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10 events from the Canucks’ 2025-26 season you may have forgotten about

Jeff Paterson — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:00:41 GMT

It’s clear that the 2025-26 season was hardly one to remember for the Vancouver Canucks. Although the way we view the 25-win and 58-point season may be viewed differently if the lottery balls fall the team’s way next week.

While many fans have likely moved on from the wreckage of the recently completed season, we here at CanucksArmy wanted to revisit a few moments that may have you questioning whether they actually occurred. This is a list of 10 things you may have forgotten about from the Canucks season:

Canucks clobbered Calgary in the season opener

On the strength of a two-goal effort from Filip Chytil, the Canucks jumped out to a 4-0 lead and rolled to a 5-1 win in their October 9th season opener. The Canucks held the Flames to just 18 shots on goal. Derek Forbort was in the Canucks line-up that night — one of two games he played all season. Linus Karlsson, who went on to score 15 goals this season, was a healthy scratch. In addition to Chytil with a pair, the Canucks got their other goals from Kiefer Sherwood, Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Brock Boeser. The win streak lasted one game as the team fell 3-1 in Edmonton in its first road outing of the season. However, for a team that struggled to just nine home ice wins all season, the Canucks may not have looked better all season in front of their home fans than they did in the first game out of the gates.

Braeden Cootes made opening night roster while Max Sasson did not

After a strong showing in training camp and the preseason, last year’s first-round draft pick Braeden Cootes did enough as an 18-year-old to earn a spot in the Canucks ‘ opening-night lineup. The rookie logged 11:14 of ice time in his NHL debut. Lost in the shuffle of the Cootes story was the fact that Max Sasson was assigned to AHL Abbotsford to start the season because he did not require waivers. It wasn’t until Cootes was returned to WHL Seattle after three games that Sasson was recalled and remained on the roster for the rest of the season. He ended up scoring 13 goals in 66 games.

Filip Chytil played more than 20 minutes in an early season game in Chicago

It’s hard to believe now, given the way his season went, but on October 17th in Chicago, Filip Chtyil was one of five Canucks forwards to crest the 20-minute mark in ice time. He ended up playing a season-high 20:40 and led all Canucks forwards that night with 18:33 at even strength. In the following game in Washington, he suffered a concussion that kept him out of the lineup for three months. But a quick check of the game sheet from mid-October confirms there was a short-lived time when Filip Chytil was among the team’s ice time leaders.

We want the Cup

Vibes were high coming out of training camp in Penticton and through a preseason that saw the team win four of its six games. And then, after rattling off three straight wins in Dallas, Chicago and Washington, the Canucks improved their early-season record to 4-2. Conor Garland was a point-per-game player, Evander Kane had chipped in with three assists through his first six games, and Thatcher Demko had won three of his first four starts while posting a 2.28 GAA and a .928 save percentage. Of course, it was that game in Washington when Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Lekkerimaki all suffered long-term injuries. And at that point, the Canucks simply didn’t have the depth needed to overcome the holes in their lineup. That would quickly become apparent.

Kiefer Sherwood shared league-lead in goals at end of first month

On October 31st, Kiefer Sherwood found himself in a seven-way tie for the NHL’s goal-scoring lead with nine goals in his first 12 games. In those first dozen outings, Sherwood had a hat-trick and a pair of two-goal games. Looking back now, it’s remarkable to see the names he was tied with at the end of the first month of the season: Nathan MacKinnon, Cole Caufield, Morgan Geekie, Mark Scheifele, Jack Hughes and Pavel Dorofeyev. Sherwood ended up scoring 17 goals as a Canuck and six more in San Jose.

The Canucks were a .500 hockey team at the 20-game mark

With a 6-2 win in Tampa Bay on November 16th, the Canucks reached the 20-game mark with a 9-9-2 record. In today’s NHL, that’s 20 points through 20 games. At that juncture, they were just two points behind both Edmonton and Vegas in the Pacific Division and trailed division-leading Los Angeles by only four points. If there were any thoughts in the moment that the Canucks would keep up with the playoff pack, those were dashed quickly as the team lost seven of its next eight games, leading to the decision to part with captain Quinn Hughes.

Don’t believe everything you see and hear

With his team reeling with six losses in a seven-game stretch in late November and Quinn Hughes trade rumours swirling, Adam Foote offered up the quote of the year following a practice at Rogers Arena. Imploring the hockey world to tread lightly when referencing publicly available data, Foote suggested that the analytics many were using to skewer his players were harvested by Russians eating cashews and smoking cigarettes. It was an incredible sound bite and certainly took the focus off the Hughes trade chatter and struggles of the hockey club in general. At least for a few days.

Zeev Buium made an immediate impact

It took Zeev Buium just 61 seconds to find the scoresheet in his Canucks debut. While Canucks fans were still processing the Quinn Hughes trade to Minnesota days earlier, one of the cornerstone pieces coming back in the deal assisted on a Jake DeBrusk power play goal early in his first game with the team in New Jersey. Five and a half minutes later, Buium scored what turned out to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory. The goal was flukey, but it counted, and Buium had a hand in both Canucks scoring plays that afternoon in Newark. As it turned out, that goal remains his lone power play goal and his only game-winner in a Canucks uniform so far.

Was Mackenzie MacEachern the missing piece?

Some have likely forgotten that MacEachern even suited up for the Canucks this season. Many more will likely be surprised to learn that the 32-year-old journeyman scored a goal in Tampa Bay and had four points in his first five games in a Canuck uniform. MacEachern was recalled for an October 30th game in St. Louis and played three games before being sent back to Abbotsford. He then rejoined the big league club a few weeks later and appeared in five more games before being returned to the minors. His goal against the Bolts was his first in the NHL in nearly five years since he scored for St. Louis in February of 2021.

Arshdeep Bains spent more than a third of the season in the NHL

Not only was he in the opening night lineup, but Arshdeep Bains saw time on the power play and as a penalty killer for the Canucks. In total, Bains played 28 NHL games this season, including the team’s first 18 games to start the season. He remained on the roster until the Quinn Hughes trade, and with the additions of forwards Liam Öhgren and Marco Rossi, was dispatched to Abbotsford. The 25-year-old was recalled for a pair of games in mid-January, and that was the last he was seen in the NHL for this season. In 28 games, he managed one goal and four assists.

