdW

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) January 11, 2026

For those keeping track: he’s wearing number 34 for the Raiders.

"I love it….it feels like home" – Raiders forward Braeden Cootes talks about his move to Prince Albert and more following tonight's game against the Oil Kings. pic.twitter.com/1Xkq3sZloz

— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) January 11, 2026

Cootes wasn’t the only Canucks prospect on the move. Parker Alcos was dealt from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Kelowna Rockets. While Cootes may get there from winning a championship, this move all but guarantees Alcos a spot at the Memorial Cup this spring as the host team.

Continuing his hot offensive play as of late, Alcos scored in his debut, ripping a shot from the top of the circles to tie his career high with 15 points. As he was in Edmonton, he’s expected to serve as a top-four fixture, giving him a strong runway to close out his season in a high-leverage environment.

Parker Alcos scores in his @Kelowna_Rockets debut.

He's officially tied his previous career high with 15 points (3G, 12A). #Canucks pic.twitter.com/OP0iSabqlJ

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) January 8, 2026

Over in the OHL, Riley Patterson continues to scorch the league. With another three points (one goal, two assists) in two games, he briefly climbed to second in league scoring before settling back to fourth. He now has 52 points in 37 games, just five back of the league leader.

Riley Patterson remains scorching hot .

With another goal, he's now third in OHL scoring with 50 points (23G, 27A) in 36 games. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/YFXHiCuW9w

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) January 8, 2026

Despite rumours swirling, Patterson remains with the Niagara IceDogs, who sit in the mushy middle of the Eastern Conference at 19-17-3-1.

Meanwhile, the Kitchener Rangers have continued to bulk up, and Gabe Chiarot now finds himself on a legitimate playoff contender. He scored an empty-netter for his first goal as a Ranger, but has just two points in five games despite top-six usage.

Between the pipes, it was another uneven outing for Alexei Medvedev. Although he earned the win, stopping 24 of 28 shots, it marked his 10th sub-900 save percentage performance in his last 13 starts. What began as a stellar start to the season has clearly cooled, and consistency has become the primary question mark.

Are we concerned? Not really. He has let in some soft goals, likely due to his understandable lack of confidence. But he’s still showing an extremely athletic build and strong promise for the future. He just needs to get back on track.

NCAA​

Wilson Björck returned to Colorado College with a gold medal and stepped right back into his usual spot on the top line. He picked up an assist over the weekend, bringing him to nine points in 17 games.

Surpassing him in total points is Matthew Lansing, Vancouver’s 2025 seventh-round pick, who now has 11 points in 22 games after scoring twice over the weekend. Despite primarily seeing fourth-line usage throughout the year, Lansing’s recent play has earned him elevated minutes, including a season-high 17:11 over the weekend. He currently sits third on Quinnipiac with a plus-12 rating for the 9-3-2-0 Bobcats.

2 goals. 26 seconds apart!

'CATS ARE ON TOP #BobcatNation x #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/FeeA4yaD5j

— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) January 11, 2026

Anthony Romani also found the scoresheet, extending his point streak to four games before it was snapped the following night. Despite dropping back into his pre-World Junior third-line role, he showcased his scoring touch by ripping home a patented wrist shot off a Cayden Lindstrom feed.

Lindstrom Romani

Anthony Romani puts us ahead 1-0 with his eighth goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/aYa0P66DwC

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) January 10, 2026

After a slow start, Romani is heating up and now sits fourth on Michigan State with 15 points in 20 games, trailing only well-known names like Porter Martone and Charlie Stramel.

Rest of the World​

Following a steady showing at the World Juniors, Basile Sansonnens returned to Lausanne and resumed his regular third-pair role. In his return, he logged just under 14 minutes, continuing to handle his responsibilities calmly against men.

That will do it for this week’s Blackfish Report. We’re getting prepped for our mid-season prospect ranks here at CanucksArmy, so make sure to stay tuned for that.

Until next week, folks.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code CANUCKSARMY (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/blackf...ble-goal-cootes-point-game-prince-albert-more

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Senators needed just 15 seconds to extend Canucks’ losing streak to eight

There’s a fine line to balance when you’re a team tanking for the best lottery odds in the National Hockey League.

