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[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks games will cost more to watch next season thanks to Sportsnet+ price hike

Vancouver Canucks fans will continue to be able to watch their team every night, but they will pay a little more to stream the games next season.

On Thursday, Rogers Sportsnet announced a price increase for its Sportsnet+ stream service, significantly raising the prices for the 2025-26 season.

The price of the standard subscription, which takes effect on September 9, increases from $199.99 annually to $249.99. The premium subscription, which is crucial for fans who don’t live in the markets of their favourite teams, patriculary the Canucks, rises from $249.99 to $324.99 for the year.

Fans can still opt for monthly plans; the standard subscription costs $29.99 per month, with a premium plan priced at $42.99 per month. The premium plan costs monthly subscribers an additional $13.00 per month for the year.

This isn’t the first time the telecom has upped its prices this year. In January, the regular subscription price increased from $179.99 to $199.99. If you’re doing the math, Sportsnet+ subscribers have seen their plans rise 40% in a single year, with an extra $70 coming out of consumers’ pockets.

With the price hike, fans hope that it will mean a better quality stream experience, as one of the major criticisms of the streaming service is its unreliability. Many experienced issues with keeping an eye on Canucks games throughout the season, as frequent errors popped up that said the games were not available.

Hey @sportsnet, what the heck is going on with the Canucks/Flyers game? pic.twitter.com/C0Q7uFN41y

— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) October 12, 2024

Along with poor quality streams, trying to find games on demand has been nearly impossible, as many Canucks games are no longer available for viewing past a certain date.

Sportsnet+, originally known as Sportsnet Now, was introduced in 2014, at the same time Sportsnet started having exclusive rights to NHL games in Canada. The prices have fluctuated over its history, going from $24.99 a month to $19.99 a month, and back up again to include the WWE Network a couple of years ago.

In today’s age of cord-cutting, where everyone is trying to save a dollar to watch their favourite teams, the prices are getting to the point where people wonder if it’s worth paying the high amount.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...watch-next-season-thanks-sportsnet-price-hike

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

What cheaper, compromise options are still available in the Canucks’ search for centre depth?

Yesterday, we wrote about the relatively small handful of true, blue top-six centres still available on the trade market. With GM Patrik Allvin and Co. of the Vancouver Canucks said to be on the summer-long lookout for additional centre depth, it’s a reasonable thing to be thinking about.

But if we’re talking in terms of realism, we have to admit that none of the players who made that list are particularly realistic options at this point in the offseason. Really, any genuine top-six centre – particularly in this centre-starved economy – is going to cost either cap space or trade capital far over and above what the Canucks have available, and probably both.

Maybe Allvin still has a rabbit or two up his sleeve, and will be able to work his magic on a transaction of unforeseen magnitude.

If not, however, it’s probably off to the bargain bin. Which, it should be noted, is not unfamiliar territory for this Canucks’ front office. The player who filled that 2C role for the latter portion of the 2024/25 season – and even the 1C role for a minute or two – was Pius Suter, signed in the late summer of 2023 to a two-year, $1.6 million AAV contract. In the end, Suter returned close to quadruple the value of that salary.

So, it is definitely possible for the Canucks to go discount shopping for centres and still wind up with a win. Is it likely? Maybe not, but there are certainly some intriguing options on the block at the same time, and we’ve collected a number of them for you to consider below.

The Buy-Low Bargain Bin Options​

Evan Rodrigues
31, 5’11”, 182lb, $3 million AAV until 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	82	15	17	32	57.1%

Rodrigues has already been identified as the player most likely to be traded in order to get the Florida Panthers under the cap. If so, he’s a name well worth looking into. Able to play all three forward positions, including centre, Rodrigues is probably best described as a very good bottom-six player. That said, he’s scored as many as 19 goals and 43 points in a single season and, perhaps more importantly, has notched 30 points in his last 45 playoff games.

In other words, Rodrigues is a player who can make a big-time impact without bringing a big-time salary. One could imagine him providing adequate coverage at centre for Filip Chytil’s likely injuries, and flipping back over to the wing when necessary. He’s also a player who has some history with Allvin and Jim Rutherford during his time in Pittsburgh.

The Panthers would be looking to dump Rodrigues for picks and prospects, and would hope to take back no salary in the transaction. This would necessitate the Canucks trading a winger elsewhere, but that’s easy enough to accomplish. The real question is how high of a draft pick the Panthers are asking for. The bidding could definitely get as high as a second-rounder, but the Canucks would hope that Florida’s somewhat immediate need to cut cap might drive the price a smidgen lower.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi
25, 6’3”, 203lb, $4.82 million AAV until 2030

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	78	12	21	33	58.1%

We’ve heard tell of the Canucks being interested in Kotkaniemi before, and we imagine that hasn’t changed much, given their current search for a centre.

The Hurricanes certainly have the forward depth to give him up. But one issue at play here is that Carolina missed out on Mitch Marner in free agency, which has left them with a boatload of cap space. In other words, they don’t really need to cut cap, and so they don’t really need to part ways with anyone, including Kotkaniemi.

If, mid-season, the Hurricanes decide to make improvements and want to clear space at that point, then maybe Kotkaniemi hits the trade block again. For now, however, we imagine they’re hanging onto him.

Ross Colton, Colorado Avalanche
28, 6’0”, 194lb, $4 million AAV until 2027 (12-team NTC)

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	61	16	13	29	53.6%

Colton is a particularly interesting option, in that he reportedly strongly prefers the centre position, and has chafed at having to play the wing so often in Colorado. With Colorado fairly close to the cap ceiling, there is a chance that they look to swap Colton out for someone who fits their lineup a little better, and that’s where the Canucks could step in.

He has been a fairly consistent 30-point scorer since joining the NHL, and has put up as many as 40 in a season. At this age, it’s probably too late to expect a breakout, but it’s worth noting that Colton has played far down the depth chart of some pretty good hockey teams. Maybe with more opportunity in the top six, more production could be possible?

To acquire Colton, the Canucks would probably need to be willing to give up a particularly versatile winger, like a Drew O’Connor or a Nils Höglander. Is that worth their while? That depends largely on what they think of Colton’s potential to produce more.

Barret Hayton, Utah Mammoth
25, 6’1”, 200lb, $2.65 million AAV until 2026

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	82	20	26	46	57.7%

It’s easy to see how Hayton might be getting lost in the shuffle as the Utah Mammoth build up their roster. Technically, he’s slotted in as their 2C for the 2025/26 season, but that could change as younger forwards look to usurp his role. Hayton’s production has grown a little stagnant over his past three seasons, stuck somewhere in that 40-point range, and perhaps we’re approaching ‘change of scenery’ territory.

The Mammoth wouldn’t be looking to sell Hayton off for draft picks or cap space, as they’ve got plenty of each. Instead, they’d probably be looking to add some scoring depth to their wings. A Hayton-for-Höglander trade might make a lot of sense, though the Canucks would have to be comfortable knowing they’re dealing skill-for-position, essentially.

Cole Sillinger, Columbus Blue Jackets
22, 6’2”, 203lb, $2.25 million AAV until 2026

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	66	11	22	33	45.3%

Another player soon to be lost in the organizational shuffle is Sillinger, who we wrote about earlier in the offseason.

The son of a former Canuck, Mike Sillinger, Cole was drafted with high potential but has struggled to realize it at the NHL level. Now, he runs the risk of being pushed further down the Columbus depth chart by a blend of new acquisitions and younger prospects making the climb.

With his reasonable salary, there’s no direct impetus for the Blue Jackets to sell Sillinger. But if they foresee his minutes falling in the upcoming season, maybe they look to sell as high as they can.

Like with Hayton, we’d imagine the Blue Jackets are looking for more established NHL talent in any swap, and that’s probably, again, a winger-for-centre type trade. With Sillinger still only 22, however, expect the cost to be slightly higher, as is often the case when paying for potential.

Michael Rasmussen, Detroit Red Wings
25, 6’6”, 220lb, $3.2 million AAV until 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	77	11	10	21	46.0%

Another local product, and a sizeable one at that. Rasmussen’s physical dimensions get the most attention, and that’s a large part of why he was drafted ninth overall back in 2017. But there had to be some genuine skill in there, too, at least at one point.

Rasmussen hasn’t really broken out yet at the NHL level, with a career high of just 33 points. But he’s mostly played bottom-six minutes for bad teams in Detroit, and is only 25 years old, so perhaps there’s a breakout yet to be had. Obtaining bigger minutes in his hometown seems like it might be a good way to affect said breakout.

For the Red Wings’ part, they’d be looking to move Rasmussen to clear space for younger centres, like Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson. In that scenario, Detroit is probably looking for a draft pick-based return, which would necessitate the Canucks dumping some salary elsewhere.

The Still-Lingering UFA Crowd​

Of course, the UFA route remains open…if largely unpopulated.

Jack Roslovic, UFA
28, 6’1”, 198lb

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	81	22	17	39	57.9%

Roslovic is easily the most productive UFA left on the market, but the issue is that he puts up the majority of his points on the wing, not at centre. Sure, he can play the position, but perhaps not well enough to move the needle for any contender, or even a would-be contender.

We know the Canucks have been interested in Roslovic in the past. But the fact that they looked into so many other UFA targets first – including Christian Dvorak – leads us to believe they’ve already decided Roslovic is no longer the solution they are looking for. The last thing they need at this point is another winger.

Robby Fabbri, UFA
29, 5’11”, 185lb

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	44	8	8	16	42.1%

Fabbri also falls into the same Roslovic camp as a better winger than a centre, though he has a touch more experience down the middle.

Unfortunately, Fabbri has suffered a preposterous amount of injuries in his career. But he’s typically hovered above a 0.5 PPG rate through most of his playing time, which is better than can be said for many of the names on this list. However, it should be noted that last season’s 16 points in 44 games was one of Fabbri’s worst results.

In the end, he’s probably not a better option than what the Canucks already have on hand internally, and not really worth anything more than a possible PTO.

Joe Veleno, UFA
25, 6’1”, 201lb

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Corsi
2024/25	74	8	9	17	45.0%

Speaking of PTOs…

Veleno was traded to and then bought out by the Seattle Kraken, and has yet to find a new home.

Unlike Roslovic and Fabbri, Veleno is a true centre and was once considered a centre with top-six potential, at that. So far, however, he’s topped out at 28 points in a season and has largely been unable to translate his offensive skill to any higher level than the AHL.

If the Canucks still see some potential left in Veleno at age 25, he might make an interesting camp invite. In a worst-case scenario, he’s someone who could provide veteran depth in Abbotsford, a la Sammy Blais.

But hanging any real hopes on him is probably a bridge too far.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/what-c...ailable-vancouver-canucks-search-centre-depth

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

5 takeaways from the Abbotsford Canucks’ 2025-2026 schedule

Earlier this week, the Abbotsford Canucks dropped their 2025-2026 schedule.

The AHL schedule is a little different from the NHL’s version. Most of the time, American League teams will always play back-to-backs to cut the time and expenses of their road trips. They also play a shorter 72-game schedule rather than the 82-game NHL season.

While all the players and fans will never forget the Championship 2024-2025 season, it’s time to put that in the rearview mirror and focus on 2025-2026.

Here are five takeaways from the Abby Canucks’ schedule release:

1. Delayed banner raising night

The rafters in the Abbotsford Centre will have to wait a bit longer until the 2024-2025 Calder Cup Championship banner is raised.

Not only do the Canucks kick off their season on the road against the Henderson Silver Knights (October 10 & 11), but the following weekend they take on the Laval Rocket in Quebec (October 17 & 18). The Canucks must wait until October 24 to celebrate their Championship one last time when they raise the banner for their home opener against the Ontario Reign.

That’s three weeks into the season that the Canucks have to wait to play in front of their home fans off the back of the first Championship in Canucks history – a little disappointing for the fans.

2. On the road in November

Abbotsford starts November with a two-game homestand against the Silver Knights on the 1st and 2nd. But other than that, they play just two more home games in the entire month.