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Vitali Pinchuk signs entry-level contract with Predators; Canucks were ‘in the mix’

Tyson Cole — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:34:27 GMT

One of the KHL’s best free agents has officially chosen his landing spot in the NHL.

Per the NHL team’s socials, Belarusian centreman Vitali Pinchuk has signed an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators for next season.

New guy in gold 🤝

We’ve signed forward Vitali Pinchuk to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2026-27 season.

More details » https://t.co/2H84zc68yb pic.twitter.com/NTcuImjOHD

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 27, 2026

Pinchuk, 24, is a 6’3″, 203-lbs centreman who has spent the previous five seasons between the KHL and the Belarusian league. Pinchuk took that next step this season with Dinamo Minsk, scoring 31 goals and 35 assists for 66 points in 65 games. His totals had him finish sixth in league scoring. In eight playoff games, Pinchuk scored two goals and five assists for seven points. Dinamo went on to sweep their first-round matchup 4-0 against Dynamo Moscow, only to be swept themselves by AK Bars in the second round.

The Zhlobin, Belarus native has continued to progress since joining the KHL full-time in 2022-23. That season, he scored 14 points in 61 games, followed by a 22-point campaign in 43 games in 2024-25, 43 points in 61 games in 2024-25, and then the offensive explosion this season.

Pinchuk was a highly regarded KHL free agent around the league, and according to Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks were in the mix on Pinchuk, but ultimately did not land the player.

#Canucks were in the mix but won't land this player. https://t.co/h1qygCaeTM

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 27, 2026

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks were not a part of Pinchuk’s final decision. It was down to the Predators and the Los Angeles Kings, with Pinchuk choosing the former.

Heard this weekend choice was between Los Angeles and Nashville.

Word is Kings told they are out…that says Predators, although no one will confirm yet. https://t.co/SmChZF94jf

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 27, 2026

In 2022-23, the Canucks landed KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko, signing him to a one-year, $950,000 entry-level contract. He went on to have a breakout season, scoring 39 goals and 35 assists for 74 points in 81 games. The following season, he took a dip in production, scoring just eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 43 games before he was ultimately traded to the Calgary Flames in a move that brought Elias Lindholm to Vancouver.

The current Canucks centre-depth consists of Elias Pettersson, Marco Rossi, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger and Aatu Räty. Pinchuk’s size would have been an added value to that group. But he will start his NHL journey in Nashville, rather than Vancouver.

The younger Elias Pettersson took a sophomore step back in 2025-26: Year in Review

Stephan Roget — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:00:37 GMT

It’s a bit difficult to find the right tone when summarizing the second NHL season of the Vancouver Canucks’ second Elias Pettersson. It was not a great year for the 22-year-old by any measure, and represented a significant statistical step back from Pettersson’s rookie performance in 2024-25.

Now, that step back came amid a total team collapse that saw the Canucks put forth the worst team performance of the entire 2025-26 season, by far, and one can hardly blame Pettersson for that. There’s little doubt that the Canucks’ overall defensive woes had an impact on Pettersson’s game as an individual, and it’s tough to say that anything we’ll mention in this article can be separated from that context, or that anything here is directly the fault of Pettersson as a player.

At the same time, however, this is not a sophomore slump entirely without consequence. Pettersson has been identified as an important component of the long-term rebuild, so it’s vital that his development trend in the right direction. That Pettersson didn’t just plateau in 2025-26, but instead outright regressed a bit, is not exactly a great sign, and has already been pointed to by some as a reason for further change, primarily with the coaching staff.

For now, however, a review of said performance will have to suffice.

Elias Pettersson’s Season

The best way to assess Pettersson’s 2025-26 is probably to hold it up directly against his 2024-25 rookie campaign. But first, we require some context.

The 2024-25 Canucks were nothing to write home about, but they were nowhere near as bad as the 2025-26 edition. The Canucks’ point-percentage was cut by almost a third, going from .549 last year to .354 this year. Goals for per game dropped from 2.84 to 2.56. Goals against per game went from 3.06 to 3.83.

So, as a non-play-driving defender still finding his feet at the NHL level, it was virtually impossible for the difference in quality of team to not cause an across-the-board drop in Pettersson’s own defensive statistics. As, indeed, was the case.

Pettersson’s second NHL season was, at the very least, twice as long as his first. He played in 70 Vancouver games this year (and three more down in Abbotsford), compared to just 28 last year (and 38 in Abbotsford). His average time on the ice increased from 12:49 up to 14:59, year-to-year. He also began to take a regular shift on the penalty kill, averaging 1:10 a night there, something he did not do as a rookie.

Pettersson also increased his rate of scoring, just a little. He had one goal and three points through those 28 games in 2024-25, and that rose to three goals and seven points through 70 games. Pettersson’s hits-per-60 (6.51 to 7.78), blocks-per-60 (2.67 to 4.86), and especially his rate of takeaways-per-60 (0.16 to 0.80) all saw notable increases, too.

But those surface-level measurements are about where the good news ends.

Pettersson was one of the Canucks who managed to keep their heads above water with limited minutes and deployment in 2024-25. That was not the case in 2025-26, however, where Pettersson definitely engaged in a bit of light drowning.

His personal even-strength Corsi dropped from 51.13% to 43.28%. His rate of expected goals dropped from 50.13% to 40.53%. His control of high-danger scoring chances fell from 52.73% to 40.11%.

As we said at the outset, not all of this can be laid at Pettersson’s skates. His on-ice save percentage went from 93.66% in 2024-25 to 89.18% in 2025-26, for example. And Pettersson did take on a far more defensive deployment as a sophomore than as a rookie, with his rate of defensive zone starts rising from 41% to 68%, and on a much worse defensive team, at that.

But, then, Pettersson’s personal PDO was actually higher in 2025-26 than it was in 2024-25, due to an outsized 2025-26 on-ice shooting percentage of 8.66, meaning Pettersson had more puck-luck than the average Canuck this year. And while Pettersson spent more time in the defensive end, his minutes were still relatively sheltered in terms of his quality of competition, and that changed little from his rookie season to his sophomore.

From HockeyViz.com

And in terms of quality of teammates, Pettersson probably got more direct support this season, spending about 40% of his shifts paired with Team MVP Filip Hronek. Last year, his most common partner was Derek Forbort. Injuries were a factor for Pettersson this year, but only a minor factor.