Yes, losing games helps you get closer and closer to the dream of a generational talent at the end of the rebuild rainbow. But you still need your young players to learn and grow as a team, and that means winning games against very beatable opponents.

The Ottawa Senators were a prime team to win points from. The Sens are embroiled in gossip, have won only three of their last 10, and were firmly planted in the Eastern Conference’s basement.

Instead, the Canucks turned in a performance that wouldn’t make it out of previews on Broadway. They barely cracked single digits in shot totals through the first 40 minutes, and even those were labourous to get.

The lack of serious chances flew in total disregard for the game plan I laid out in today’s Stanchies Pregame: throw as many pucks as possible at Leevi Meriläinen, one of the four Senators goalies to suit up this year, none of whom have a save percentage above an .881. Oof.

The lack of serious chances made sure the Sens only needed to work for approximately 15 seconds: the amount of time between Artem Zub and Jordan Spence’s goals late in the first period. It would be the only goals they got all night, and it was all they needed.

Sometimes getting what you’ve wanted for the last decade is a double-edged sword. Only 36 games to go!

Let’s get a move on.

Best helping out the cause

Remember when you were an only child playing mini-sticks and shooting the ball off the wall to make saves?

No one? Just me? Never mind, then.

Leevi Meriläinen’s night was going to be pretty easy overall. Perhaps he knew that was going to be the case, because he essentially shot a rebound at himself after an Evander Kane shot on goal.

Aatu Räty tried to get a whack at it, but sometimes the goalie beats you to it.

Best chaotic good

Speaking of goaltending, Kevin Lankinen had himself a fun night! Well, as fun as you can have when your team loses seven games in a row.

On one of the Sens’ early rushes, Lankinen challenged far out of the blue paint and closed off Brady Tkachuk’s shooting lane. But he wasn’t able to stop the puck cleanly, creating a little bit of a scramble to snag the puck entirely.

And this was just an appetizer to some of his bigger saves in the second period.

Best slump buster

Guy who hasn't scored in 18 games. Thank god the #canucks can lift his spirits to snap that!

— 44 (@canuckinsanity) January 14, 2026

Someone ended their scoring drought tonight! Spoiler alert: it was not Brock Boeser.

Late in the first, Ridly Greig won an O-zone faceoff against David Kämpf. Greig pushed it to Michael Amadio, who found Shane Pinto at the top of the circle. Kämpf and Boeser closed in on Pinto, but not before he fed the puck to noted cool-name haver Artem Zub near the blue line.

Lankinen left a touch too much open room on the short side as he moved to his glove side, and Zub found the hole. 1-0 Ottawa.

Goals like this happen. Just don’t do it again, okay?

Best Deja Vu

that is nuts. Not sure I've ever seen the same goal scored twice 15 seconds apart

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) January 14, 2026

Great 15 seconds of Canucks hockey. #Canucks

— Rob Hodkinson (@RobHodkinson) January 14, 2026

What I’m about to show you is a different goal than the Zub goal. “Of course you are Lachlan, that’s how time works,” you might be thinking.

I only say that because the Canucks managed to give up the exact same goal 15 Canadian seconds after the first one.

This time, Ottawa won the faceoff even cleaner than the first one! Tim Stützle drew the puck to Drake Batherson, who passed it to the new right defenceman Jordan Spence.

With the first goal still fresh in his head, Lankinen made absolutely sure to seal off the short side opening. But Spence instead shot the puck far side, ripping it past Lankinen’s blocker side.

On the bright side, if shots from the right defender were taken out of the equation, Lankinen and the Canucks wouldn’t have let in anything!

Best Hasek impression

You gotta give Lanky some credit here, he is working his ass off #Canucks

— MDWhite (@White3D64197) January 14, 2026

Shots on goal are 20-5 in the Senators favour.

This is really something. #Canucks

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 14, 2026

Kevin Lankinen was all over the place in the second period. He had to be, for the Canucks to even have a shot at winning. But his best efforts were a pair of stops straight out of a Greatest Saves VHS from the 90s.