The Canucks travel to Colorado to face the Eagles on the 7th and 8th, before returning home for a quick two-game home stand against the San Jose Barraduca on the 11th and 12th. Abbotsford is then on the road the rest of the month. First, they travel to San Diego for a game on the 15th, then a quick turnaround to Coachella on the 16th. Then, it’s back-to-backs in San Jose on the 21st and 22nd, before rounding out their road trip in Tucson on the 28th and 29th.

That six-game road trip is the longest of their season, one that will span over two weeks. The club likely travels home in between games, but that is a long stretch without a home game in the American League.

3. Busy January

While November may be tough with all the travel, January is their busiest month.

The Canucks will play 15 games in 30 days, with their most difficult stretch having to play seven games in 11 days to round out the month.

They play Henderson in a standalone game on the 2nd, before a four-game home stand from the 6th to the 11th. Followed by a quick California road trip to San Diego and Coachella from the 14th to the 18th. From the 20th to the 31st, they play Laval twice, San Diego twice, Ontario once, and then close out with two road games against Bakersfield.

4. Excuse me? They play the Pacific Division how many times?

We understand that the AHL doesn’t pull the same amount of money the NHL does, but I’m sure the players don’t like playing the same teams over and over again.

Of the Canucks’ 72 games, they will play 64 of them against the Pacific Division: The Colorado Eagles four times, the Tucson Roadrunners four times, the Bakersfield Condors four times, the Coachella Valley Firebirds eight times, the Henderson Silver Knights eight times, the San Jose Barracuda eight times, the San Diego Gulls eight times, the Ontario Reign eight times and the Calgary Wranglers 12 times.

The remaining eight times, the Canucks play a pair of Canadian teams, facing off against the Laval Rocket and Manitoba Moose, four teams each.

This means that the Canucks will not be facing off against the team they defeated in the Western Conference Finals, the Texas Stars, or the team they beat in the Calder Cup Finals, the Charlotte Checkers. The distance is far, but surely Canucks fans would have liked to see a regular season rematch against those teams.

5. Opportunity to play former players

Speaking of the Canucks playing the Rocket and the Moose, Abbotsford could possibly face off against two of their former teammates who helped them on their Calder Cup run: Sammy Blais and Phil Di Giuseppe.

Blais signed a one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens this past offseason. But if things don’t work out and Blais clears waivers, he will report to their AHL affiliate in Laval. Abbotsford plays Laval on October 17 and 18, and again on January 20 and 21.

Di Giuseppe signed a two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets this summer, and if he’s not with the big club, he’ll join the Moose. The Canucks play the Moose on December 31, January 2, and March 10 and 11.

Both players will surely be met with gratitude for their efforts in the postseason. Blais had six goals and 19 points in 23 games, while bringing a physical edge that instilled fear in his opponents. Di Giuseppe played up and down the Canucks lineup in the postseason, posting six goals and 11 points in 24 playoff games for Abbotsford.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/5-takeaways-abbotsford-canucks-2025-2026-schedule

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL teams vote to keep draft decentralized for next season

The NHL is planning on keeping the NHL Draft decentralized for next season.

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman first reported on Thursday that a vote was being held amongst NHL teams about the future of the NHL Draft, and whether or not they intended to continue with it being decentralized, or if they wanted to revert back to the previous format. Friedman said at the time that, barring a wild swing from the few remaining voters, that the teams were planning on continuing with the decentralized draft.

Since then, multiple outlets have confirmed that the vote has been completed, with the decision being in favour of keeping the draft decentralized.

Teams made the decision in 2024 to switch to a decentralized draft format, with the primary reason being saving money. Teams did not want to send out entire scouting teams to one set location and pay for accommodations, and instead found it more efficient to make their decisions in their offices in their respective cities. Along with that, NHL GMs thought that it helped the team focus more.

Prior to that, all 32 teams would travel to the selected location of the draft each year, and make their picks on the floor. With all teams being there, it would often allow other teams to converse with each other more easily, and create more opportunities for trades.

There were other recent instances of the NHL using the decentralized format, as they had to use it for the 2020 and 2021 Drafts during the COVID-19 pandemic for safety purposes.

The decentralized format came with much scrutiny from NHL fans and media, as they felt like the decentralized process slowed down the process and that it took teams longer to make their selections, particularly in the first round. They also found the presentation to be very awkward, particularly the “Draft House” where players had wooden interviews with the team that selected them, with several instances of shaky connections on the team’s end.

That said, there is an avenue where a decentralized draft can work. If the league learns from their mistakes this year, cleans up the presentation, and actually strictly enforces the three-minute time limit between picks, it could work for a smoother draft than this year.

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST​

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-teams-vote-keep-draft-decentralized-next-season

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

JPat’s Monday Canucks Mailbag: Outside the box questions edition

First things first, thanks to everyone who understood the assignment this week.

It’s the middle of summer. There will be plenty of time in the months ahead for hardcore hockey questions. But we wanted to have some fun with the mailbag, so we asked you for off-the-wall and outside-the-box Vancouver Canucks questions. And you delivered. So much so that we will tackle a handful of your queries this week and dive right back in again next week.

So if you still have a question or your question did not get answered this week, fear not. We’ll double back and answer more from this batch again next Monday. Let’s jump right in:

Which pair of Canucks players would perform the best in the Amazing Race?

— giraffester119 (@giraffester119) July 11, 2025

The first thing you must understand about the Amazing Race – and reality television in general – is that while there is certainly a competitive aspect to it, it is, first and foremost, a television show designed to entertain. And as such, big personalities are almost always part of the casting decisions. That’s why I’d go with Jake DeBrusk and Conor Garland. I see DeBrusk offering up constant commentary while I imagine Garland being a crafty navigator. I could also see those two scheming to form alliances to get further in the game. I think Tyler Myers would also be a great candidate, but much of the Amazing Race requires commercial flights, and I’m not sure how much Myers and those long legs would enjoy life in economy.

Which current Canuck would best play the part of Nicholas Tarnasty on the golf course?

— HIWATT (@HIWATT13) July 12, 2025

First things first, it’s Tarnasky – Nick Tarnasky – who once played 10 games for the Vancouver Giants many years ago. Although, whether intended or not, I kind of like Tarnasty. It certainly fits after watching the beatdown he laid on the now viral video. As for which Canuck would best fill that role, I guess I’d have to go with Evander Kane based solely on the abrasive style he plays on the ice. But I have no evidence to suggest that is how Kane would conduct himself on the golf course. Kiefer Sherwood would also be a candidate, although after watching him last season, I’m more inclined to believe Sherwood would have just bodychecked the guy into oblivion.

Do you remember the old Canucks' cookbooks? Which current player would have the best recipe? pic.twitter.com/LcFyIUqpmo

— Tristan Carpio (@TrisCarpio) July 11, 2025

Absolutely, I do. I kind of miss the old days when the team and the players took us inside their home lives and gave us a glimpse of their personalities away from the rink. As for which current player would have the best kitchen skills, I’m always inclined to believe that Quinn Hughes is the best at just about anything or everything, on the ice or off of it. I could certainly see him spinning away from the forecheck, weaving through the neutral zone, then making a mad dash to put some sort of spectacular casserole on the dinner table.

Four cities that should have hockey teams and one that shouldn't.

— Chris Parry (@ChrisParry) July 11, 2025

Quebec City has to be at the top of the list. I’m willing to believe a second team in Toronto would be successful. The question is open enough that I suppose I could look at European options, but I just don’t think we’ll ever see expansion across the Atlantic. It certainly sounds like the NHL is prepared to go back to Atlanta for a third time. Third time’s the charm, right? And while Austin, Texas, has surfaced as a possible expansion city, I always thought Houston would be the next place in the Lone Star State to get a team. Selfishly, I’d like to see another West Coast entry in Portland or San Diego. So let’s go with Quebec City, Atlanta, Houston and Portland. As for a city that shouldn’t have a team, clearly it has to be Edmonton. Just take the Oilers roster and somehow make it so the Canucks get both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the dispersal draft.

What players do you think get honoured this season? Aren’t they running low on legacy marquee players?

Do you think the PWHL team will lean into Canucks legacy or try to distance themselves from it and create their own brand?

— Cody Dilullo (@DilulloCody) July 11, 2025

Cody coming with two questions this week. First, on Canuck honourees. It certainly has felt in recent years like there has been a thaw in the once frosty relationship between Ryan Kesler and the Canucks. Is that paving the way for a spot in the Ring of Honour? I guess I thought Alex Edler would be a Ring of Honour guy, and I suppose he still could be, although the team hosted his retirement night early last season, which didn’t include him getting his deserved spot on high. I still hold out hope that Tony Tanti is recognized by the hockey club in some fashion. He sits sixth in goals and eighth in all-time franchise scoring, and yet his contributions are somehow overlooked. Give Tony Tanti his due.

As for how the PWHL Vancouver team will carve out its place in the sporting landscape, I expect it to forge its own path. The Canucks are fairly protective of the brand they’ve built over more than half a century. I look forward to seeing how PWHL Vancouver launches with a team name and colour scheme, and I have to think we’ll get some answers on both fronts relatively soon. I’d imagine they dig into the West Coast/Pacific Ocean theme in some form for both the name and colours, but expect they’ll stay away from playing off Canuck history in any way.

Who is most likely of the current roster to have a post-playing future in media? In coaching? In a totally non hockey life?

— Kenji (@RonYamauchi) July 12, 2025

I will finish this week the way I started. I have to think Jake DeBrusk is the most likely candidate to have a career in media. His father has already blazed a trail, and I think Jake could more than hold his own on the microphone. Marcus Pettersson strikes me as the kind of guy who could easily transition into coaching when his playing days are done. He’s vocal, he’s a natural leader, and he seems like a details guy. And I suppose Elias Pettersson, the original, strikes me as someone who will likely pursue interests away from the game when his career is over. I could easily see EP40 branch off in a number of different directions when his playing days are done.

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST​

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/jpats-monday-vancouver-canucks-mailbag-outside-box-questions-edition

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

2025-26 Canucks Milestone watch: Myers closing in on 1,100 games while Kane should reach 1,000

In the preceding days, CanucksArmy has outlined the reachable milestones for a number of key Vancouver Canucks this season. And while Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser all work their way up the franchise’s all-time ladder in a number of statistical categories, that quartet certainly isn’t alone pursuing significant milestones next season.

Even before playing for his new club, Evander Kane has the 1,000-game mark well within his sights. The veteran winger enters next season having played 930 regular season National Hockey League games split between Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo, San Jose and most recently, Edmonton. If the soon-to-be 34-year-old is able to stay healthy, he will become the latest player to reach the thousand-game mark in a Canucks uniform after Tyler Myers hit the milestone early last season in Philadelphia.

Speaking of Myers, the big blueliner is showing no signs of slowing down. He will start the season within striking distance of a bunch of big round numbers. He is 34 games shy of 1,100 in his distinguished NHL career. Beyond that, he needs one goal for 100, four assists for 300 and any combination of five more points will get him to the 400 mark. So Myers should be able to check all of those off his list in the first half of the season.

Conor Garland, Filip Hronek and Teddy Blueger all have a shot at reaching the 500-game mark next season. Garland needs just 15 games to get there while Hronek starts the new season 49 games shy of 500. Meanwhile, Blueger will need to appear in all 82 games for the Canucks next season to hit 500 on the final night of the schedule.

As long as he stays healthy, Filip Chytil will reach the 400-game milestone by appearing in seven games next season. The Czech centre needs 30 points to reach 200 for his career, and the hope is that he’ll surpass that mark considerably in his first full season in Vancouver.

Jake DeBrusk set a career-high with 28 goals in his first go-round with the Canucks. If he can up the ante and score 34 goals next season, he’ll get to 200 in his time in the NHL.

Kiefer Sherwood made an impact in his first season with the Canucks. Not only did he set an NHL record with 462 hits, but he crushed his career-best scoring 19 goals. Sherwood is sitting with 98 career points, and by hitting the scoresheet twice in the early going next season, will reach the century mark.

Nils Höglander and Drew O’Connor are both closing in on 300 games in their respective careers. Höglander will get there seven games into the new season, while O’Connor still needs to suit up 59 times to achieve the milestone.