The best way to sum it all up might be this: Pettersson played on a worse team this year, and so his stats all taking a plummet is an understandable thing. But at the same time, there are also definite signs – both on the stat-page here and visually throughout the season – that Pettersson was also playing worse as an individual. And that, at the very least, is a slightly troubling sign.

Fortunately, the book is far from written on Pettersson, and he remains a big part of the Canucks long-term plans as they exist now. The sophomore slump is a common phenomenon in the sport of hockey. Pettersson’s next challenge is ensuring that his does not become any sort of career-defining.

On the topic of the long-term future, and as we aim to end with something positive for a player who is still, ultimately, full of NHL potential, we go back to discussion of linemates. Pettersson spent most of the season paired with veterans Hronek and Tyler Myers, but he did also spend about 20% of his even-strength minutes paired with fellow youngster Tom Willander. And those proved to be Pettersson’s best minutes, with the two somehow managing a positive 8-6 goal differential. That chemistry is important, as is the developing off-ice chemistry that Pettersson seemed to be constantly involved in.

As much of a stepback 2025-26 was for Pettersson, it won’t take much of a step back forward for him to get right back on track to becoming a bruising, ultra-competitive defensive defender at the NHL level. Continuing to pair well with Willander is a big part of that, and the two of them finding success together as some sort of shutdown pairing could still be a big part of the Canucks’ long-term rebuild plans.

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Canucks to finalize short list of GM candidates over the next 48 hours: report

David Quadrelli — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:37:33 GMT

As expected, the Vancouver Canucks are expected to move to the next phase of their search for a new general manager.

According to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, the Canucks are going to finalize a short list of candidates at some point over the next 48 hours. Here is some of what Drance wrote:

The first round of the Vancouver Canucks’ search for a general manager is moving quickly; the short list is expected to be finalized over the next 48 hours, a team source told The Athletic this weekend.

Multiple names throwing their hat into the ring hit headlines last week. First, news broke via The Athletic that the Canucks had sought out and were granted permission to speak with former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams. Shortly after, Shane Doan’s name surfaced after Sportsnet reported that the Canucks had asked the Leafs for permission to talk to Doan. TNT’s Paul Bissonnette confirmed the Doan report while also adding that the Canucks were speaking with Ray Whitney as well. On Sunday, Edmonton Oilers AGM Bill Scott name was added to the mix, courtesy of a report from John Shannon.

According to Drance, 15-20 league executives have taken part in video calls with Canucks brass to this point of the search. More from Drance:

Those in-person interviews with candidates on the short list are on pace to begin by the middle of this week. The loose goal remains to have the next Canucks GM in place by the NHL Draft Lottery, although the team source was reluctant to put a firm or formal timeline on it. The team source also insisted that, should the process extend beyond May 5, the bounces of the lottery balls will have zero influence on the search.

Last week, we explored seven of the names connected to the Canucks GM job. It will certainly be interesting to see how many of those names get an in-person interview. Check out that article below!

JPat’s Monday Mailbag: How will a new GM impact the Canucks’ decisions at the NHL Draft?

Jeff Paterson — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:00:49 GMT

Ten days into the hunt, there are far more questions than answers about the Vancouver Canucks’ search for a new hockey boss. Or is that bosses? Regardless, as the rumour mill continues to churn out names of possible replacements for Patrik Allvin — and possibly Jim Rutherford — we here at CanucksArmy are doing what we always do on Mondays. We’re dealing with your questions for our weekly mailbag. Some of you have the team’s job search on your mind. Others are still interested in revisiting last season, while others have turned the page and are already looking ahead to next season and beyond. So let’s get right to it and do our best to deliver some answers to this week’s mailbag questions.

In all seriousness, what are the chances a group led by Jim Rutherford can put together a competitive team based on youth, speed and skill? I am enjoying watching NHL hockey right now for the first time since forever.

— MountDoom🇨🇦🇺🇦🇩🇰🇬🇱 (@mountdoom.bsky.social) 2026-04-25T17:05:04.584Z

The more I watch, the more I am convinced the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is one of the greatest spectacles in professional sports. It never disappoints. The passion, the emotion, the heat, the hatred — and that’s usually on display at the first stoppage in every series and only grows from there. It’s hard to take the Canucks’ roster we watched struggle for 82 regular season games and wrap your head around that group being dropped into a first round battle. So yes, let’s all agree that the Canucks are still a significant distance from being a playoff team and that much further from being any kind of contender. So to answer your question, there is plenty of doubt that Jim Rutherford will be the one to guide this franchise out of the wilderness.

But it’s pretty clear the franchise is in a state of transition starting with the search for a new GM and quite possibly Rutherford’s own successor. The Canucks added some quality pieces in the Quinn Hughes deal, but that’s only a start. This year’s draft should add a few more pieces of the puzzle. But it will likely take a few more high draft picks beyond whatever the team adds to the stable this season. And then they need those picks to pan out. It’s impossible to put any kind of timeline on the rebuild especially since no one knows right now who’s going to be the one guiding the next era of Canucks hockey. That’s what makes these next few weeks so fascinating. The Canucks simply have to get this GM hire right and they also have to be hoping Lady Luck shines down on them in next week’s NHL Draft Lottery.

Do you think it will be awkward for a new GM to be on the same page with our current amateur scouting draft list ? This is a huge draft for the Canucks.

— Sean D⛳️🦉🍄🌲🏒 (@SDelarg) April 25, 2026

Unless the new GM comes in with some strong views about particular prospects, I don’t think this needs to be an awkward or messy process. I’d imagine the draft would be a high priority in the interview process, so the Canucks will be collecting intelligence on their GM candidates and many of their views on this year’s draft. That should mean there are no surprises when the new GM takes over. I think we can all agree that this is a massive draft for the hockey club — and not just at the top. One thing the Canucks have done reasonably well is stockpile picks, but they have virtually no wriggle room when it comes to finding players with their first and second round selections. The new GM is going to have no choice but to lean heavily on the work the Canucks scouting staff has done throughout the year compiling the team’s final draft list.

Why trade for and play Rossi who has a broken foot and never recovered according to him .. messy look

— fergie (@btsuth) April 25, 2026

The ‘why trade for him’ part is easy: the Canucks had a massive need at centre and had been chasing Marco Rossi for the better part of a year. They kicked tires on the Austrian pivot last off-season and clearly still had interest in him as the Quinn Hughes package came together. He’s a former top 10 draft pick who put up a 60 point season before the age of 24. There’s plenty to like there. As Rossi said shortly after the trade, he knew he was still feeling the affects of the foot injury suffered in November, but wanted to — pardon the pun — put his best foot forward for the team that just traded for him. It’s understandable, but in hindsight, it probably wasn’t the prudent play to step right into the Canucks line-up with a still wonky wheel. I think you saw after the Olympic break, what a near healthy Rossi could do for the hockey club.