With the Canucks struggling to win even a few puck battles, Brady Tkachuk set up Claude Giroux right in front of the net. The puck landed behind Lankinen’s net and was free for the taking like someone’s couch on the curb. Luckily, Lankinen figured out where it was in time to throw his blocker hand out and push it away before Dylan Cozens could get a stick on it.

With the Sens swarming the Canucks end, Thomas Chabot circled the net and found Drake Batherson winning the battle in front of the net for a deflection. Lankinen made the initial save, but the puck popped up over his head.

Sensing the fact that he’d accidentally become far too important at work, Lankinen swatted the puck out of midair and out of danger.

Lankinen’s teammates owe him a lot more than a steak dinner for his efforts this game and their lack thereof. They also owe him all the BeaverTails he wants when they go skating at the Rideau Canal.

Best Haterade Quencher

EP40 has been the only Canuck creating chances tonight and finally is rewarded for it

— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) January 14, 2026

There was one Canuck whose line was creating scoring chances. Elias Pettersson’s line with Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson was the only one able to get any offence going and even finished with a net positive in chances. One of the team’s best chances in two periods devoid of them was a 2-on-1 between Karlsson and DeBrusk that Jake rang off the bar behind Meriläinen.

So it makes sense that EP40 would score the Canucks’ only goal early in the third period, thanks to a great forecheck by DeBrusk and Karlsson that forced Cozens into a turnover. Karlsson found Petey waiting by the hashmarks, and he made zero mistakes for his second goal in two days.

Scoring the goal that puts you 10th all-time in Canucks history in the category on the exact same day Darren Dreger says the team is open to trading him is some exceptional work. Say what you will about Petey’s play, the man knows how to move interesting storylines.

Best sneaky tank commander

The Canucks made their trademark “one-goal game with the net empty” push late, but it had a lot less mustard than they usually do. Then Conor Garland accidentally “fell over” and “tripped Artem Zub” with 28 seconds to go, sealing the game.

He even tried to take a second penalty when he smacked Thomas Chabot with his stick after.

Conor is executing a perfect tank for Gavin McKenna’s energy here. He clearly knows he’s going to get a great teammate out of losing those points next year, give him the captaincy as a reward!*

(*Note: “For legal purposes, Mr. Irvine is not actually insinuating Conor Garland or any Canuck player threw the game. The previous remark was purely for comedic purposes and in no ways should be taken seriously.” – CanucksArmy’s lawyers)

Best learning?

#Canucks Foote tipped his hand on the Willander scratch pregame: "We’ve got some young D in a position where they’re not used to playing this many games. That’s why we’re rotating some of them now. Coming from college, they’re used to playing 40 games from September to April and…

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) January 13, 2026

Tom Willander had, by all accounts, a tough game against the Canadiens on Monday. That ended up earning him a seat in the Canadian Tire Centre press box, a choice Adam Foote backed up based on wanting to give his young player a rest.

There’s definitely some truth to the idea of rookies needing time to adapt to the grind that is an NHL schedule, especially in an Olympic season. But this energy from Foote can’t be reserved exclusively for the young guns learning on the job. If anything, it should be given more often to the veterans who are not pulling their weight.

Jake DeBrusk got that experience a few weeks ago, but he shouldn’t be the only one to sit. Evander Kane has continued to get far too much ice time for a player with as few points as he’s had. Marcus Pettersson has had an incredibly messy season, more so than Willander or the reassigned DePetey. And Brock Boeser has been so snakebitten over the last 20 games, even he could probably benefit from a night off to reset his frame of mind.

When there’s a total team rebuild going on, you have to be willing to let your young players make mistakes and learn the hard way. Because eventually all the veterans will be gone via trade or otherwise, and these gruelling years will be the ones that make them a whole lot better in the future. A rookie isn’t going to learn much watching from the upper deck or stuck on gate duty on the bench.