And, finally, no one is quite sure how the goaltending workload will be divided, but Kevin Lankinen is closing in on a couple of significant accomplishments. If the Finn appears in 37 games next season, he’ll get to 200 in the NHL. And if he’s able to post 30 victories – and there are scenarios where that could be possible – he will get to 100 for his career. Last season, Lankinen started 49 times, appeared in 51 games and won 25 of them.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/2025-2...ers-closing-1100-games-kane-should-reach-1000

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks’ Tyler Myers talks Miller Pettersson drama, Hughes rumours, and more

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers joined the Cam & Strick Podcast to discuss several different topics.

Myers was asked about the infamous JT Miller/Elias Pettersson drama from last season, the recent rumours about Quinn Hughes wanting to play with his two brothers, and much more.

The Miller/Pettersson reported feud took over the hockey world in 2024-2025. The reports began to emerge early in the season, when the Canucks struggled to get off to a good start. This then led to rumours about one of the players moving, and subsequently, the potential for both players to move on.

We all know how it ultimately turned out. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers, and the Canucks kept Pettersson before his no-movement clause kicked in.

What we haven’t heard much about is a player’s perspective on how the locker room was:

“It got pretty crazy, just publicly last year. Way, way more than what it was,” Myers said. “I’m not going to sit here and say there wasn’t tension. But I’ve been on a team where two players are in a full-on fist fight after a game, who I know are close friends. There’s going to be tension anywhere you go.

“Millsy and I got close. It was a lot more than it needed to be, but it wasn’t anything crazy. We were figuring things out, just like every other team does with different situations. But our locker room is great. I like coming into the rink everyday, all the guys are close and we weren’t too worried about it.”

The next biggest topic of conversation surrounding is the future of Captain Quinn Hughes. At the end of the season, President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford shared that Hughes has a desire to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke, who both play for the New Jersey Devils.

Rutherford walked back some of those comments later, but now, the rumours started to swirl about how Hughes might leave after his two-year contract is up to join his brothers. Myers gives some perspective on Hughes’ end regarding the rumours:

“Huggy doesn’t like all that speculation and stuff. He loves his brothers, loves his family like everybody else, but he’s not going around the room saying he wants to play with his brothers. I know it’s a big story around the hockey world, but everyone makes that a lot more than it is.”

Myers has been in Vancouver since signing in the 2019 offseason. Outside of five games, Myers has been around for Hughes’ entire career. So he has had a front-row seat to watch him develop into the defenceman he is today.

“Five years ago, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is amazing.’ It seems like every year since then, he’s only gotten better. Just when I think he’s at his ceiling and in his prime, he just keeps getting better. It’s crazy. The thing with Huggy that separates him, his edge work, and the way he separates himself from guys, gives him so much time and space, and then his skill just takes over. He’s maybe the best player I’ve seen in my career. Him and [Cale] Makar are on another level. It’s fun to watch.”

The Canucks re-signed goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year, $8.5 million average annual value contract on July 1 this offseason. This led to the subsequent trade of Calder Cup Champion and AHL playoff MVP Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins a few days ago.

Much of the hesitation about moving Silovs is due to the health of Demko. The American netminder has suffered numerous injuries over the past two seasons, restricting Demko to starting just 26 of the following 111 Canucks games over the past two seasons. But Myers shares that Demko is healthy and preparing for the year ahead:

“Demmer’s world-class. Whenever anyone asks about him, we always say it’s hard to explain how good he is. I know he’s feeling good coming into this year, and I’m excited for him to have that feeling because I know there were times last year when it got tough for him. The way he’s feeling now, I know he’s excited, and I’m excited for him because he’s that good and he’s great in the room.”

A Saturday night game against the Edmonton Oilers in mid-January got a little physical. So much so that both Tyler Myers and Connor McDavid were suspended for three games. McDavid for cross-checking Conor Garland in the head, while Myers for cross-checking Evan Bouchard in the face.

Myers details what happened on that night from his perspective:

“I didn’t even know what was going on behind me. I initiated it, no question. I did something on the wall, it was at the end of the game. I gave him a little shot, nothing bad, you know, normal in a hockey game. From there, he just kind of started coasting towards me. I didn’t really know what was going to happen. Obviously, Bouch is a really great player. That [physical] part of his game probably isn’t what he does all the time.

“Still, a player skating at me, I don’t know what’s going to happen, so I just decided to get my hands up a little bit,” Myers joked. “Honestly, I thought both suspensions that day were too much. I didn’t think either of them, looking at them after, was what everyone made them out to be. But I will defend myself. If you slow down the video, I’m going at his chest. His hands do kick up my stick. I don’t go looking to cross-check guys in the face.”

As a playful end to the interview, Cam & Strick asked Myers who was the most vocal on the team, but toward the opponents. This led to Myers then describing the significant impact Kiefer Sherwood made on the Canucks in his first year in Vancouver.

“Kiefer Sherwood,” Myers said without hesitation regarding the best trash-talker on the team. “[He’s a] Non-stop talker. He’ll throw some funny ones out there every once in a while.

“He just finishes everything. If he’s around another guy, he’s finishing him. It doesn’t matter where he is. He’s a warrior; he competes with the best of them. He broke the hit record this year. Anytime he was around somebody, he was leaning into them, whether he was big or small. He was really good for us. He brought an element [that] I think our team needed.”

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...s-miller-pettersson-drama-hughes-rumours-more

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Besides Bowen Byram, which upcoming UFAs have BC connections for the Canucks to consider?

There were an awful lot of rumours out there about the Vancouver Canucks this offseason, and not all that many of them ended up coming to fruition.

The Canucks kept their first-round pick instead of trading it. They definitely didn’t trade it for Marco Rossi, either.

The Canucks were said to be in on a number of UFAs. Instead, they just re-signed one of their own in Brock Boeser.

No one saw the Evander Kane trade coming, and yet it did.

So, this summer’s round of rumours can probably be taken – as all rumours probably should be – with a heaping dose of salt.

But there was one bit of speculation that was so prominent and persistent, there almost had to be at least some smoke to it. And that was the ongoing rumour about Bowen Byram, and how badly he wished to return to his hometown of Vancouver. (Well, Cranbrook, technically, but they don’t have an NHL team there yet.)

We wrote about these rumours back in June and deemed that they didn’t make much sense at the present moment. Byram, for all his talents, is a left-shooting defender, and the Canucks are already set on those heading into the 2025/26 season with Quinn Hughes, Marcus Pettersson, Elias Pettersson, and Derek Forbort all under contract.

But the scuttlebutt continued, all the same, right up until this past week, when Byram and the Sabres avoided arbitration with a two-year, $6.25 million AAV extension.

But are those rumours over and done with, or have they just been put on pause?

See, by signing a two-year extension, what Byram has effectively done is walked himself right to UFA status at the youngest possible age of 26. When this new two-year deal expires, he’ll be free to market himself to the rest of the league, or to whichever specific corners of the league he prefers.

Most Buffalo fans have already made peace with the fact that they’ll likely need to trade him before that date comes, because otherwise he’s set himself up to walk for nothing.

And in two years’ time, maybe Byram makes more sense for the Canucks to pursue, or to be pursued by. We won’t delve into the reasons why that might be, as they’re a bit depressing, but there you have it.

For the Canucks’ part, GM Patrik Allvin and Co. have made a bit of a transition toward a preference for players who want to be in Vancouver. That was a big part of deciding to retain Boeser and offer extensions to Conor Garland and Thatcher Demko on that same day. It was a big part of the decision to bring in Kane.

With that in mind, we wonder which other prominent upcoming UFAs and RFAs have some concrete British Columbian connections that might be considered in the offseasons to come. Below, we’ve collected a few of note.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres​

LD, 24, 6’1”, 205lb
UFA in 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	82	7	31	38

We can’t talk this much about Byram without at least giving him a little write-up of his own.

He’s one of those players who you can’t believe is still this young, because it feels like he’s been around forever. Byram will enter his sixth NHL season in 2025/26, and in his career thus far, he has already won a Stanley Cup.

The former fourth overall selection has also continued to develop his skills to the point that he’s now an exceptionally talented offensive defender who has also started to drastically improve in his own end. He made pretty good hay with Rasmus Dahlin on the Sabres’ top pairing for much of the past year, and one has to wonder what greater heights might be possible for him outside of that organization.

For the Canucks’ part, as we said earlier, they don’t currently have much need for any additional LD, even one as good as Byram. But in two years’ time, things could look very different indeed. And if they do, the thought of having a strong two-day D in their prime who is specifically looking to sign in Vancouver might be mighty appealing.

Alexander Kerfoot, Utah Mammoth​

C, 30, 5’11”, 185lb
UFA in 2026

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	81	11	17	28

We realize we’re taking a major step back in excitability here, but that’s okay. In the end, there just aren’t that many BC-related players in the NHL right now, and the bulk of them are locked up for the foreseeable future.

Kerfoot’s is a name that has been attached to the Canucks before, but never with much sincerity. He remains a useful middle-six talent who can play all three forward positions and is usually good for between 30-40 points per year.

As of now, the Canucks’ forward corps is a little overstuffed. But that could change over the coming year, and if the Canucks find themselves in need of cheap depth next summer, they could certainly do worse than a versatile veteran who can still skate and who hails from Vancouver.

Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres​

RW, 29, 6’4”, 219lb
UFA in 2026

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	82	36	31	67

Okay, now you’ll really have to bear with us on this one.

If Tuch makes it to UFA status, he’ll easily be one of the best on the market in the summer of 2026. And given that Tuch is a Buffalo Sabre and has yet to sign an extension, chances seem good he’ll make it to market. That’s just the way it seems to go for the Sabres.

Now, on the surface, Tuch has no real connection to Vancouver. He’s from Syracuse, New York, and is pretty much already as close to home as he can get.

However, if you pay attention to the rumours surrounding Tuch’s future, they tend to suggest that his wife is from the Vancouver area, and there have been loud whispers about the couple’s desire to eventually return there. Is that coming from people in the know, or is it just a case of wishful thinking? Impossible to know, but if it’s even close to true, this would be an incredibly exciting player for the Canucks to pursue next offseason.

Tuch is a genuine power forward still in his prime, who has scored 36 goals in two of his past three seasons. When a player is that good, the fit doesn’t matter. If he wants to come to Vancouver, they’ll make the room.

Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens ​

RW, 33, 5’9”, 185lb
UFA in 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	82	21	17	38

Gallagher is a player who, really, always should have been a Canuck.

Though born in Edmonton, Gallagher spent most of his growing up in Tsawwassen, and did all of his developing in the GVA, right up to and including four seasons with the Vancouver Giants.

The Canucks somehow missed Gallagher coming out of their own backyard and allowed the Montreal Canadiens to scoop him up with the 147th overall selection in the 2010 Entry Draft.

What has followed is a brilliant 13-year career with the Habs that has featured more ups than downs for Gallagher. He’s still popping in 20 goals and agitating with the best of them at the age of 33, and one has to imagine that the fiery competitor still has a few good seasons left in him.

He wouldn’t be a premier free agent at the age of 35, nor is he someone the Canucks should hang any real hopes on. But if Gallagher and the Canadiens part ways, a homecoming to end his career might be nice, and it’s hard to imagine him not at least contributing on the fourth line.

Jared McCann, Seattle Kraken​

C/LW, 29, 6’1”, 191lb
UFA in 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	82	22	39	61

Like with Tuch, we’re stretching here. McCann’s from Ontario, and he already (technically) had some time in the Toronto organization.

However, there is an intriguing opportunity here for both the player and the club to seek a little redemption. For their part, the Canucks could finally get some value for a player they carelessly dumped far too early. For his part, maybe McCann wants to take a shot at making a positive difference for the team that drafted him.

Or, maybe not. Either way, if the Canucks haven’t solved their search for a 2C in two summers’ time – and if neither Aatu Räty nor Braeden Cootes have stepped in yet – McCann would make an excellent fill-in target at the age of 31.

Really, this is more about storyline than anything, but one can’t deny that McCann remains a useful and versatile top-six talent.

Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning​

Coach, 57
UFA in 2026

Forgive the lack of stats here. We don’t write about coaches very often.