He was second on the team in post-Olympic points, he was a big part of the second best power play in the league over the final 25 games. And if he wasn’t 100% healthy over the final six weeks, then that almost makes his performance that much more impressive and leaves you to wonder what an absolutely healthy Marco Rossi can do for the Canucks with a strong off-season of training. I don’t share your assertion that there was anything untoward here. Rossi wanted to show his new employers what he could for them. Unfortunately, the foot limited him at the time. If he had sat out after the trade, people likely would have skewered him for that, too. Of all the Canucks problems this past season, the addition of and handling of Marco Rossi doesn’t even register.

Does Rossi have the potential to reach the same production as Nick Suzuki?

— Jay (@TheHeartPlumber) April 25, 2026

I don’t think so. Suzuki just finish sixth in NHL regular season scoring (101 points) and fifth in assists (72). Oh, and he’s likely going to win the Selke as the league’s best defensive forward. So we’re talking about a guy that has become one of the best and most valuable centres in the sport. I don’t think anybody is viewing Marco Rossi through that kind of lens. Now, plug him into Montreal’s top line and his production would surely take a jump.

But I don’t see Rossi as a 100-point producer and I don’t think anyone in hockey is looking at him in that way. As the Canucks improve as a team and add better offensive players to the line-up, it stands to reason that Rossi will be in a better position to increase his statistical output. Is it conceivable that at some point in his time in Vancouver, Marco Rossi could be a 75-point player? I think that’s an attainable figure. Anything more than that would be a surprise to me. But, trust me, I’ve been wrong before so let’s wait and see where Rossi tops out.

Do you have a few UFA you feel that could help the a Nucks and fit in to the rebuilding scheme of things?

— GeeNVee (@GeeNVee) April 26, 2026

I’m curious to see what kind of success the Canucks will have attracting unrestricted free agents this summer. First, I don’t know how interested they’re going to be at this low ebb of their competitive arc. This hardly feels like the summer for the last place team in the standings to be big game hunting on the open market. But Jim Rutherford suggested last week that the addition of a couple of veteran free agents would be part of his vision to marked improvement for the hockey club next season. So did he tip his hand? Yeah, maybe. The Canucks can offer money and opportunity to players looking for a change of scenery this summer.

But unrestricted free agents are going to get paid wherever they land, so players would need more incentive than an inflated paycheque to select Vancouver as their preferred destination this summer. But put all of that aside for the moment, and let’s tackle the question head on. Two guys I’d have interest in the Canucks pursuing as UFAs are Michael McCarron and Jeremy Lauzon. I’ve always been intrigued by the 6’6″ and 232 pound McCarron to add some heft and snarl down the middle. And I wish Lauzon was a right-hander, but I’d still entertain the idea of bringing in a veteran shot blocker who is always among the league-leader in hits and would stick up for young teammates when the temperature in games gets turned up.

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Where would the Canucks pick if the NHL used the PWHL’s Gold Plan instead of the draft lottery?

Lachlan Irvine — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:00:21 GMT

Thanks to one of the most unique point systems in professional sports, at least one Vancouver hockey team will be drafting first overall in their upcoming draft.

The Vancouver Goldeneyes were eliminated from playoff contention in the PWHL just last week, which moved them into a new set of standings: the Gold Plan. Created by Adam Gold in 2012, the Gold Plan is a format that aims to discourage teams from tanking by rewarding clubs with a higher draft pick based on the points they earn after being eliminated.

After finishing the season with two wins, and thanks to a Montreal Victoire shootout victory over the Seattle Torrent, the Goldeneyes tied the Torrent in Gold Plan points with five apiece. But Vancouver’s two wins – one in regulation, one in overtime – gave them the tiebreaker over Seattle, which means the Goldeneyes will have the first overall pick in June’s draft, where they’ll certainly select generational defender and Olympic MVP Caroline Harvey.

The Canucks hope to join their women’s counterparts at the top of the NHL draft board this June, but their hopes rely on the results of next week’s draft lottery. Originally conceived in 1995, the draft lottery has gone through many iterations, from only allowing the top five teams to move into the top spot, to allowing all eliminated teams a shot, to today’s version: two lotteries, one for each of the top two picks, but only the bottom ten teams can move up to the first overall selection. For finishing last place, the Canucks have a 25.5% shot at first overall and the right to select Canadian winger Gavin McKenna.

The lowest the Canucks can draft is third overall, a good guarantee for a last-place team. If the current system’s goal is not to reward tanking teams, they’re accomplishing that, but it’s worth asking if that system could be fairer to genuinely struggling teams that could use the lift a generational talent would provide. In other words, what would happen if the NHL took a page out of the PWHL’s book and replaced the draft lottery with the Gold Plan?

Here’s how the Gold Plan works: when a team is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they begin to accrue points in the Gold Plan standings by winning games or getting them to overtime. The team that earns the most points after being eliminated wins the first overall pick.

Since the NHL doesn’t use the PWHL’s 3-point system (they should, but that’s for a different article), we’re looking at the numbers with the NHL’s existing point system: two for a win, one for an overtime loss, zero for a regulation loss. Here’s how this past season would’ve shaken out:

OA Pick	Team	(W-L-OTL)	Points
1	Rangers	6-4-0	12
2	Canucks	4-9-0	8
3	Panthers	3-2-1	7
4	Blues	3-0-0	6
T5	Blackhawks	2-4-0	4
T5	Flames	2-3-0	4
T5	Devils	2-2-0	4
T8	Sharks	1-1-0	2
T8	Capitals	1-0-0	2
T10	Maple Leafs	0-5-1	1
T10	Red Wings	0-1-1	1
T12	Kraken	0-3-0	0
T12	Jets	0-2-0	0
T12	Predators	0-1-0	0
T12	Islanders	0-1-0	0
T12	Blue Jackets	0-1-0	0

Thanks mostly to the excess number of games they played after being eliminated, the Canucks would draft second overall, the second most likely outcome for where they’ll select in the real draft. Instead, the Rangers’ late-season surge would’ve given them first overall, while the injured but already stacked Panthers would get to pick third.