If Willander and Co. are the future, don’t waste their present.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...-extend-vancouver-canucks-losing-streak-eight

 

[JJ]

oh man where do i even start with this dumpster fire lmao

look i get it, rutherford and allvin are FINALLY using the R word (rebuild) after fighting it like it was gonna give them cooties. but lets be real here - they got dragged kicking and screaming into this position. you dont get to take a victory lap for admitting youre sick after youve been bleeding from your eyeballs for weeks

that stanchies writer nailed it - trusting this ownership group after watching the same movie play out for over a decade is like trying to pet the tiger at the zoo because "his eyes promised me he wasn't gonna bite this time"

the montreal game was actually entertaining if you enjoy watching a team get absolutely torched by speed. demidov looked FILTHY out there, makes you wonder what couldve been if the canucks ever drafted in the top 5 huh?? tolopilo had some vintage 80s goalie saves though, love watching that chaotic energy even when hes getting lit up

and then ottawa... FIFTEEN SECONDS between goals. same exact play twice. thats honestly impressive levels of bad

garland remains my guy though. dude literally ninja kicked slafkovskys stick away lmaooo. him and hronek are the only vets id fight to keep around

EP40 scoring goals on the same day dreger says hes available in trades is peak petey energy. gotta respect the timing there

36 more games of this boys. tank commander garland taking that penalty at the end was *chefs kiss*

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

What’s a coach’s role in a rebuild?: Canucks Conversation

On Tuesday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed what a head coach’s role looks like during a rebuild, and how difficult it is to balance development, structure, and culture without derailing young players.

After the opening, Quads framed the discussion around a key tension rebuilding teams face every night.

“They’re not trying to lose games, obviously – you’re trying to win games and instill a strong culture – but you’re also trying to make sure young players develop,” Quads said.

That balance, Harm argued, is where coaching staffs often get it wrong. For him, development has to be the clear priority, but how it’s handled matters just as much as the intent.

“When I look at some of the specific challenges and tasks that come with properly developing young talent in the NHL, which should be the number one priority for a head coach during a rebuilding phase, one of them is teaching these young players NHL habits without limiting their offensive creativity and growth,” Harm said.

Harm pointed to a recent example of a coach who leaned too hard in one direction.

“I look at Greg Cronin, the former head coach of the Ducks, as an example of a head coach that went too far,” he said. “Yes, I understand you need to teach some of these guys responsible two-way hockey — you can look at Team Canada at the World Juniors, so much offensive talent but they had no idea how to defend. For those guys to become trustworthy, reliable NHL players and be the types of contributors who can have success come playoff time, you need to understand defensive positioning, how to manage the puck, how to manage the game in different scenarios, backchecking, forechecking — all these different details that matter.”

The problem, Harm explained, is when that structure overwhelms everything else.

“But how do you do that without stunting their creativity and growth?” he said. “Cronin was an example of harping too much on those details with this excessive focus on structure to the point where he robbed the creativity of Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras. Look at how all those guys have thrived since the coaching change, obviously with Zegras’ breakout happening in Philly; Cronin just went too far.”

At the same time, Harm cautioned against swinging too far in the opposite direction and giving young players complete freedom.

“But you also can’t go too far in the direction of letting the young guys do whatever they want, because that’s when they’re going to pick up bad habits,” Harm said. “When it comes time to winning games and taking the next step, you’re going to be the type of team that blows leads and has no defensive structure.”

That middle ground – teaching habits without suppressing skill – is what separates effective rebuild coaches from the rest. It’s also where Harm sees an instructive example in the Canucks’ own recent history.

“I actually look at Travis Green’s time in Vancouver, and he did a pretty reasonable job of managing both things,” Harm said. “Teaching some of the core guys responsible two-way hockey without sacrificing their ability to produce offensively – Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Nils Hoglander are good examples of players who developed a solid two-way game. I’m not holding Green up as the gold standard in the business – Marty St. Louis would fit that – but Green is an in-house example of a coach in Vancouver who found a pretty decent balance,” he said.

The guys agreed that balance is the real test for whoever is behind the bench during a rebuild. Winning every night isn’t realistic, but losing structure entirely is just as damaging. The job isn’t to chase the standings – it’s to make sure that when the team is ready to compete again, the young core has the right mix of NHL habits and creativity intact to actually take that step.

You can watch the full replay of the show below!