But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Prince George’s finest, coach Jon Cooper, is set to become a free agent as of this next summer.

In place since 2013, Cooper is by far the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. And he’s been a good one, with a regular season record of 572-306-83 and a playoff record of 88-67, with two Stanley Cups to show for it.

But the Lightning have also exited the playoffs in the first round in three straight seasons. Eventually, even the best coaches get let go, and the summer of 2026 may make for a natural breaking-off point between him and Tampa Bay.

We don’t know yet how Adam Foote’s first season as head coach will go. But if it doesn’t go all that well, and if Cooper does wind up being available, it’s going to be very, very tempting for the Canucks to make a homecoming pitch.

Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks​

C, 19, 5’10”, 185lb
RFA in 2026

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	82	23	44	67

Now here’s the name you’ve all been waiting for.

Yes, Bedard is a free agent next summer. No, he’s not a UFA, and the Blackhawks will retain his rights as an RFA.

But, with three NHL seasons under his belt at that point, Bedard will be eligible for offer sheets. The odds of Chicago letting Bedard go for any offer sheet-related compensation are low. But if the Canucks wanted to be really sneaky, they could offer Bedard a high-priced, four-year offer sheet.

Such a contract would walk Bedard right to UFA status. So, the Blackhawks would be forced to match – and then watch Bedard walk for nothing in four seasons, presumably to Vancouver – or try their best to get fair value for him in the interim.

If Bedard really wants to come home as early as possible, this strikes us as the best possible route. Is it a likely one? With the rarity of offer sheets, and especially offer sheets this aggressive, the answer is probably ‘no.’ But that doesn’t change the excitement factor on the idea, in general.

Kent Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets​

C, 22, 6’0”, 180lb
RFA in 2027

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
2024/25	68	24	33	57

Much was made of Johnson accompanying Bedard to watch some Abbotsford Canucks action during the Calder Cup run. Hailing from Port Moody, Johnson will have to wait a little bit longer than Bedard to hit RFA status, as of the summer of 2027. But once he’s there, the offer sheet path becomes a little bit clearer.

He’ll already have completed his fifth NHL season at that point, which means he could pull a Byram and sign for exactly two years, walking himself to UFA status. Or, he could sign a two-year offer sheet and achieve the same thing.

In other words, if either Bedard or Johnson – or, ideally, both – want to engineer their way toward Vancouver, there are definitely ways.

And in these days of cutthroat competition for talent, the Canucks should probably consider anyone who might be as interested in Vancouver as Vancouver is in them.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/beside...fas-bc-connections-vancouver-canucks-consider

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #15 – Alexander Mogilny

Join us this summer as we count down the top 50 Vancouver Canucks players of all time! #15: Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny ranks 32nd in all-time Vancouver Canucks scoring. But that hardly tells the story of the electrifying Russian’s time with the hockey club. That’s because Mogilny registered his 308 points in just 312 games. When framed that way, only Pavel Bure and JT Miller have scored at a higher point per game clip.

A ruthless finisher, Mogilny scored 139 goals in his parts of five seasons as a Canuck. That included a 55-goal campaign in his first season in Vancouver, in 1995-96, after being acquired from Buffalo at the 1995 NHL Draft. That remains the second-highest goal total by a Canuck behind Bure, who twice scored 60 in a season. That 55-goal campaign left Mogilny third in the NHL that season behind only Mario Lemieux (69) and Jaromir Jagr (62).

In Canucks history, Mogilny’s 107-point season in 1995-96 has only been bettered by Bure (110) and Henrik Sedin (112). While his time in the Canucks organization was brief, Mogilny’s impact was immense. He is tied for 19th in all-time goals scored and is tied for fourth in short-handed goals with 13. As terrific as Mogilny was, he arrived at a time of transition for the hockey club and only appeared in the playoffs once. And in a six-game loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Mogilny led the Canucks with a goal and eight assists.

With the Canucks in the midst of yet more organizational turmoil at the turn of the millennium, the club dealt Mogilny to the New Jersey Devils for Brendan Morrison and Denis Pederson in March of 2000. The trade worked out for both teams, with Morrison eventually becoming part of the West Coast Express, while Mogilny went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Devils just months after the deal.

After years of being overlooked, Alex Mogilny finally earned his rightful spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame when he was announced as part of the Class of 2025 earlier this year. He will be enshrined in November.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson
#46 – Jannik Hansen
#45 – Ivan Boldirev
#44 – Gary Smith
#43 – Jacob Markstrom
#42 – Orland Kurtenbach
#41 – Harold Snepsts
#40 – Darcy Rota
#39 – Thatcher Demko
#38 – Geoff Courtnall
#37 – Dennis Ververgaert
#36 – Petri Skriko
#35 – Dan Hamhuis
#34 – Doug Lidster
#33 – Patrik Sundstrom
#32 – Brendan Morrison
#31 – Richard Brodeur
#30 – Sami Salo
#29 – André Boudrais
#28 – Kevin Bieksa
#27 – Don Lever
#26 – Bo Horvat
#25 – Brock Boeser
#24 – Dennis Kearns
#23 – Ed Jovanovski
#22 – Greg Adams
#21 – Cliff Ronning
#20 – JT Miller
#19 – Tony Tanti
#18 – Jyrki Lumme
#17 – Elias Pettersson
#16 – Alex Burrows

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/top-50-vancouver-canucks-players-all-time-15-alexander-mogilny

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Blackfish: A Canucks organizational roster check-up heading into 2025-2026

Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect Report.

We’re fast approaching September, which means hockey season is right around the corner…thank goodness.

Canadian Hockey League training camps officially open this week, and preseason action in Europe is already well underway.

With that in mind, it feels like the perfect time to zoom out and look at the big picture: the Vancouver Canucks’ organization from top to bottom.

While most fans closely track Vancouver’s lineup with a fine-toothed comb, the more minor AHL signings often fly under the radar. Come opening night in Abbotsford, there are always names that casual fans may not recognize.

Furthermore, as the season progresses, there is always confusion regarding which players are on AHL deals and cannot simply be called up to Vancouver without officially signing a contract. A perfect example of this from the 2024-25 season was Sammy Blais, who many in the fan base were calling for weekly call-ups, failing to recognize that he was on an AHL deal.

But again, these signings are typically quiet and don’t receive a ton of press.

So today, let’s cover that ground.

Below you’ll find the author’s organizational chart of who’s currently in the system, whether signed to NHL or AHL contracts.

We want to stress that this chart isn’t a prediction of what we think the lines may be, but rather a depth chart of each player in their respective positions and who could move up and down the three tiers.

Note: Players in blue are waiver-exempt and can be moved up and down without issue. Players in red are signed to AHL-only deals and can only move between Abbotsford and Kalamazoo.

Now, let’s take a look at each section individually.

At the NHL level, we have the obvious dog fight, which we have covered in exhaustion throughout the summer.

Upfront, there are three forward spots realistically up for grabs, those being the bottom-six centre and the 12th and 13th forward positions.

For the centre position, it’s shaping up to be a fight between Aatu Räty, Nils Åman, Max Sasson and even Ty Mueller. That said, with waiver statuses being a significant factor, we do see Räty and Åman as the clear frontrunners to compete for this spot.

Both players requiring waivers complicate things, but given the choice between the two, Åman is the player whom you likely risk making available to other teams around the league. Although injured late last season, Räty has been knocking on the full-time door for some time, and this spot feels like it’s his to lose.

On the wings, several worthy names include Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, Vitali Kravtsov, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The latter is in the running, but given his waiver status and the fact that he may still need some seasoning, it just feels probable to keep him down until the rest of the group can be ironed out.

In our eyes, Linus Karlsson has likely earned the spot, barring injury or disappointing training camp. He was one of the game’s catalysts during an impressive Calder Cup run, and plays a game perfectly catered for bottom-six deployment.

That narrows the battle for the 13th forward spot down to Bains and the newly brought back Kravtsov. Given their two-year extension with the Surrey native, is it worth the risk of losing him right out the gate?

On defence, the sixth and seventh spots are the roles up for grabs.

As of today, we see Elias Pettersson making the big club and swapping to the right side if he has to. That allows Derek Forbort to earn a role on the left side.

Of course, rookie Tom Willander and Victor Mancini will have something to say about this and are both capable of pushing. But like Lekkerimäki, Sasson and Mueller, waiver statuses could easily dictate the safer move to start the season.

As for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, he feels more like a depth option to slot in as either the seventh man or assigned to Abbotsford.

Moving on to Abbotsford, this is where the red names begin to appear. Anything can happen in training camp, so names may juggle and move up or down. However, this is how we see it playing out as of today.

Up front, Abbotsford added a mix of youthful rookies, complemented by some savvy veterans in Mackenzie MacEachern (31) and Joseph LaBate (32), both of whom we expect to play lower down the lineup.

There are a handful of signed AHL names, some of whom could pitch themselves for a spot to swap out of roster spots, but will likely start in Kalamazoo. Those names include: Chase Wouters, Jackson Kunz, Ben Berard, Cooper Walker, Zach Okabe, Nolan Walker and Dino Kambeitz.

As for those who we feel will likely make the team in Abbotsford, Chase Wouters is an obvious choice. He is not only the captain of this team, but a heart and soul type player who can play up and down the lineup.

Fighting for a role will be Jackson Kunz, a Canucks draftee who has officially lost his NHL rights within the organization. Signed to a one-year deal, he will look to impress the organization and earn a contract, likely as a bottom-six or extra forward to start. He can also play on the wings to make his chances even better.

As for those who will likely start down in Kalamazoo…

Kambeitz played a solid fourth-line role last season, scoring 10 goals in 52 games, and was a valuable depth piece during the Calder Cup run. He’ll likely be the first to rotate in, if not make the team in replace of Jackson Kunz or one of the two veterans brought in.

Cooper Walker has now been a call-up option for two seasons in a row and will resume his role as a go-to option when injuries or call-ups occur.

Meanwhile, Berard showed decent in a four-game audition last season, but will likely spend the bulk of his season in Kalamazoo.

Expect Okabe and Nolan Walker to be last resort call-ups.

On defence, there are a variety of scenarios that could unfold. Kirill Kudryavtsev is expected to take on a much larger role and could even switch to the right side, as he did many times last season.

Guillaume Brisebois can also flip sides if needed, so while there’s room to add another right-shot defender, the team may let the young guns (Kudryavtsev, Willander, Mancini, and Mynio) eat those minutes.

Jimmy Schuldt is on an NHL deal, but we expect him to play a deeper role under the noted names.

Abbotsford also added four new defenders on AHL deals…

Joe Arntsen re-signed after a 10-game stint last season, where he showed a real physical presence. He’s likely the first call-up option and could even surprise with a roster spot as a right-shot option should they not bring in another name from the free agent list.

Nikolai Knyzhov brings 81 NHL and 118 AHL games of experience, mainly within the San Jose system. While depth-chart competition makes his path tricky, he’s strong insurance if the young D stumble.

Derek Daschke has been a steady ECHL point producer but will likely spend the year in Kalamazoo unless emergencies arise.

Finally, there is Jayden Lee, a North Vancouver native. Now 24, he brings an impressive winning pedigree as a four-time regular-season ECAC Champion, and one-time National Champion in 2022-23 with Quinnipiac. He was also a part of the best regular-season ECHL team last season with the South Carolina Stingrays.

The issue with him? He stands just 5-foot-9 and weighs 161 pounds. Expect him to be in Kalamazoo.

Between the pipes, there’s a clear depth chart, with one name standing as a wildcard.

Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are entrenched in Vancouver, leaving Nikita Tolopilo as Abbotsford’s primary starter and first NHL call-up. We assume that Ty Young will take most of the secondary starts after an impressive pro debut.

The wrinkle is Jiri Patera, who complicates the picture. Is he the Vancouver call-up option, or insurance for when Tolopilo gets the call or injuries occur? After missing the majority of the 2024-25 season, it will be interesting to see how they navigate his deployment.

Down in Kalamazoo, rookie Aku Koskenvuo will likely get the “Ty Young treatment” from last year, splitting duties with Jonathan Lemieux while adjusting to the pro game.

Finally, we have the rookies.