As strictly a tanking deterrent, this would clearly work. But it would also seemingly give franchises that already have a lot going for them a huge leg up on genuinely bad teams, creating a cycle in which a good team’s off year prevents worse rosters from getting the pieces to win. The Panthers sliding into the top three, one year removed from back-to-back Stanley Cups, would cause a firestorm of complaints from fans and team executives alike.

Part of why the system works in the PWHL is because of the number of teams competing and the shorter, 30-game length of the schedule. With just eight franchises, only four can be eliminated and accrue Gold Plan points, guaranteeing that the top picks will go to teams that need them most. With 16 teams eliminated every year in the NHL’s standings, and teams getting upwards of 10 games to pick up points, the odds are much higher that a franchise whose season was derailed by injuries can go on a late run and snag a top pick they don’t really need. As the PWHL adds more teams (as many as four more could be added to the league in the next couple of years), they will likely need to reevaluate and tweak this system.

But a lot of these scenarios are already possible under the NHL’s current draft lottery format. The Panthers still have a chance at winning first overall, albeit a much smaller 6% chance. So can the Winnipeg Jets, who won the President’s Trophy last year, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who’ve been a mainstay in the playoffs for the last decade. The truth is, legitimate tanking (aka throwing the season for a high draft pick) is much less prevalent than major leagues claim it to be. All these systems might be interesting, but they solve a problem that wasn’t a serious issue to begin with. The most balanced system between discouraging tanking and giving picks to the teams that need them was arguably the NHL’s original lottery format, where only the bottom five teams had a shot at the first overall pick.

The Canucks could very well become Vancouver’s second pro hockey team to win the first overall pick. We might get to see Gavin McKenna and Caroline Harvey pose for photos together in their respective draft jerseys around the city all summer long. But the Canucks will have to defy a lot of odds to make that real.

Don’t miss the 2026 Draft Lottery — live with our crew at Greta!

Join Quads, Harman, and special guests for a live, on-location stream on May 5, featuring real-time reactions, giveaways, and instant analysis as a pivotal moment for Vancouver hockey unfolds. Watch it live on our YouTube or experience it in person at Greta Bar YVR. Be part of it — join the conversation live.

15 years ago today: Canucks’ Alex Burrows slayed the dragon

Tyson Cole — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:00:54 GMT

While Vancouver Canucks fans enjoy watching the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs from the other side of the window, all they can do is reminisce on the good ol’ days of previous postseason runs. And that’s what we have for you today.

On this day 15 years ago, arguably the biggest goal in franchise history was scored: when Alex Burrows slayed the dragon.

There was so much pressure on the Canucks entering this postseason, especially in their opening series against their bitter rivals. the Chicago Blackhawks.

Having lost to the Blackhawks in the second round of back-to-back seasons (2009 and 2010), they became the Canucks’ kryptonite.

In 2009, the Canucks came into their Western Conference semi-final matchup with a ton of confidence after sweeping the St. Louis Blues. And they carried that momentum over into Game 1, where they beat the Blackhawks 5-3 to take a 1-0 series lead. They went on to lose Game 2, but quickly retook the series lead after a 3-1 Game 3 victory. And they had the opportunity to put the stranglehold on the series in Game 4, when the game was sent to overtime. However, an Andrew Ladd goal not even three minutes into the extra frame tilted the tides in the Blackhawks’ favour, as they went on to win Games 5 and 6 and stole the series from Vancouver.

The two teams met again in 2010, and the Canucks were eager to get their revenge, winning in commanding fashion with a 5-1 Game 1 victory. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks went on to win three straight, outscoring the Canucks 16-8 in those games, putting them on the brink of elimination. The Canucks extended the series with a 4-1 win in Game 5 but couldn’t send it back to Chicago, losing Game 6… again.

But 2011 was different. Entering the series, the Canucks had the edge. They were coming off their first Presidents’ Trophy and the best season in franchise history. Their roster was littered with award winners and nominees, as Daniel Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, Ryan Kesler won the Frank J. Selke Trophy, and goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider won the William M. Jennings Trophy. Even their executives earned some league recognition, as Mike Gillis won the GM of the year award, and Alain Vigneault finished second to Dan Bylsma for the Jack Adams Award.

Despite all the accolades, it almost felt unfair that their first-round matchup was against their kryptonite and defending Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks. But it was a bit of a down year for the Blackhawks; they finished third in the Central Division and narrowly edged out the Dallas Stars for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Nonetheless, the Canucks had a job to do, and they started about as well as they could. Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen scored the only two goals of the game en route to a 2-0 Game 1 victory. But winning the first game was never an issue for the Canucks in the previous two years, as they had won both Game 1s before. They just could never take a 2-0 series lead, until this year.

Hansen scored early in Game 2, and then the Canucks continued to pour it on, as Daniel Sedin and Alex Edler added to the Canucks’ tally, and they took a 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission. Chicago brought the game back to within one early in the third, but Daniel gave the Canucks the insurance marker halfway through the third. That goal stood as the game-winner, as Ben Smith scored shortly after, but the Canucks shut the door after that.

Heading back to Chicago, the Blackhawks took an early first-period lead in Game 3 off the stick of Duncan Keith. Christian Ehrhoff and Daniel Sedin tied and gave the Canucks the lead within a minute of each other halfway through the second, only for Patrick Sharp to even up the game shortly after. Mikael Samuelsson’s third-period goal wound up giving the Canucks a 3-0 series lead.

It appeared that they were finally going to beat the Blackhawks. They just needed to win one of the next four games, and they would have finally beaten their kryptonite. But it’s never that easy, is it? That fourth win is the hardest one to win, and the Canucks didn’t make it easy on themselves.

Facing elimination in front of their home fans, the Blackhawks pounded the Canucks 7-2. And did so again back in Vancouver for Game 5, winning 5-0. At this point, the momentum had clearly shifted into the Blackhawks’ favour.

Heading back to Chicago for Game 6, Vancouver put forth a better effort. They took an early lead off a Daniel Sedin wrap-around, and had a 2-1 lead after the first period. The Blackhawks tied the game at 2-2 in the second. Kevin Bieksa re-gave the Canucks the lead early in the third, only for Michael Frolik to tie the game again less than two minutes later on a penalty shot and send the game to overtime. With a chance to advance to the second round, the Canucks had a solid overtime period with 12 shots, but it was Ben Smith who lit the lamp and sent the series to Game 7.

