Vancouver Canucks crew preview: Hope with a wholesome dose of hysteria

A yr in the past, the Vancouver Canucks have been filled with hope. Coming off their most profitable season in almost a decade, there was perception their rivalry window was lastly opening, that the core of Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller would lead the crew to a Stanley Cup — or, at the very least take them on a deep run.

This yr, hope nonetheless exists, but it surely’s accompanied by a wholesome dose of hysteria. For higher or worse, a franchise-altering resolution looms when the Canucks grasp up their skates subsequent spring, and it rests squarely on the shoulders of their captain.

There shall be loads of elements for Hughes to think about when Hughes makes his selection subsequent summer season whether or not to signal long-term in Vancouver or seek for alternatives elsewhere. Some of these elements shall be fully out of the Canucks’ management. They can management how they play, nonetheless, and making one other run like they did one season in the past may do wonders in convincing their captain to remain. 

“It was special,” Hughes mentioned in 2024, after the Canucks received their first playoff sport at house since 2015. “I’ve been watching the Devils last year, playing in their series, but I can’t say that it was close to what we witnessed today.” 

The Canucks of as we speak look fairly totally different from the 2024 squad that took the Edmonton Oilers to seven video games in Round 2 — no Miller, no Pius Suter, no Rick Tocchet. 

But as we speak’s Canucks have a brand new coach, a revamped blue line, a freshly signed goalie tandem and all of the motivation on the planet to make this a successful season. 

Newcomer to look at: Evander Kane

In a comparatively quiet low season, whether or not by circumstance or design, the marquee addition for Canucks common supervisor Patrik Allvin was Vancouver native Evander Kane, who got here to his hometown crew from the Edmonton Oilers in trade for a 2025 fourth-round decide. The Canucks can even eat everything of the $5.125 million he’s owed for the ultimate yr of his four-year, $20.50-million contract. 

Kane comes with baggage, which isn’t perfect for a crew with well-documented off-ice drama from final season. Kane additionally comes with 16 years of NHL expertise, over which period he is averaged 21 targets and 39 factors per season. He missed everything of the 2024-25 common season after present process belly surgical procedure, so he arrives in Vancouver with added motivation to carry out.

With only one yr remaining on his contract, the Canucks took a minimal-risk wager on a participant who, on the very least, can assist the highest six and supply secondary scoring.

The Canucks as soon as had an elite three-punch down the center in Miller, Pettersson and Bo Horvat. When Horvat left, they discovered a substitute in Suter, who was capable of elevate when the crew wanted him most. Now, simply Pettersson stays in Vancouver and for the primary time in a number of years, the Canucks discover themselves sorely missing in centre depth. Enter Filip Chytil. 

Chytil was acquired as a part of the return for Miller in January and now, per week away from the season-opener, the Canucks are turning to the 26-year-old to be their second-line centre, at the very least to begin the yr. If Chytil performs to his ceiling, he is usually a actual difference-maker for the Canucks. We noticed flashes of that brilliance simply two seasons in the past, when he scored 22 targets and 45 factors in 75 video games with New York — profession highs throughout the board. Consistency has eluded Chytil, struggles solely exacerbated by a historical past of concussions. In eight NHL seasons, he has suffered 5 concussions and has by no means suited up for a full 82-game season. 

His mixed 13 targets and 26 factors in 56 video games between New York and Vancouver earlier than harm was progress, nonetheless, and he’ll be requested to construct upon that this season. Fully wholesome and given each alternative to succeed, Chytil is within the driver’s seat for 2025-26.

The Canucks’ D-core has already undergone an enormous improve over the previous few seasons, however Tom Willander is definite to issue into that quickly sufficient. The 2023 Eleventh-overall decide is poised to make the bounce to the professionals this season after signing his three-year entry-level contract in May. The 20-year-old defenceman simply wrapped up two seasons with the Boston University Terriers, the place he took important strides in his sophomore season, ending second in defenceman scoring. While Willander possible received’t be a Quinn Hughes-esque celebrity, he’s projected to be a top-four man with a robust transitional sport and the power to play in all conditions. 