The only name on this list that offers any value in this conversation today is Braeden Cootes. Now signed to an NHL entry-level deal, there is a world where he beats a few of the names above and earns a nine-game audition. That said, we do see that option as being relatively low percentage and see him playing some pre-season action before being released back to the Seattle Thunderbirds in late September.

Crazier things have happened, we suppose.

Thanks for reading this week, as we continue to run through our off-season reports. Please feel free to offer any suggestions for ideas you’d like to see before we ramp back into game action in the coming weeks.

PRESENTED BY WHISTLER GOLF CLUB​

This article is a presentation of the Arnold Palmer designed Whistler Golf Club. Spring preparations are underway with opening day on May 9th. Whistler Golf Club is now accepting online bookings for the entire 2025 season, so no need to wait to get those times locked in. If you have a group of 12 or more, get those times on hold now as prime times are filling up fast. For more information, head to https://www.whistlergolf.com/

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/blackf...anizational-roster-check-up-heading-2025-2026

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #16 – Alex Burrows

Join us this summer as we count down the top 50 Vancouver Canucks players of all time! #16: Alex Burrows

In March 2006, my mum took me to a Canucks game against the Los Angeles Kings. Trips to GM Place were rare for my family in the mid-2000s, and this was our first visit since a lockout kept the NHL away for an entire season—the only sociopolitical story that mattered to an eight-year-old Lachlan.

The Kings held a 3-2 lead halfway through the game when a kid wearing #14 for the Canucks jammed a puck underneath a fallen Mathieu Garon to tie the game. A few minutes later, the same player was perfectly positioned to one-time a Todd Bertuzzi pass past Garon for his second of the game. The name I heard John Ashbridge say over the loudspeakers twice in three minutes—and a third time late in the game as hats rained down on the ice — still rings crystal clear in my head today: “Number 14, Alexandre Burrows!”.

Alexandre, known as Alex or Burr depending on who you ask, went on to become one of the greatest success stories in Vancouver Canucks history. Burrows wasn’t supposed to end up this high on the list of the Greatest Canucks when he joined the franchise two decades ago. He wasn’t a blue-chip prospect; heck, he wasn’t even drafted by an NHL team. What he was was a hard-working, talented speedster with an edge, who found his way from Shawinigan to Manitoba to Vancouver with many stops in between.

Burrows’ rise to glory has been well documented, from going undrafted in the early 2000s to being named the world’s best ball hockey player in 2005. Those skills and dedication translated onto the ice, where he worked his way from the ECHL all the way to earning a contract with the Canucks in 2005. But maybe no one, not even Burrows himself, knew the heights he was going to reach.


Outside of the rare hat trick, Burrows started slowly in his first two seasons, earning regular ice time as a grinding depth winger while putting up a point or two. In 2007-08, he posted his first 30-point campaign, but it wasn’t until 2008-09 that his scoring really took off. Midway through the season, Burrows was promoted to the top line alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin and formed one of the most lethal lines in NHL history.

As the twins rose to superstardom, Burrows went with them. After posting 51 points in 2009, he followed it up with a career-best 67 points in 2009-10, his first year as the Sedins’ full-time linemate. Of Burr’s 35 goals scored, Henrik assisted on 23 of them and Daniel on 17. The chemistry that the twins had for finding each other to create scoring opportunities transferred perfectly with Burrows’ playstyle in a way that no other Sedin linemate could match.

Canucks fans almost immediately took to the scrappy kid from Pincourt, Quebec, endearing themselves with his contagious energy on the ice. Many of his 193 goals as a Canuck were topped off by a fun celebration. Sometimes Burrows pretended to break his stick over his knee like a curse had been broken, but most will remember the times he raised his stick like a bow and shot an arrow to the skies, a tribute to his late teammate and friend Luc Bourdon.

Fans of opposing teams remember Burrows a different way, as a chippy trash talker who sometimes threw borderline hits, drew the ire of referees and Ron MacLean for calling out poor officiating, and that one time he kindly warned Patrice Bergeron about the dangers of grabbing people by the jaw. But no moment in Burrows’ career has been immortalized more than the goal he scored on April 26, 2011; the night he, as John Shorthouse put it, ‘slayed the dragon’ against the Blackhawks.

Ask any hockey fan, they’ve seen the moment Burrows knocked down Chris Campoli’s high clearing attempt in overtime of Game 7, drove to the net and ripped the puck over Corey Crawford’s shoulder. Burrows slides in celebration towards the bench, lost in a sea of teammates dogpiling him, as the roof explodes off of Rogers Arena, celebrating the Canucks vanquishing a Blackhawks team that had tormented them twice in the playoffs before.


Burrows immortalized himself again later that spring when he wrapped the puck around the net of a swimming Tim Thomas to win Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final just 11 seconds into the extra frame. That goal put the Canucks up 2-0 in the series, though the rest of it is a blur.

The core Canucks team that Burrows was a major part of seemed to end as quickly as it rose; teammates were traded, coaches were fired, and GMs were replaced, while Burrows watched it happen around him. In 2017, Burrows himself would open a new chapter of his hockey career after being traded to the Ottawa Senators, where he’d play out the final two seasons of his NHL career. His 384 points in 822 games were enough to put him 14th on the franchise’s all-time scoring list by the time he left (he now sits at 20th some eight years later), and he’d earn a spot in the Canucks’ Ring of Honour in 2019.

Alex Burrows may not have retired with the same worldwide recognition as some of his teammates, but he’ll always have more than enough love and admiration from Canucks fans to last until the sun burns out. A great story like his will be told to aspiring NHLers for years, and of course, no one ever forgets a Dragon Slayer.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson
#46 – Jannik Hansen
#45 – Ivan Boldirev
#44 – Gary Smith
#43 – Jacob Markstrom
#42 – Orland Kurtenbach
#41 – Harold Snepsts
#40 – Darcy Rota
#39 – Thatcher Demko
#38 – Geoff Courtnall
#37 – Dennis Ververgaert
#36 – Petri Skriko
#35 – Dan Hamhuis
#34 – Doug Lidster
#33 – Patrik Sundstrom
#32 – Brendan Morrison
#31 – Richard Brodeur
#30 – Sami Salo
#29 – André Boudrais
#28 – Kevin Bieksa
#27 – Don Lever
#26 – Bo Horvat
#25 – Brock Boeser
#24 – Dennis Kearns
#23 – Ed Jovanovski
#22 – Greg Adams
#21 – Cliff Ronning
#20 – JT Miller
#19 – Tony Tanti
#18 – Jyrki Lumme
#17 – Elias Pettersson

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/top-50-vancouver-canucks-players-all-time-16-alex-burrows

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Goals and Expectations for Canucks’ Teddy Blueger in 2025-26

Like many Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25, Teddy Blueger was not immune to a regression of sorts.




The Latvian forward was a key piece in Vancouver’s bottom-six in 2023-24. Blueger centred one of the most potent third lines in the entire league, and was a big reason why the Canucks were able to roll a great forward group throughout the season and into the playoffs.

This past season saw him take a step back. While Blueger remained one of the better penalty killing options across the league – allowing just 10 goals in 172:50 shorthanded minutes – his offensive contributions shrank by a decent margin, including a massive 26-game goalless drought.

Still, it’s not like the Latvian is relied upon to be an offensive contributor. He more than held up his end of the bargain as a matchup duty forward, and at the age of 31, still provides a decent punch to this team’s bottom-six. So what should the goals and expectations be for Teddy Blueger in 2025-26?

Meeting Expectations: 20-25 points, continued defensive prowess

At this point in his career, Blueger is who he is – and that’s not a bad thing. Most teams would love to have someone like him in their bottom-six as someone who can eat away at minutes without being a liability and instead contribute to the team’s defensive efforts. Blueger has been used as a utility man throughout his tenure as a Canuck, and the hope is that he’ll continue to be that reliable depth presence.

As well, Blueger has shown the ability to contribute offensively. Hitting the 20-point mark is pretty reasonable for him, especially considering that he’s done so in five of the last six seasons. Even in that one season where Blueger didn’t, he put up 16 points in 68 games. It seems reasonable to expect Blueger to continue that trend with his deployment likely remaining the same going into 2025-26.

The hope is that he can produce more consistently instead of the hot and cold streaks he went on in 2024-25. Blueger will also be playing for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the impacts of that remain to be seen on his game as well. Will the motivation of playing for his country buoy his performances, or will the fatigue of the tournament wear down his play?

Exceeding Expectations: 30+ points, pushing into the second line

We’ve seen these flashes and streaks where, with the right linemates, Blueger looks like a possible second-liner on a contending team. Now, ideally, he’s never put into that position, and the chances are low that he breaks out to become that calibre of player. But Blueger putting up 30-plus points and giving the Canuck middle-six a big offensive punch, coupled with his great defensive work, would constitute exceeding expectations.

It’s not overly far-fetched. That third line of Conor Garland-Blueger-Dakota Joshua was clicking on all cylinders in 2023-24. The trio put together a great run of games where their production outpaced Vancouver’s own first line, all the while remaining defensively responsible. That probably won’t be happening again. However, if Blueger could come close to that standard of play consistently, the Canucks would have found money on their hands, where the Latvian isn’t being forced higher up in the lineup but forcing himself into conversations for more deployment.

Below Expectations:15 points, fourth-liner, PK liability

One player does not define a penalty kill, but Blueger taking a step back in that department would really hurt the team. The biggest strength he brings to the forward group is his ability on special teams, and if he were to lose that versatility, it would severely hamper his value to the Canucks.

Not only that, but Blueger dropping in production further would only increase the alarm bells surrounding him. There haven’t been signs of age-based regression yet, but given the streaks that he was on last year, there is concern that the standard could be lowered going into 2025-26. And if that happens, Blueger would firmly be a fourth-liner that the Canucks might view as replacement level.

Making $1.8 million annually, Blueger’s cap hit wouldn’t be the worst thing in the whole world if he’s unable to reach these expectations. But ideally, one isn’t paying close to $2 million of the cap to a fourth-line centre. We’ve seen that experiment happen with the likes of Jay Beagle, and that didn’t end well for the franchise. For Blueger to drop to that level would definitely be a disappointment, and the only bright spot from that point would be the fact that he’s a free agent after this season.

Goals for Teddy Blueger in 2025/26

• Continue to be one of the Canucks’ best penalty-killing options
• Be more consistent in scoring points
• Be a viable option within the Canucks’ middle-six (ie, able to fill in the top-six in case of injuries)
• Develop chemistry with younger Canucks in the bottom-six
• Continue to bring energy and punch playing depth minutes

Blueger did a lot of good things last year. At this point in his career, the former Minnesota State Maverick provides a lot of veteran leadership to any group of forwards, and the Canucks are fortunate to have someone with his experience and toolset within their bottom-six. The main thing for him this season is to continue being the high-energy, defensively responsible player that he is, providing Vancouver with good penalty killing abilities to boot.

The hope is that Blueger won’t go as long without scoring as he did last year. Suppose his production is more consistent, even if the overall production doesn’t tick up too much. In that case, it gives the Canucks a much more reliable baseline to be playing off of instead of swinging so far in one direction or the other.

Most of all, however, Blueger can provide a lot of mentorship to the young Canuck players looking to push themselves into being full-time NHLers. The Latvian is a fantastic role player on any contending team, and many prospects could benefit from learning how to carve out a place for themselves in the big leagues. Not only would establishing chemistry help this season, but Blueger could help set the foundation for young, cheaper players on ELCs becoming contributors to help Vancouver maximize their cap space.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/goals-expectations-vancouver-canucks-teddy-blueger-2025-26

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Vancouver Canucks prospect skips training camp in search of a fresh start

We are fast approaching one of the best times of the year: fresh ice, new faces and a clean slate for all hockey teams gearing up for the upcoming season.




For the Ontario Hockey League, that fresh slate kicked off on Monday, August 25th, with training camps opening their doors across the league.

But one player is notably absent from their respective camp, and it’s a player that Vancouver Canucks fans will recognize.

Riley Patterson, the Canucks’ 2024 fourth-rounder, is not in attendance as the Barrie Colts open their 2025 training camp.