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/whats-coachs-role-rebuild-vancouver-canucks-conversation

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Rutherford says Canucks plan to ‘improve without taking shortcuts’

We have received further clarity from Vancouver Canucks management regarding the organization’s impending rebuild.

PostMedia’s Patrick Johnston spoke with Canucks President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford. He shared that it is his and General Manager Patrik Allvin’s duty to take calls on everyone, which even extends to players with full no-movement clauses as well. That said, Rutherford clarifies that just because they’re willing to listen on everybody, doesn’t mean they will move:

“We may end up saying no to offers, certainly, but we’re not going to say no to having conversations about any player. This is about improving this team without taking shortcuts,” Rutherford went on.

“That’s trying to do it too quickly. We’ve got to have the patience of living through where we are presently,” he explained. “Being cautious in what is being moved and what is the return. Continue to stick to either getting young players, 25 or younger, or getting draft picks.”

In November, when Rutherford sent out the memo to the rest of the league informing them that their pending unrestricted free agents were available, Rutherford put the focus on getting younger. Since then, the only trade they’ve made was the trade of their franchise-calibre defenceman Quinn Hughes. In that move, they fulfilled Rutherford’s desire to get younger, acquiring 24-year-old centre, Marco Rossi, 21-year-old winger Liam Öhgren, 20-year-old defenceman Zeev Buium and a first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

With those additions, as well as the rest of the prospects they have in the organization – Braeden Cootes, Tom Willander, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson, and Aleksei Medvedev – Rutherford believes that this could be a two-to-three-year rebuild, rather than taking six-to-10 years to complete.

“If we can just keep adding to young assets, hopefully we can do this in two or three years. It’s not an easy process, we have to be very methodical,” he said. “You can’t lose patience because you’re losing some games.”

The Vancouver market has suffered years of shortcuts by the previous regime, which handcuffed the organization into building a serious contender and ultimately was a determining factor in the Canucks losing their captain, Quinn Hughes.

Rutherford’s approach appears to differ from that of the previous regimes in this messaging, as the Canucks dive headfirst into their rebuild.

Read Johnston’s full interview with Rutherford here!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/rutherford-vancouver-canucks-plan-improve-without-taking-shortcuts

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev to represent Abbotsford Canucks at AHL All-Star Game

A prospect is being tabbed as one of the best players in the minors.

On Thursday, the American Hockey League announced the rosters for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic. Among the names set to represent their respective clubs, Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev has been named to the Pacific Division roster.

Kudryavtsev is the lone member of the Abby Canucks competing in the event and has been one of the team’s best players in a rebuilding season. So far in his second year in Abbotsford, the 21-year-old has scored a goal and recorded 12 assists for 13 points, tied with Sawyer Mynio for the team lead in defensive scoring and tied for third overall in points.

The Yaroslavl, Russia native is one of 43 first-time AHL All-Stars, and one of many who have already seen time in the NHL. He appeared in a couple of games with the Vancouver Canucks in April of last season, but didn’t register a point while averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time per game.

Kudryavtsev was a key part of Abbotsford’s run to the Calder Cup last spring. After posting an exceptional 26 points in 65 regular-season games, he notched 10 points in the postseason, leading the Canucks with a plus/minus of +18. He delivered three assists in the final against the Charlotte Checkers, as well.

In 93 career games in Abbotsford, Kudryavtsev has scored six goals and 33 assists for 39 points.

Kudryavtsev joins a laundry list of fellow prospects who have represented the Canucks at the AHL’s premier in-season event. Last season, defenceman Elias Pettersson was named an All-Star, but did not attend as he was with the big club in Vancouver. Ty Mueller filled his spot, while forward Arshdeep Bains represented Abbotsford in 2024. Christian Wolanin was the franchise’s first representative in the 2023 event.

The All-Star Classic is set to take place at the BMO Harris Bank Center, home of the Rockford Ice Hogs. The festivities begin on Feb. 10 with the skills competition. The four divisions competing in the All-Star Challenge on Feb. 11 feature eight-minute 3-on-3 games, with the two best teams from the round-robin facing off in the championship game.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/defenc...epresent-abbotsford-canucks-ahl-all-star-game

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Stanchies: Losing streak hits nine as Canucks get swept on road trip with loss to Blue Jackets

We already knew the 25-26 Vancouver Canucks were bad. But the likelihood of them actually being a last-place hockey team has never felt more real.