On the verge of what would be one of the biggest collapses in NHL history, the Canucks had all the pressure on them. Presidents’ Trophy winners, against their nemesis, the Blackhawks, in front of their home fans, could they avoid the reverse sweep?

Less than three minutes into the first period, Ryan Kesler made a strong power move into the zone, cut to the net and centred it for Burrows in the slot to give Canucks fans a sign of relief. But then the Blackhawks started coming, and Luongo had to be sharp, making a handful of high-danger stops to keep his team up one after the first.

The Canucks were the far more physical team to this point, setting the tone that they weren’t going to go down easy in this one. Although the Blackhawks were trailing, the Canucks dominated the second period, outshooting them 16-5. But they just could not beat Corey Crawford to get that elusive insurance marker.

And they carried that momentum over into the third period. Burrows was able to burn past Keith in the first 15 seconds of the game to spring himself on a breakaway. Keith hauled him down, and Burrows was awarded a penalty shot. Burrows came in with speed and made a move to the forehand, but could not beat Crawford.

The Blackhawks kept coming, but Luongo remained tall and kept his team in it. As time was winding down, Keith took a hooking penalty on Burrows, sending the Canucks to the power play with under four minutes to go. Despite being down a man, the Blackhawks were in attack mode to keep their season alive, and they did when Jonathan Toews shovelled a rebound in shorthanded to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining.

Off to overtime they went. And the Canucks nearly lost the game early when Burrows took a holding penalty on Keith 24 seconds into overtime. Toews dangled behind the net enough to get his pass around the diving Bieksa to Sharp, but Luongo made a great blocker save sliding across to the other side of his net and poked the puck out of danger.

After surviving a near disaster, Canucks history was changed forever.

Ex-Canuck and potential future Canucks GM Ryan Johnson cleared the zone with a hard shot off the boards for the Blackhawks that went straight to Hambuis at centre ice. The Canuck defenceman sends a backhand floater back into the Chicago end to Chris Campoli. Burrows sneaks along the blueline out of the vision of Campoli, who attempts to just flick the puck out.

Burrows catches the puck, drops it, and bursts into the slot with a wide-open look on Crawford. With very little time to get the shot off, Burrows slaps the rolling puck into the top left corner.

General Motors Place erupts. Canucks win. Alex Burrows slays the dragon.

Watch the full Game 7 highlights below!

In what has been an atrocious season, at least Canucks fans can look back fondly on the memories made back in 2011 – none bigger than when Alex Burrows slayed the dragon on this day 15 years ago.

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Why the rebuilding Canucks should re-sign Teddy Blueger as a culture carrier | Wagner’s Weekly

Daniel Wagner — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:00:34 GMT

Rebuilds need veterans.

The Vancouver Canucks need to add more prospects and youth as they aim for long-term success. That’s the exciting part of a rebuild: seeing young players take their first steps toward becoming future stars.

The Canucks have too few future stars at the moment, but they’ll hopefully be adding one with their guaranteed top-three pick at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, and can hope for a couple more with some savvy selections with their other picks.

But those young players are going to need the help of a few veteran mentors.

The Canucks have talked a lot about culture in recent months, admitting that it was a major problem in the past. Jim Rutherford flat-out stated that the culture was “really bad” and that players had to worry about other players “barking at them in practice or picking on them in the room.”

Rutherford also stated, however, that the culture is now “the best it’s been.” Part of that is the dynamic created by the positive energy of young players like Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren, but part of the credit goes to the veteran players who stepped into the leadership void left after the trade deadline.

One of those veterans was Teddy Blueger, who made a strong case over the back half of the season for a new contract as a culture carrier and leader.

Blueger isn’t afraid to be blunt

Blueger missed almost all of the first half of the season due to a leg injury and multiple setbacks during his rehab. When he returned, Blueger didn’t mince words about the team, speaking publicly about his frustrations with how the team was playing, presumably a message he’d already delivered in private inside the room.

It wasn’t that the team was losing or in last place, but how the team was competing despite those circumstances.

“You’ve got to have some respect and appreciation to be in this league, some respect for your teammates to play hard every night regardless of the standings,” said Blueger to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre after one loss in early February. “I think we’ve got to find some character in our group. I know we have some good guys that want to win and know how to win and to compete and play hard, but I think we’ve got to find it as a team…not just go through the motions because we’re last in the league.”

That was one of several occasions where Blueger called on his Canucks teammates to come together and play for each other, something they clearly weren’t doing enough of earlier in the season.

“Our job is to show up and compete and work as hard as we can every day to try to win every game,” he said just before returning from injury. “It’s your job to compete and play for your teammates. And fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play, so they deserve an honest effort.”

Blueger didn’t just talk the talk.

On the ice, Blueger put in the work, logging heavy minutes against quality competition while scoring 9 goals and 17 points in 35 games — a 21-goal pace over 82 games. He also helped rescue the Canucks’ penalty kill from being historically bad, as one of the few penalty killers who didn’t get caved in.

It’s noteworthy, too, that Blueger’s most frequent linemates were two rookies — Linus Karlsson and Liam Öhgren — and one near-rookie in Max Sasson. Blueger was already in the position of a veteran mentor.

He also stepped up in other ways on the ice, such as dropping the gloves in defence of his young teammates. He took on Colton Sissons out of a scrum started by a hit on Linus Karlsson, then challenged Radko Gudas after the Anaheim Ducks defenceman laid a heavy hit on Liam Öhgren.

That did not go unnoticed, with head coach Adam Foote noting those fights as part of the group coming together more as a team.

But it wasn’t just what Blueger did on the ice that made him an important leader for the Canucks. It’s what he did off the ice.

“You’ve got to be willing to give up some of your own ego”

Blueger was one of the players who stepped into the leadership void after all of the trades took place. Despite his emotion on the ice, he’s always been a quieter person off the ice, but he knew he needed to step up.

“Since guys like Mysie and Gar have gotten traded, you really take a different perspective on the team,” said Blueger to Izzy Cheung of the Hockey News. “All of a sudden, you look around, and I’m the second oldest on the team.

“I think you take into account team dynamics more. Just making sure we’re all on the same page, making sure everyone feels a part of it, and addressing the things that we feel like we need to improve as a group, some details, accountability, things like that, and trying to build on a certain set of values by which we all abide by.

“So I think you take a wider angle view of not just taking care of yourself, but I think you have to involve everyone in team activities, make sure guys are being heard when something’s going on, and trying to mesh everyone together a little bit.”