According to a report from Barrie Today’s Peter Robinson, the 19-year-old forward has opted to skip the start of camp in hopes of triggering a trade to another OHL club.

Trade speculation has surrounded the Etobicoke native throughout the summer, but the Colts have yet to strike a deal. Now, it appears Patterson is taking matters into his own hands.

“He wants a fresh start,” Colts General Manager Marty Williamson told Barrie Today. “No hard feelings — I still really like Riley.”

Patterson was initially drafted 57th overall by the Flint Firebirds in the OHL Priority Draft before being dealt to Barrie. He has now spent two seasons with the Colts.

Despite being the team’s leading scorer since joining the club in the 2023-24 season, he has struggled to secure a consistent top-line role — something that’s become increasingly important as he eyes the next steps in his career.

In 132 regular-season games with Barrie, Patterson has tallied 121 points, including 54 goals and 67 assists — good for a 0.92 points-per-game pace. As a rookie, he made an immediate splash, leading all first-year OHLers with 29 goals and finishing second with 62 points. Despite that offensive output, he’s often found himself buried behind veterans or shuffled throughout the lineup.

While his production tapered ever-so-slightly, he still co-led the team in 2024-25 with 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) in 64 games.

With new CHL rules allowing players to retain NCAA eligibility under certain conditions, speculation will naturally arise as a possibility.

However, there’s no indication at this time that Patterson is considering a collegiate path. According to the Barrie Today report, his focus remains firmly within the OHL — just with a different franchise.

This appears to be a simple case of wanting to showcase himself with an elevated role on a Memorial Cup-contending team. While rumours have indicated the Brantford Bulldogs as a potential destination, there are no immediate indications of where he may end up for the 2025-26 campaign.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-prospect-skips-training-camp-search-fresh-start

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Is Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki becoming underrated?

The fine folks over at EliteProspects released their annual ranking of the top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects last week, and three Vancouver Canucks prospects made the list.




Contrary to most rankings, Tom Willander was not named as Vancouver’s top prospect here – in fact, he didn’t quite crack the top-50.

Instead, it was the recently-drafted Braeden Cootes, who just managed to sneak into the bottom end of that top-50 at #44 overall.

But nestled right in between Cootes and Willander on EliteProspect’s list at #48 overall, and as the Canucks’ second-best prospect, is Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

Second-best is the exact same ranking given to Lekkerimäki by our own Dave Hall last month – though Hall had Willander ahead of Lekkerimäki, not Cootes. And with such consistently high rankings around the mediasphere, it’s clear that Lekkerimäki is getting at least some of the hype and praise due to him. It’s hard to be highly ranked and underrated at the same time.

But within the circle of the Vancouver Canucks and their own fans specifically, it does feel as though Lekkerimäki has slowly but surely become overrated all the same. Look around at mock rosters for the 2025-26 season, and you won’t see his name appearing all that frequently. The Canucks are known to be on the lookout for additional offence, and yet most are predicting that their top offensive prospect is going to spend the bulk of the year in Abbotsford.

There’s ample hype about the impact Willander might have this season, in addition to fellow young defenders Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini. There are even some high hopes being handed out to other prospect forwards, like Aatu Räty and Arshdeep Bains.

But all is pretty quiet on the Lekkerimäki front. Should it be?

Lekkerimäki just completed his first full season of North American hockey after having made a short, six-game cameo in Abbotsford at the tail-end of last season. Prior to that, he’d spent just one full season in the SHL, and played most of the rest of his hockey at the Swedish lower tiers.

With that in mind, many were expecting a difficult transition for Lekkerimäki. Instead, he kind of lit the AHL on fire.

Lekkerimäki’s stat line for Abbotsford in 2024-25 reads 36 games played, 19 goals, nine assists, and 28 points. The reason he didn’t play a full season has a little to do with a short-term injury, but much more to do with the fact that he spent 24 games in the NHL. His stint in Vancouver only included three goals and three assists for six points, which is not bad at all for a 20-year-old.

But if we’re talking about Lekkerimäki as a prospect, those AHL stats are obviously more important. And they’re a fairly impressive and unique set, at that.

Let’s be honest here: it’s all about the goals. For one, because Lekkerimäki is a player who makes his reputation on goal-scoring. And for another, because 19 goals in 36 games is an exceptional result for one’s first season in the AHL.

How exceptional? Lekkerimäki’s 19 goals in 36 games work out to a goal-per-game rate of 0.528, which was good for the eighth-best rate in the entire AHL last season.

The list of players ranked ahead of Lekkerimäki is both short and consists entirely of players much older than him. Included are Abbotsford teammate Linus Karlsson (a league-leading 0.719 goals-per-game) and former Canuck Aidan McDonough (0.625) and Daniel Sprong (0.579). But both Karlsson and McDonough are 25 years old, and Sprong is 27.

The only player with a higher AHL goals-per-game than Lekkerimäki who is even truly ‘prospect-aged’ was San Diego’s Sam Colangelo, 23 years old with a 0.550 GPG.

To put up such numbers at such a young age and with so little prior experience is clearly an indicator of Lekkerimäki’s overall goal-scoring skill.

We went back through the last several AHL seasons looking for comparables and came up pretty short. The only other 20-year-olds (or younger) to put up a goal-per-game rate like Lekkerimäki’s in recent memory are Quinton Byfield, (nine goals in 16 games in 2022-23), Nick Robertson, (16 goals in 28 games in 2021-22) and Trevor Zegras (10 goals in 17 games in 2020-21 at age 19).

It’s a fairly exclusive club. And we’ll point out that Lekkerimäki has the largest sample size of the set, and is also the only one to be new to North American hockey when he put up those numbers. This is also not a case of a young player receiving an outsized opportunity on a bad team – Lekkerimäki did this for a Calder Cup champion roster. It’s a remarkable accomplishment, any way you slice it.

So, how has Lekkerimäki gone from that to becoming underrated?

Much of it comes down to how those aforementioned Calder Cup Playoffs went down.

Toward the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Lekkerimäki suffered an injury that required some oral surgery. That seemed to impact his ability to put up any consistent points during his last run of play in Vancouver. And when he returned to the Abbotsford playoff lineup wearing a bubble cage to protect his mouth, the circumstances were clearly difficult and affecting his play on the ice.

Lekkerimäki struggled, and with the rest of the Abbotsford team rolling, there was no time to allow him to work through it. As a result, Lekkerimäki wound up being made a healthy scratch for much of Round 2 and into Round 3, ultimately sitting out eight of the team’s 24 postseason games.

The young Swede did return to the lineup once he was free of the bubble-cage, and he did manage to put up some numbers in the end, finishing with three goals and seven points in 16 games. But three goals in 16 games is a far cry from his regular season rate.

With hockey being a sport of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, it’s not hard to see how this caused a bit of the shine to come off what was otherwise a truly excellent debut season for Lekkerimäki. The thrilling highs of the Abbotsford run couldn’t help but contrast sharply with Lekkerimäki’s personal struggles, especially since neither the younger Elias Pettersson nor Willander took part in the run, leaving Lekkerimäki as the top prospect on the team.

Him being made a healthy scratch made plenty of sense within the context of the situation, but it came off as a major disappointment all the same.

Add that together with Lekkerimäki’s less-than-consistent results at the NHL level last year, and you can understand why many just want him to play in Abbotsford and succeed there in 2025-26 – especially with the list of wingers currently ranked ahead of him including Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Evander Kane, Nils Höglander, Kiefer Sherwood, Drew O’Connor, and probably Karlsson and Bains, too.

Lekkerimäki has been lumped in more with the Vitali Kravtsov crowd; the group of players who aren’t out of the running, but who need to have really excellent camps to even have a hope of cracking the roster. And that’s not untrue – Lekkerimäki would need to have a great showing to insert himself into that mix of wingers.

But what is probably being underrated at this point, if not outright discounted, are Lekkerimäki’s chances of having that great showing and cracking the roster all the same.

Lekkerimäki has been healthy all offseason, giving him lots of time to work on his game. Last season, he could have been forgiven for taking a slight step back in the transition to North American hockey. Instead, he stepped forward, scoring as many goals (19) in just 36 AHL games as he had the previous year in 46 SHL games. In other words, Lekkerimäki transitioned to a smaller rink and tougher competition and still increased his goal-scoring rate. That says something about his upward trajectory, and it’s not the sort of trajectory that can be easily interrupted by a short-term injury.

The Vancouver Canucks are also in need of offence, and shooters in particular. Last season, they were an especially low-shooting team, and they suffered as a result. They’ve added Kane to the roster, sure, but at the same time, they’ve dropped Pius Suter. Having someone come in with a pre-established ability to absolutely rip shots would be a significant plus, and that player is already available in the form of Lekkerimäki. His shot could be an especially potent addition to the power play, which has recently suffered from a lack of shooting velocity.

Put it all together, and it sure sounds as though Lekkerimäki should be being pencilled in to a lot more 2025-26 Canucks lineups than he currently is. That makes him an underrated prospect, at least for the present moment. But perhaps not for long.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/is-vancouver-canucks-prospect-jonathan-lekkerimaki-becoming-underrated

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

2025-2026 Canucks Bold Predictions: Club finishes with four 30-goal scorers again

The round total of 30 goals has become a rough benchmark for goal-scoring success in the modern NHL. Only the very best are truly expected to consistently exceed that number. For the rest, a 30-goal campaign is typically seen as a good one in almost every circumstance, and we’ve seen that expectation play out in recent years for the Vancouver Canucks.




Remember Brock Boeser’s quest for 30 goals that kept coming up short until he finally potted 40 in 2023-24?

Recall the hopes that the newly signed Jake DeBrusk would prove a success by scoring 30 goals in his Vancouver debut season? (He ‘only’ notched 28.)

The unfortunate truth, however, is that neither DeBrusk nor anyone else on the Canucks hit the 30-goal threshold in 2024-25. DeBrusk came closest with 28, followed by Boeser and Pius Suter with 25 each, but nobody else even cracked 20.

Even JT Miller was pacing for fewer than 20 goals at the time of his trade.

It was not exactly a banner year for Canuck goal-scoring, to say the least. And it contrasted sharply with the previous 2023-24 campaign, in which the Canucks enjoyed the contributions of three different 30-goal scorers – Boeser with 40, Miller with 37, and Elias Pettersson with 34.

As we head backward in time, we find that the 2022-23 Canucks, who missed the playoffs despite having four 30-goal scorers: Pettersson (39), Andrei Kuzmenko (39), Miller (32), and Bo Horvat (31).

Go back another year to 2021-22 and the Canucks again had three 30-goal scorers – Miller (32), Pettersson (32), and Horvat (31).

Aside from last year, the next most recent time the Canucks have failed to have a 30-goal scorer was the pandemic-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, though each of those seasons featured players who paced for 30 goals over a full 82-game schedule.

To find the last non-shortened season in which the Canucks did not have a 30-goal scorer – again, until last year – you’ve got to go back to 2018-19. And even then, Pettersson had 28 goals in 71 games and Boeser had 26 in 69, both of which extrapolate to more than 30.

To find the last season before 2024-25 in which no Canuck even paced for 30 goals, you’ve got to go all the way back to the 2016-17 season and the days of Willie Desjardins.

Which is all just a really long-winded way of explaining that 2024-25 wasn’t just a bad goal-scoring year for the Vancouver Canucks, but one of their worst goal-scoring years in recent memory.

This is where we arrive at the Bold Predictions portion of this article.

Bold Prediction

It’s easy enough to predict that someone on the roster will score 30 goals next year. In fact, it’s almost likely. But then that’s not exactly bold, is it?

The Canucks went from three 30-goal scorers in 2023-24 to zero in 2024-25? Could they swing all the way back in 2025-26? Sure, it’s always more challenging to add goal-scorers than drop them, but we can at least call this one within the realm of possibility.

To maximize our boldness, we’re going to instead predict that the Canucks bounce all the way back to their high-water mark of 2022-23, and enjoy the contributions of four different 30-goal scorers in the 2025-26 season.

It doesn’t require quite as much boldness to guess at who these four players might be. Boeser will be eager to prove himself after a down year and a new, long-term contract. He’s perhaps the safest bet to hit 30 goals, so long as he avoids any major injuries.