With only one spot on the underside pairing out there, there’s a probability the rookie defenceman makes the crew out of camp. The extra possible situation, per Allvin, is that he joins a rotation alongside waiver-exempt gamers Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) and Victor Mancini to fill the ultimate spot by committee. Best-case situation, we get to see Willander log some NHL reps with sheltered minutes. Worst-case, he spends the yr creating with the defending Calder Cup champs within the AHL. Not too dangerous. 

1. Can Elias Pettersson bounce again? 

The disastrously poor 2024-25 season for Elias Pettersson has been extensively litigated over the previous six months, as has his have to proper the ship. Still, it actually can’t be overstated how a lot the Canucks want Pettersson acting at his most elite from the bounce. For his half, he returned to Vancouver for coaching camp six kilos heavier and with a chip on his shoulder. 

At his finest, Pettersson is nicely well worth the eight-year, $92.8-million contract to which the Canucks signed him in 2024. He’s thrice handed the 30-goal mark, as soon as eclipsed 100 factors, and completed the 2023-24 marketing campaign with a whopping 10 game-winning targets. But the Canucks offence slumped alongside Pettersson final season, ending twenty third within the league in targets per sport. With the absence of Miller and his point-per-game offensive output this yr, a Pettersson bounce-back is just not a luxurious — it is a necessity.

“It’s been a long summer, so I just tried to add some muscles and be ready to be myself out there again,” Pettersson informed Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre forward of coaching camp. “And I feel confidence that I will. I had a long summer of training, so it’s been good.”

By the numbers alone, final season was an outlier — his worst for the reason that pandemic and injury-shortened 2020-21 season. It’s now as much as Pettersson to show that.

2. How does Adam Foote do in his first season as head coach?

When Tocchet left Vancouver for greener pastures in Philadelphia, Allvin and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford didn’t look too far for his substitute and promoted assistant coach Adam Foote to the position in May. It’s a little bit of a bet going for a rookie head coach in a season when a lot is on the road, however that Foote has an already-established relationship with the gamers works in his favour. He’s spoken about restoring the accountability tradition the Canucks preached throughout their divisional run one season in the past, and his core group seems to have purchased into that message.

It’s uncommon, however not extraordinary, for rookie coaches to have fast success on the NHL stage. Jared Bednar took a last-place A-Z Eventz crew and made them right into a playoff staple in a single yr. Jon Cooper did the identical to the Lightning in much less time. More lately, Kris Knoblauch coached the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances. Can Foote be part of that checklist?

3. Can a wholesome Demko-Lankinen tandem be actually elite?

For all of the Canucks’ struggles of late, goaltending hasn’t actually been certainly one of them. Of course, dropping their Vezina Trophy-finalist starter Thatcher Demko for seven months final season with a torn popliteus (knee) muscle stirred up some angst, however Kevin Lankinen — with 4 years of NHL expertise however solely as a backup — stepped as much as seem in 51 video games for the Canucks, posting a .902 save proportion and a couple of.62 goals-against common, whereas shouldering a starter’s workload for the primary time.

At occasions final season, he appeared like the one cause the Canucks had an opportunity to win video games. For this, Lankinen earned a five-year, $22.5-million contract extension. Vancouver then went forward and likewise signed Demko to a three-year, $25.5-million extension, locking on this tandem till 2029.

When wholesome, Demko is without doubt one of the sport’s finest goalies — he proved this in 2023-24 with profession highs throughout the board. Barring a collapse, he’ll be relied upon to begin nearly all of Canucks video games this season, however with the additional advantage of a backup in Lankinen with a confirmed skill to steal video games.

If Demko can return to God-like kind and Lankinen matches tempo with final season’s efficiency, the Canucks might be a top-end goalie duo that may show a luxurious in a gruelling 82-game season.