Blueger has plenty of experience to draw on as a leader. He’s won a Stanley Cup, albeit as a depth player for the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s played at the Olympics and in multiple other tournaments for Latvia. He’s also learned from one of the best leaders in the game: Sidney Crosby with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I think back on some of the good teams I’ve been on, there’s certain things that you take for granted,” said Blueger. “The habits, the details off the ice, the professionalism of timeliness, dress code, respect of the training staff — I was really lucky when I came into Pittsburgh, all those things were in place, and those were just the expectations. And that discipline carries over on the ice.”

Now Blueger wants to be part of building that type of culture in Vancouver.

“You want to do it the right way: everyone understanding their role, but also everyone being a part of it and wanting to buy in,” said Blueger. “It’s not just getting along in the room, but making sure there’s a healthy respect for each other. You don’t have to be best friends, but you’ve got to be willing to give up some of your own ego and wants for the team to benefit.”

Again, it wasn’t just talk for Blueger. He led by example on and off the ice and played an active role in bringing the team together in the wake of a chaotic season. When Rutherford praised the culture in the room by the end of the season, Blueger played at least some small role in that.

Now the question is whether Blueger will get a chance to continue in that role next season.

Blueger is a pending unrestricted free agent, but he’s made it clear that he wants to stay in Vancouver.

“To have an opportunity to see it through and come out on the other side, on top, and be able to compete for something and be a part of a playoff run here again, would be very, very special,” he said to The Hockey News. “That playoff run we had a couple of years ago, it was an incredible time. I think throughout the city, you just felt the energy and felt the people behind you. That’s something I think you don’t get everywhere.”

Blueger also seems like a player the Canucks should want to keep. It has become very clear that you can never have enough centres, and Blueger fits the bill as a bottom-six, do-the-little-things centre who can match up against tough opponents, kill penalties, and mentor young wingers.

As a bonus, Blueger shouldn’t break the bank, unlike some other centres who might be available on the free agent market.

A veteran leader who isn’t afraid to speak up when things go awry, and takes an active role in building the team’s culture off the ice, all while playing solid two-way hockey on the ice? Re-signing Blueger simply makes too much sense.

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Canucks to interview Oilers AGM Bill Scott for vacant GM job: report

David Quadrelli — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:55:14 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks will interview Edmonton Oilers assistant general manager Bill Scott for their vacant GM position over Zoom, according to a report from John Shannon.

Oilers’ AGM Bill Scott, who has interviewed in Nashville, will have an interview in Vancouver, via zoom, for the open GM spot with the Canucks.

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) April 26, 2026

Scott, who has been with the Oilers’ organization since the 2010-11 season, has been seen as one of the frontrunners for the vacant Nashville Predators GM job. After working primarily for the Oilers’ AHL affiliate from 2010-2017, Scott was promoted to Director of Hockey Operations and Director of Salary Cap Management 2016-17. In 2021-22, his title changed to assistant general manager.

A convoluted path touching many roles in the organization, Scott has handled many things pertaining to the Oilers’ salary cap over the years.

“As a member of the Oilers hockey management team, Scott’s responsibilities include player and staff contract negotiations, scheduling, salary arbitration, salary cap management and all day to day administrative duties,” his biography on the Oilers website reads. “He is also the club’s liaison to the NHL regarding matters pertaining to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”

The Canucks’ GM job became vacant after the club fired Patrik Allvin following the end of a disappointing regular season. President Jim Rutherford shared that he would be heading up a search for the next Canucks GM, and that process began last week with Zoom interviews.

We recently took a look at seven of the names who have been linked to the Canucks’ GM job, and you can read that piece below!

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Where does Marco Rossi fit in on the rebuilding Canucks in the long-term?

Stephan Roget — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:12:18 GMT

Marco Rossi wound up being a pretty fine fit on the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks. Despite dealing with at least two different foot injuries, one of which involved a fracture, Rossi ended the season with 22 points in 33 games as a Canuck, found a spot on the power play, and developed some real chemistry with Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren.

He could be described as both a rare bright spot in this past season, especially down the stretch, and someone who has set himself up for more success in 2026-27.

But figuring out Rossi’s fit on these rebuilding Canucks in the long term is a lot more difficult. In fact, he might be the biggest mystery box on the depth chart at this present moment. He’ll be 25 by the time next season starts, which is not old, but also not quite young by the standards of a rebuilding hockey franchise.

Everything about Rossi, including his age, his size, and his overall history of production, puts him right in the middle of a lot of discussions. To help sort it all out, we thought it might be useful to go over all the myriad possible roles that Rossi could theoretically play for the Canucks in the long term and how likely those outcomes might be.

But before we get into that, we’ll begin by noting the major advantage that the Canucks have when it comes to making any decisions on Rossi’s future: time. Rossi is already under contract at a $5 million AAV for the next two seasons, and that’s plenty of opportunity to try him out in a few different possible future roles and see what sticks.

Option 1: A future 1C

We’ll start this section by saying that, as unlikely as it may be, Rossi developing into a first-line centre-type is still on the table at this stage in his career. For someone to really break out in that way after their 25^th birthday is not unheard of, and especially not in Vancouver circles.

JT Miller, for example, did not have his first point-per-game season until he was traded to the Canucks at the age of 26. And he didn’t well-and-truly break out until he hit 99 points a couple of years later at age 28.

To wit, Miller’s 24-year-old season, back in 2017-18 and split between New York and Tampa Bay, saw him produce at a 0.71 PPG rate. This past year, at 24, Rossi split his time between Minnesota and Vancouver and produced at a 0.70 PPG rate. And between the two, it was Rossi who was drafted higher (ninth overall versus 15^th).

But all that being said, Miller’s development path is obviously not a typical one, and it’s safe to say that the odds are stacked against the same sort of thing happening for anyone else. Here, it’s tough not to think of Rossi’s 5’9” frame as a factor. There are very few top-six centres under 5’11” in the league, period, and none of them have been particularly late bloomers.