DeBrusk came close last year, and that was amid about as tumultuous a first season as one can ever expect with a new team. He hit 28 goals with his main running mate, Pettersson, suffering through an awful campaign. If DeBrusk stays healthy and Pettersson bounces back even slightly, 30 goals seems well within reach.

Speaking of Pettersson, he’s easily the biggest part of all this. The three seasons prior to this last one saw him post 32, 39, and 34 goals. In 2024-25, he only notched 15. Pettersson getting back anywhere close to his previous goal-scoring standard would make a massive difference for the Canucks. And chances are if he’s doing that, he’s also rebounded in other aspects of the game, like playmaking – which, in turn, makes it all the more likely that Boeser and DeBrusk hit their marks, too.

If this series were about Fairly Reasonable Predictions, we’d probably leave it there. But the Canucks do have plenty of other candidates available for whom 30 goals might be in reach, and only one of them needs to get there in order for the Canucks to have a quartet.

Conor Garland has a career high of 20, and just keeps getting better every year. He’s developed into a real net-front finisher. But he’s also more of a primary playmaker than a shooter. So a major increase in goals is less than likely at this point, even if it’s still possible.

A better candidate might be the newly arrived Evander Kane. He missed the most recent regular season, but scored 24 goals in 77 games for 2023-24 while dealing with multiple injuries. Before that, Kane paced for 30 goals in four straight seasons (26 goals in 64 games, 22 in 56, 22 in 43, and 16 in 41).

Kane last hit the actual 30-goal mark back in 2018-19 with the San Jose Sharks, so it has been a minute. But if health is finally on his side, he’s about as likely to hit it this year as anyone else on the roster. And it is a contract year for him.

We’d love to throw Kiefer Sherwood out as a candidate here, but expecting a guy to put up a career-high 19 goals at age 30 and then turn around and add another 11 goals the following year sounds a little ridiculous.

And as much natural goal-scoring ability comes with Jonathan Lekkerimäki, he’ll be in tough to stay consistently in the lineup this year, never mind getting enough minutes to approach 30 goals.

No, aside from Boeser, DeBrusk, Pettersson, and Kane, the only other Canuck we think has a real chance of hitting 30 goals is Nils Höglander. And, sure, there may be some ridiculousness in that statement, too, because the guy only got eight goals last year.

But in 2023-24, Höglander hit 24 goals. He did that while primarily playing in the bottom half of the lineup, too.

He’s got a shot at top-six minutes in 2025-26, and given some of the chemistry he flashed with Pettersson last year, one could even argue that Höglander has an inside track. Get him on Pettersson’s wing for the long-term, have Pettersson bounce back, and maybe add some power play minutes to the mix, and suddenly 30 goals might be a distinct possibility for Höglander. Still a long shot, to be sure, but perhaps not as long as some of the others we’ve mentioned.

So, there you have it, a Bold Prediction that the Vancouver Canucks will enjoy the contributions of four different 30-goal scorers in 2025-26. We’re most confident about the Boeser, DeBrusk, and Pettersson side of that prediction; we like Kane’s chances, and we think there’s an outside shot for Höglander, too.

And what a difference it would make for the Canucks’ on-ice fortunes.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/2025-2...redictions-club-finishes-four-30-goal-scorers

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks’ Aleksei Medvedev appears on Daily Faceoff’s Top 25 NHL-affiliated goalie prospect rankings

The Vancouver Canucks situation in net is in a solid place for the foreseeable future, but there’s even more talent coming down the pipeline.




On Tuesday, new Canucks goaltending prospect Aleksei Medvedev landed 16th on Daily Faceoff’s list of Top 25 NHL-affiliated goalie prospects heading into the 2025-26 season. On the young Russian, Daily Faceoff prospect writer Steven Ellis wrote:

“It was a solid goalie market at the 2025 NHL Draft, and the Canucks got one that many considered to be at the top of the list. The rookie OHLer was a huge part of London’s regular season success, putting up some excellent numbers alongside CHL veteran Austin Elliott. Medvedev is a quick goalie who has a somewhat unorthodox hunch-back style, but his pure athleticism prevails more often than not. There just aren’t many flaws in how he commands the crease – scouts love him. He’ll be the No. 1 in London this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him challenge for the top goaltender honours in the CHL.”

Medvedev was taken 47th overall in the second round of this year’s NHL draft by a Canucks team looking to add to their goaltending pipeline after Arturs Silovs’ Calder Cup MVP playoff run – a performance which ensured he was ready to graduate to the NHL. While they weren’t expected to pick a goaltender so early, it looks like it was a steal of a pick for Vancouver:

“He’s a calm, calm kid, big kid, moves well in the net and does, never seems to get rattled,” said Canucks Director of Scouting Todd Harvey after the draft. “He has that presence in there that makes the team in front of you play a little calmer. We thought he was our guy. We kind of targeted that, and that was a good pick.”

On CanucksArmy’s 2025 summer prospect rankings, Medvedev quickly found himself high on the list, coming in as the highest-ranked goaltender at fourth. Already taller than he was on July 1st (now listed as 6-foot-3, 180 lb.) and coming in as one of the youngest eligible prospects, Vancouver was able to get away with taking one of the most promising goaltenders of the draft in the second round.

Set to turn 18 in September, it’s an exciting season to keep an eye on Medvedev, as he’s set to take over the crease for the defending Memorial Cup champions. With the London Knights boasting a strong roster once again, the teenager will surely see some playoff action as the team chases the CHL championship once again.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...op-25-nhl-affiliated-goalie-prospect-rankings

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks’ Thatcher Demko rated 8th highest goaltender in NHL 26

The Vancouver Canucks have another player to grace a top 10 list for the upcoming EA Sports NHL 26 video game.




Goaltender Thatcher Demko received an 88 rating, tying him for eighth place with Nashville Predators’ netminder Juuse Saros.

Connor Hellebuyck is rated the best goalie in #NHL26
Should Shesterkin, Vasilevskiy or someone else be on top instead?
See more Ratings: https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAz pic.twitter.com/D4YE8nENnp

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 27, 2025

Coming off a 2023-2024 season in which Demko finished runner-up to Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for the Vezina Trophy, EA gave Demko a 91 overall for NHL 25. He finished that season with a 35-14-2 record, a 2.45 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, with five shutouts. However, his season was cut short after he was injured in early March. He managed to return for two regular season games before suffering yet another injury in the final few minutes of Game 1 against the Nashville Predators.

Demko struggled to stay healthy throughout last season, having not made his season debut until mid-December. Multiple injuries limited Demko to just 23 starts last season, during which he finished with a 10-8-3 record, a 2.90 goals against average, and a .889 save percentage – the first season of his career where he finished below the .900 mark.

The Canucks netminder comes in under back-to-back Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck (94 overall), Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (93 overall), New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin (92 overall), New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin (91 overall), back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Sergei Bobrovsky (90 overall), Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger (90 overall) and Minnesota Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. Saros sits in a tie with Demko at 88 overall, while Los Angeles Kings’ Darcy Kuemper (87 overall) rounds out the top-10.

The San Diego, California native was given highly rated attributes that contributed to such a high rating. Demko was recognized for his angle play, as his 92 rating is the highest of all his attributes. He was also rewarded with high attributes for his stickside ratings (both high and low received a 90), as well as his rebound control (91 rating) and his shot recovery (91 rating), which were his next two highest.

Demko’s playing style in-game is hybrid, while he will also receive the ‘post-to-post’ X-Factor. Here is how EA Sports defines the ability:

“Stretch post to post to make miraculous cross crease saves to with increased speed and improved save accuracy when sliding. Unlock additional windmill reactions on one-timer saves and eliminates reaction penalties on Perfect One Timers.”



You can get your hands on NHL 26 on Friday, September 12.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-thatcher-demko-rated-8th-highest-goaltender-nhl-26

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL Notebook: Oilers, McDavid plan extension talks, Matthews and Nylander break silence on Marner’s departure, and more

Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at CanucksArmy where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a Vancouver Canucks-tinted lens!




We are just one month away from NHL teams gathering for training camp, and the dead of summer is starting to come alive.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukaskis got together for a rare summer 32 Thoughts – The Podcast episode last week and discussed some of the things they’ve heard around the league over the summer. They touched on the latest they’ve regarding Connor McDavid’s extension, with Friedman giving an interesting opinion on what could have kept Mitch Marner in Toronto this offseason.

To add to the news, there was a lengthy extension with a young player in Chicago, and a former offensive defenceman calling it a career.

Let’s dive into the latest topics around the league:

Oilers and McDavid to start extension talks after Team Canada Olympic camp​

The talk around Edmonton has been about what McDavid’s extension would look like. Due for an extension as early as this past July 1, some hockey fans became skeptical that McDavid hadn’t signed immediately after he was eligible.

However, on 32 Thoughts, Friedman shared his beliefs on what could be happening between the two sides.

“I would expect after Connor McDavid is done [at Team Canada’s Olympic camp] and he goes back up to Edmonton, they will work on getting this done… I just think everybody wants to get it done, so I would expect between the Olympic camp and training camp, they sit down and say, ‘how’s this all going to look?’”

McDavid, 28, has built a resume to become one of the game’s all-time greats that hockey has ever seen. Entering just his 10th season in the league, McDavid has five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Memorial Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, one Rocket Richard Trophy and one Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. He also already sits 71st in points all-time with 1,082.

So, why hasn’t McDavid signed yet?

Well, one reason could be because the Oilers have yet to get over the hump. They’ve made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the previous two seasons; however, they haven’t been able to crack the Florida Panthers, losing in seven and six games.

Fast forward to today, where McDavid met with the media following Team Canada’s training camp to discuss his contract situation with the Oilers:

"I have every intention to win in Edmonton. It’s my only focus."

Connor McDavid on his contract situation with the Oilers. pic.twitter.com/Z6HJvWnCFk

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 27, 2025

“I said at the end of June, I had every intention just to take my time with it and I still feel the same way – take my time, and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton, that’s my only focus, maybe next to winning the gold medal with Canada, but that is my intention, to win there. [I’m] taking my time, going through it with my family, my agent, everybody involved. We’re going through it slowly.”

With the salary cap increasing at a rapid pace, McDavid is going to set the market on his next deal, wherever that may be. Is it likely he returns to Edmonton? Probably. But the fact that he hasn’t inked a deal as early as he could is only adding fuel to the fire as a talking point across the entire NHL.

Matthews and Nylander speak on Marner’s departure​

The biggest talking point heading into free agency this summer was the future of Mitch Marner. Would he re-sign in Toronto? Or would he test the market?

Well, neither of those things happened. Before free agency opened, the Maple Leafs traded Marner’s rights to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nic Roy. Not a bad move for the Maple Leafs, who would have lost him for nothing had he hit the market, but it also benefits Marner as he gains an extra year on his deal.

However, Friedman shared the latest he heard from other players regarding the situation, as well as his beliefs on what could have happened that would have kept Marner in Toronto:

“All I can say is this: there are other players who feel that when Marner didn’t sign last summer, that the writing was on the wall. My position is this: if they beat Florida in the second round, which they should have done, I don’t see how Mitch Marner isn’t in Toronto. I could be totally wrong. I just don’t see a way [that] if they beat Florida, that Mitch Marner doesn’t find a way to re-sign in Toronto, and the Maple Leafs don’t find a way to re-sign Marner.”

The woes of the Maple Leafs come playoff time just never seem to stop. After defeating the Ottawa Senators in six games, they were challenged by the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Toronto took both games on home ice and were within one goal of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead, but dropped Game 3 in overtime. They went on to lose the series in seven games. But had they won, maybe we’re talking about Marner still wearing the blue and white.

It was a relatively quiet summer surrounding the two remaining stars in Toronto, Auston Matthews and William Nylander. But just recently, they met with the media to discuss losing one of the members of their “Core Four”.

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews spoke ahead of Hockey Night in Brampton last week about Marner:

“We’ll obviously miss him. He’s a great friend; great teammate. That’s kind of the business side of it that’s tough. But obviously wish him nothiing but the best and, yeah, we’ll just keep it moving.”