There’s always been a level of skepticism about how real that possibility was. We’re used to being misled in Vancouver about the direction of the franchise, or being tricked into thinking the club would finally bottom out before going on a tear at the worst possible time. This feels… different.

Vancouver’s 4-1 loss to the middling Columbus Blue Jackets — their ninth straight loss — seemed to cement the freefall the team is facing. Yes, the shots totalled close, but did you ever truly feel like they were going to win? Even when Brock Boeser broke his 22-game goalless slump, and the lead was cut to 3-1, you knew deep down there was no miracle brewing.

The Canucks haven’t won a single game since the calendar turned to 2026. They finished their six-game Eastern road trip without a single point, and the on-ice product only seems to be getting worse.

The road was supposed to be where the Canucks could escape the noise. Now they’re coming back to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday with a franchise record losing streak on the line. And after Jim Rutherford’s bombshell interview with The Province’s Patrick Johnston on Wednesday, it’s safe to say the team is finally steering into the skid.

There will be no late-season surge, no last-minute rescue from the goaltending or newly acquired players. They’re playing for the future now, and the journey is going to be a grind.

Time to look over the death certificate.

Best asking the real questions

how is there always a canucks game

— g (@wholegrainne) January 16, 2026

Look I'm all on board for Team Tank, but can we at least have the occasional lucky win? As a little treat?#Canucks

— Simon Little (@simonplittle.ca) 2026-01-16T00:46:17.434Z

Best Öhlternate Universe

Things might’ve been different tonight had some early chances gone the Canucks way.

Liam Öhgren had himself a pair of good scoring opportunities early on, showing off his wheels and willingness to call his own number. David Kämpf and Conor Garland set up a nice give-and-go at the blue line for Öhgren, who just couldn’t get the puck under Elvis Merzlikins fast enough.

There was also this one, where Öhgren’s zone entry and shot were broken up by a well-timed stick from Dante Fabbro.

At least there’s one forward on this team to be excited about right now.

Best Clockwork

Coyle scored a beautiful goal but this defensive coverage by the #Canucks is something pic.twitter.com/pzkfXoRm2D

— Adam Kierszenblat (@Adamkblat) January 16, 2026

#Canucks down by one.

— CrankyCanucksFan (@crankycanucksfan.bsky.social) 2026-01-16T00:46:51.919Z

Forgive me, Charlie Coyle, but I always forget you exist.

After Max Sasson was called for caring too much, the Jackets’ power play caught the Canucks’ penalty kill napping at the right time. Coyle was left wide open near the post by Tyler Myers and Marcus Pettersson, and Kirill Marchenko easily found him with a pass.

Coyle then proceeded to deke out Lankinen in the space of a phone booth. (For any Gen Alpha people reading, a phone booth was a little room with a telephone where you could pay to make a phone call. They’re still used today as teleporters in the UK.) It was a very impressive goal, even if it was caused by the Canucks creating an easily exploitable situation.

It wouldn’t be a 2026 Canucks game without a very blatant defensive breakdown.

Best Tank Commander

not Marcus Pettersson's finest puck battle

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) January 16, 2026

Hindsight is 20/20, but man, the decision to trade the Rangers’ first-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins is looking especially bad right now.

The first 40 minutes of this game might’ve been among Marcus Pettersson’s worst; between the first defensive breakdown, a penalty for tripping Kent Johnson later, and almost pulling a Tonya Harding on Hronek. Could it get much worse?

Apparently, it could, because right off a faceoff, he lost a battle to Kirill Marchenko like Loki being thrown by the Hulk, and Marchenko wired the puck past Lankinen’s glove hand to double the Jackets’ lead.

Out of all the goals Canucks’ opponents have scored this season, that might’ve been one of the easiest they’ve allowed. Rookie settings on Chel, easy.

Best Make It Stop

pic.twitter.com/GBC3OxV2K4

— Chris Conte (@ChrisConte79) January 16, 2026

The Canucks could’ve given up the 3-0 goal a few seconds earlier than they did. With MPetey in the box, the Canucks’ PK left Marchenko wide open on the far side.