"We'll obviously miss him, he's a great friend and great teammate. That's kind of the business side of it that's tough, but wish him nothing but the best. We'll just keep it moving."

Auston Matthews on the departure of Mitch Marner… pic.twitter.com/S1GQcsfTGs

— BarDown (@BarDown) August 20, 2025

Nylander, on the other hand, met with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger in Milan, Italy, at a promotional event for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but quickly dismissed the thought that his former teammate had already made up his mind to leave Toronto halfway through last season:

“Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time. I actually asked him during the season, and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn’t want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us.”

The Swedish winger went on to call Marner an incredible person and a great teammate, sharing that while he may not be pleased with the situation, he’s happy for his friend.

“It’s tough seeing him go but I’m so happy for him and his family,” he said. “He got to pick where he went so, in that aspect, I’m happy for him. We’re going to miss him a lot but that’s just the business of the sport. That’s the way it is. So we’ve got to regroup as a team and figure out a way to keep winning games.”

In just nine seasons in Toronto, Marner quickly moved up the franchise’s record books. His 741 points in a Maple Leafs uniform have him fifth all-time, only behind Mats Sundin, Darryl Sittler, Dave Keon and Borje Salming – although he will likely be passed by Matthews next season, who sits just 14 points behind him.

While the trio played many seasons together, Matthews and Nylander are focused on next season without Marner. With the money they saved on Marner, Toronto brought in Roy, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and re-signed John Tavares to a team-friendly contract.

Blackhawks extend Nazar​

The Chicago Blackhawks got a piece of their business done early, as they announced a seven-year, $46.2 million contract that pays him $6.59 million annually.

SEVEN MORE YEARS OF FRANK NAZAR

➡︎ https://t.co/6Bm4VIkyo5 pic.twitter.com/xvp2s6svOi

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 21, 2025

Nazar was selected 13th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL draft. The young centreman has just 56 games of NHL experience under his belt, scoring 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points.

Many could view this deal as a bit of an overpay, but the Blackhawks are buying some early years where the 21-year-old may not be worth the contract and trading them in for the later years when they project he will be worth more than his current AAV.

After the regular season ended, the Detroit, Michigan native joined Team USA at the World Championships. Nazar impressed during the tournament despite being the second youngest player on the team – goaltender Hampton Slukynsky was the youngest at 19 years old. He scored six goals and 12 points to share for a tie for the team lead in points with Logan Cooley. His efforts at the World Championships garnered attention, and he was rewarded with an invitation to Team USA’s Olympic camp, which took place earlier this week.

This deal won’t kick in until the 2026-2027 season, as he has one year remaining on his $950,000 entry-level contract. However, even after this deal, the Blackhawks are projected to have over $60 million of available cap space next offseason. The Blackhawks’ next piece of business will be to extend their face of the franchise, Connor Bedard.

Tyson Barrie hangs up the skates​

After 822 NHL games, defenceman Tyson Barrie has decided to retire from professional hockey.

After 822 NHL games, Tyson Barrie is calling it a career.

Best of luck in retirement! pic.twitter.com/3lcarmiaZw

— NHL (@NHL) August 25, 2025

Barrie, 34, spent his 14-year NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames.

The Victoria, BC native was drafted in the third round (64th overall) by the Avalanche in the 2009 NHL draft. Barrie’s best seasons came in Colorado, where he was regarded as one of the league’s top offensive blueliners. He eclipsed the 50-point mark in three of his seven seasons with the Avalanche, topping out at 59 points in his final year in Colorado before he was the centrepiece heading back to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Nazem Kadri.

Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, it just wasn’t a fit for Barrie in Toronto. Heading into his final year of his four-year, $5.5 million AAV contract, Barrie headed straight to free agency, where he signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers worth $3.75 million.

With the Oilers, Barrie found his game again. He quarterbacked the power play with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, finishing with eight goals and 48 points in the shortened 56-game 2020-2021 season. He followed that up with a pair of 40-point seasons in Edmonton, but with the emergence of Evan Bouchard, Barrie’s use on the top power play became expendable. He was later shipped to the Predators as a key piece in the Mattias Ekholm trade.

His time in Nashville was tough, as Barrie struggled to stay in the lineup due to injuries and scratches, and was not re-signed in the 2024 offseason. He then joined the Calgary Flames on a PTO and was rewarded with a $1.25 million contract for the 2024-2025 season. The 5’11” defenceman only appeared in 13 games for the Flames and, without finding a new home this offseason, has decided to retire.

Barrie ended his career with 508 points, which puts him 71st in NHL history for points by a defenceman.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-no...nylander-break-silence-marners-departure-more

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks prospect Riley Patterson traded from OHL’s Barrie Colts to Niagara IceDogs

One of the Vancouver Canucks’ rising prospects has found a new home.




On Wednesday, the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League traded forward Riley Patterson to the Niagara IceDogs. In exchange, the IceDogs are giving up five future draft picks – a 2026 second-round pick, along with two in 2027 and another pair in 2029.

Another #NHL prospect off to the @OHLIceDogs @Canucks prospect Riley Patterson has been acquired by Niagara in exchange for five draft picks.

DETAILS : https://t.co/4UwBAXgjAm pic.twitter.com/D9lilMrOrU

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) August 27, 2025

Rumours had been circulating about the Colts potentially dealing Patterson over the past few months. The speculation ramped up over the past couple of days after the 19-year-old didn’t show up to Barrie’s training camp.

This isn’t the first time Patterson has been traded in the OHL. In June 2023, before ever playing a game in the league, he was dealt to the Colts from the Flint Firebirds, the team that took him in the third round of the OHL Draft, for six draft picks.

Patterson was taken by the Canucks in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. It came after a strong rookie season in Barrie, during which he scored 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points in 68 games, finishing second on the team in scoring. His 29 markers led all OHL rookies.

The Etobicoke, Ont. native didn’t quite score at the same rate during the 2024-25 season as he did in year one. That said, he finished tied with New York Islanders’ first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson for team lead in scoring, posting 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in 64 games. Patterson also notched six goals and 12 points in 16 postseason games, as the Colts made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before getting swept by the Oshawa Generals.

Patterson is currently ranked 12th in the CanucksArmy’s prospect rankings. Dave Hall says that one of the biggest aspects of Patterson’s game is his ability to play in a variety of roles.

“He can score goals in a variety of fashions with a heavy mid-range shot,” Hall wrote. “But what truly stands out is his ability to contribute from the blue paint, where he fearlessly battles for rebounds and slips coverage to finish in tight. His willingness to drive the net and fight for position makes him a consistent threat.”

Patterson adds some exceptional talent to an IceDogs team that has Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Ethan Czata and Winnipeg Jets draft pick Kevin He. Last season, the IceDogs finished seventh in the Western Conference, coincidentally losing to the Colts in five games in Round 1.

The IceDogs open the 2025-26 season against the Brampton Steelheads on Sept. 19, with Niagara’s first matchup against Barrie taking place on Oct. 5.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...rson-traded-ohls-barrie-colts-niagara-icedogs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

WDYTT: Which Canuck will improve their point total the most in 2025-26?

Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that always has an august air about it (referring to the archaic meaning of ‘august,’ that is, as in ‘impressive’ or ‘awe-inspiring.’




Speaking of August, however, as in the month, it’s almost at an end. By the time you read these words, there will be just scant days left in the final month of the summer, and just a matter of weeks to go until the Vancouver Canucks hit the ice once again.

As those dates approach, we’re switching gears toward predicting the 2025-26 season to come – and, here at WDYTT, that means you’re switching gears, too.

The Canucks didn’t have a great year in 2024-25, both on a team level and, for the most part, on an individual basis as well.

Of the many players who have been on the team for two years or longer now, only two saw their personal point total increase from 2023-24 to 2024-25: Conor Garland, who went from 47 to 50, and Pius Suter, who went from 29 to 46 (and then departed).

Everyone else saw their point totals go down, and some by significant margins.

It was the kind of campaign that, one hopes, was so bad it’d be difficult to replicate. When we say we’re fairly certain we won’t see another team-wide decrease in scoring, we’re not sure if it truly counts as optimism or just stating the odds.

Either way, we feel pretty confident that we can count on at least someone rebounding, and probably multiple individuals.

But whom? That’s where you step in.

This week, we’re asking:

Which Canuck do you predict will see the largest increase in their point total between 2024-25 and 2025-26?​

Let it be known in the comment section.

Last week, we asked:

Who are your starting six defenders for the 2025-26 Canucks?​

You answered below!

BeerCan Boyd:

Barring injury, a pretty simple answer.

Hughes-Hronek

M Petey-Myers

Ep2-Forbort

Mancini and possibly POJ as 7/8.

The only wild card here is either a trade or Willander forcing his way onto the roster.

RDster:

Huggy, Hronek

Marcus, Myers

EP-D, Mancini

kanucked:

Hughes-Hronek

M Pettersson – Willander

E Pettersson – Myers

Forbort and POJ as extras

bruce donice:

QH/Hronek

M Pettersson/Myers

Forbort/Willander

Borne:

I think Mancini makes the starting lineup. Willander will need some AHL seasoning. Maybe not much though. He’s a smart player and skates very well.

TeeJay:

Hughes-Hronek

MP-Myers

EP25-Mancini

Forbort-POJ

Ideally they let Willander get accustomed to the pro-level in the A for at least part of the season, and see what they have in Mancini. If Mancini proves reliable, that opens the door to a possible Hronek trade to upgrade the C. If EP25 continues to show well it would be nice to see them explore the option of moving MP, even if that seems unlikely given his recent extension.

I understand the desire to keep the D-core intact now that it’s an organizational strength, but the forward group is so painfully weak, especially down the middle, that there needs to be serious consideration of the idea of moving either Hronek or MP for a legitimate C upgrade.

BigBA:

Hughes – Mancini/Hronek

Marcus – Hronek/Mancini

D-Petey – Myers

defenceman factory:

The top-four seem pretty set. The bottom pairing will not be static through the season. Not sure which two will hit the ice in the first game. I do expect all of Mancini, EP25, and Willander will be on the opening day roster that gets filed with the league.

Hockey Bunker:

Start of season:

QH – Hronek

M Petey – Myers

Forbort – D Petey/Mancini

Mid season:

QH – Mancini

m Petey – Myers

Forbort – D Petey / Willander

(Hronek traded)



End of season:

QH – Mancini

M Petey – Myers.

D Petey- Willander

Craig Gowan:

Hughes, Myers, Pettersson, and Hronek will be the top-four. I suspect Forbort (left side) and EP25 (right side) will round out the top-six. I believe Mancini and Willander will start in Abby (neither need waivers) and Joseph will be #7, assuming the Canucks choose to have seven D on the roster instead of eight.

Bond:

Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers, Derek Forbort, and Elias Pettersson.

Change out with Mancini or Willander once we trade a D away for that elusive 2C.

Killer Marmot:

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

Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Victor Hedman, Josh Morrisey, Rasmus Dahlin.

I admit this may be difficult to engineer.

Magic Head:

Barring any injuries incurred during the pre-season the starting six will be:

Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers, Derek Forbort, Elias Pettersson.

Kiwi Canuck:

We have numerous options to start this season so it’s now time Hronek steps up.

I think the new coaches will look at Hughes on the first, Hronek and MP on the second, and Forbort on the third with a mix-and-match based on opposition, rotation, chemistry, and injury. The coaches have made it clear that they’re looking for more offence from their D, so Hronek has to split from Hughes for this to happen. Willander and Mancini may get auditions with Hughes. EP25 is a starter as well as Myers, but Willander, Mancini, and POJ are all in the picture. Their form at training camp will dictate who starts. Injuries and a trade during the season could alter things.

Guaranteed starters:

Hughes –

MP – Hronek

Forbort

Probable starters:

Hughes – Myers

MP – Hronek

Forbort – EP25

Possible finishers:

Hughes – Willander

MP – Mancini

EP25 – Myers

Forbort and/or Hronek traded. Myers won’t move.

Most likely:

Hughes – Hronek

MP – Myers

Forbort – EP25

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/wdytt-...k-will-improve-their-point-total-most-2025-26