But the Blue Jackets didn’t want to embarrass the Canucks completely, and instead set up a play that a minor hockey coach does when the score’s already reached double digits, and there’s a running clock. “Make at least one nice pass before someone shoots the puck!”

Kent Johnson drew Conor Garland in at the blue line long enough to get Zach Werenski the time and space for a back pass and a beautiful shot through traffic. 3-1 CBJ.

Once again, the Canucks aren’t watching the game plan set forward in the Stanchies Pregame videos. If anyone’s looking for a new coach, I am available for hire.

Best Slump Buster

BROCK BOESER SCORED A GOAL pic.twitter.com/RMDOzmplK4

— hay (@spookyghourl) January 16, 2026

BEEN A MINUTE pic.twitter.com/pisenkQUri

— k.d. madigan / read karma grinders (@riotsurvivor) January 16, 2026

Something good did happen in this game! Brock Boeser — FINALLY — scored a goal.

And it was a well-earned goal too. With Marchenko in the sin bin, Zeev Buium faked out Coyle and former Canuck Brendan Gaunce (remember him??) by looking at Boeser before whipping a pass around to an open EP40.

Petey quickly fired a pass through the Jackets’ coverage to Brock, who took a shot shortside that Elvis Merzlikins couldn’t squeeze.

Look at that man’s face. That’s the relief of a man who hadn’t scored in 22 games.

Best signs of… something

Öhgren-Pettersson-Boeser back-to-back shifts to start the 3rd and look great together.

Love seeing Öhgren getting a bigger opportunity #Canucks

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) January 16, 2026

Adam Foote hasn’t shown a whole lot of character growth as a coach this season. Everything about the Canucks’ game plan has felt quite stagnant, and the same mistakes keep popping up.

But tonight he did do one thing right: he put Liam Öhgren and Brock Boeser on a line with EP40 in the third period.

One of the Canucks’ best opportunities came early in the third when Boeser and Öhgren forced a turnover behind the Jackets’ net. After a pinch by Tom Willander, Petey throws a puck behind the net, and Öhgren sets up Victor Mancini for a shot.

There’s something brewing here. Only the universe knows how much time they’ll get to see what it becomes.

Best call from inside the house

Rip

— Liv ️ (@HuggyxHoggy) January 16, 2026

There’s something poetic about a local kid being the one to cement the Canucks’ place in the basement.

Port Moody’s own Kent Johnson has really struggled this season. The 23-year-old has just 14 points in 46 games and had been in the dog house with former head coach Dean Evason before he was replaced this week by Rick Bowness. Now he’s playing 17 minutes a night and getting the room to spread his wings more.

Tonight it paid off in the third period. The play began in the Blue Jackets’ end on Ivan Provorov’s stick, and ended with Boone Jenner setting up Johnson fast enough that Giphy’s 10-second limit still caught it all.

Once again, the Canucks are being nothing but great sports to their opponents. Boosting the confidence of other teams and players should earn the whole team votes for the Masterton Trophy.

Best History in the Making

#Canucks' loss to CBJ marks their ninth-straight loss and their longest losing streak since the start of the 2000s.

If they lose on Saturday night, they'll tie a franchise record for the longest losing streak, which was registered in 1997-98.

— Izzy (@izzycheung37) January 16, 2026

If you look up the 1997-98 Canucks on YouTube, nearly all the clips are of fights, line brawls or Pavel Bure’s last 51 goals in Vancouver. That tells you a lot.

In 1998, the Canucks understood that it was time to empty out the roster, say goodbye to their veterans and start anew with the likes of Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Mattias Ohlund.

There’s frankly a lot of parallels between that roster and this one. Both undoubtedly had big names and good pieces, but as a unit, they’re undeniably flawed and in desperate need of a new direction.

The only real difference is that one team had a Stanley Cup window to look back on fondly. The other had exactly two playoff series wins.

The current Canucks are figuring that out themselves in real time. And they’ll be a lot better off for it.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanch...ks-swept-road-trip-loss-columbus-blue-jackets