So, for Rossi to become the 1C of the Canucks’ future would require him to beat a few different sets of odds, and that’s enough to say that, at the very least, it’s not something the Canucks should count on. That means that, as we’ve mentioned before, their next 1C is probably going to have to come from a different source, and that source is almost certainly the draft. But if Rossi is not going to be that 1C, maybe he can be…

Option 2: A future 2C

By some standards, Rossi is already operating at a fine 2C level. His 0.70 PPG rate was the 57^th-highest among NHL players listed as centres in 2025-26, and some of those players are wingers, anyway. It’s what we might call statistically low-end 2C production, and given that Rossi accomplished that with injuries holding him back and minimal offensive support, it’s reasonable to think he can get that up to at least average 2C production in time, and perhaps as soon as next year.

On this topic, however, we have to mention the rest of the depth chart. Because while the Canucks do not have anyone else on hand shaping up to be a 1C, they’ve definitely got a few assets in that 2C lane.

The first is Elias Pettersson, who seems to have settled into that .70ish PPG range himself of late. We’ve written recently about how, under the right circumstances, Pettersson could be a great transitional centre as the team seeks out its future 1C, holding down the fort at that spot for now and then sliding back to 2C over time.

As it stands, Pettersson is still probably the better centre between him and Rossi, but it’s close, and Rossi is clearly the one with the more upward trend. It’s not that hard to imagine Rossi looking like a better fit than Pettersson in the 2C role sooner rather than later, especially given that Rossi’s cap hit will be less than half of Pettersson’s for the next two years.

That cap hit means that, if Pettersson is not traded, the team is almost obligated to continue to try to get him going as a top-six centre, and that will hurt Rossi’s opportunities there. For that reason, if EP40 stays around, it’s safe to assume that Rossi’s future lies elsewhere.

It might anyway, because of the existence of Braeden Cootes. He’s the Canucks’ top current forward prospect, and while most will say he does not quite have 1C potential, he’s had a very good Draft+1 year that has many convinced he could be a future 2C. He made the 2025-26 roster out of training camp and is sure to make another run at it this time around.

There may eventually come a choice between Rossi and Cootes as the long-term 2C of the future, and if that’s the case, then the younger, 6’1”, right-shooting Cootes will be at a distinct advantage.

Still, if Pettersson is traded, and if Cootes’ development goes in another direction, it’s definitely possible to picture Rossi as that long-term 2C himself, supporting some burgeoning 1C yet to be drafted. On this, it’s hard not to think of Carolina’s Logan Stankoven, of a similar size to Rossi and currently holding down a 2C spot on a Stanley Cup contender.

Or perhaps it could be Rossi, supporting a different 2C from lower down the roster…

Option 3: A future 3C

Centre depth is important to any contending team. There’s nothing wrong with a strong 1-2-3 punch down the middle, and that used to be the Canucks’ calling card when they could field a trio of Miller, Pettersson, and Bo Horvat.

So, there is definitely a world where the Canucks draft a future 1C, settle on Pettersson or Cootes as a long-term 2C, and bump Rossi all the way down to being an inordinately skilled third-line centre. But here, we almost have to talk about Rossi’s lack of size again.

NHL teams have a strong preference for size in their bottom-six, and especially at centre. We had a tough time finding any sub-5’11” centres making a difference on any ongoing playoff rosters. The best comparable we could find was Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde, who is also 5’9” and plays a similar scrappy and rambunctious game as does Rossi.

But Gourde is a rare example. Rossi could become a veteran depth centre, to be sure, but it’s not the most ideal fit, and there may be a couple of other options yet that might yield better results…

Option 4: A hybrid top-six winger

It could be that Rossi’s future with the Canucks is not at centre ice at all. Centres of his size are very often transitioned over to the wing in the long term, or become hybrid wingers, filling in at centre only when necessary. Maybe that’s what the Canucks will need from Rossi.

In this scenario, the Canucks do indeed find a future 1C in the draft and decide on either Pettersson or Cootes as that long-term 2C solution, but maybe find themselves short on skilled wingers. Rossi could be a fit there, as evidenced by his success from the half-wall on the power play this year. As short as the Canucks are on future centres, they’re just as short on wingers, with only Liam Öhgren, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and perhaps whoever they draft this year as likely top-six options over the true long-term. Adding Rossi to that mix might prove a necessary injection of skill.

The aforementioned Stankoven has been tried on the wing plenty in his young career. A more long-term example might be Rossi’s former teammate Mats Zuccarello, who started out as a centre but became a full-time winger and thrived. On the extreme high-end, we might point to the 5’10” Jake Guentzel, who was drafted as a centre and then became a point-per-game scoring winger over time.

This shows that the Canucks don’t necessarily need Rossi to stay at centre to play a role in their ongoing rebuild plans. Then again, maybe they don’t need Rossi to stay at all…

Option 5: A trade chip

Rossi turns 25 this September. If the Canucks’ rebuild takes, say, four years to get them back toward the playoffs, then he’ll be around 29 at that time, and should still have some prime years left.

But there is always the possibility that the Canucks see Rossi’s true best utility to the rebuild as a trade chip, one presumably cashed in for even younger pieces. Draft a high-end winger in the 2026 Draft, get another year of really strong development out of Cootes, and suddenly, Rossi starts looking a lot more like a surplus, and one that could bring in a better-than-decent return.

Rossi was thought to have the rough value of a mid-first round pick at the time of his trade to Vancouver, and that value should serve as a good minimum moving forward in a centre-starved market.

The Canucks will also have the opportunity, as they try Rossi out in all the roles we’ve mentioned above, to build up Rossi’s trade value even higher. Whether he’s going to be a 1C or a 2C or a top-six winger in the long run, Rossi should get plenty of reps in those roles as long as he remains in Vancouver, and as his numbers go up, so too does his theoretical return.

In fact, aside from those true untouchables, it’s hard to find another asset on the Canucks’ depth chart that matches Rossi’s potential trade value. That, more than anything, might tip his future in this direction. The Canucks have a real need for more high-end future assets, and precious few opportunities to get them. If Rossi is such an opportunity, then maybe trading him is the most rebuild-responsible choice.

Either way, as we said at the outset, it’s a choice the Canucks will have to make for the future, but that future doesn’t have to be immediate.

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Canucks Army - News, Roster, Scores, Schedule

10 events from the Canucks’ 2025-26 season you may have forgotten about

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Filip Chytil played more than 20 minutes in an early season game in Chicago

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Kiefer Sherwood shared league-lead in goals at end of first month

The Canucks were a .500 hockey team at the 20-game mark

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Zeev Buium made an immediate impact

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Arshdeep Bains spent more than a third of the season in the NHL

Vitali Pinchuk signs entry-level contract with Predators; Canucks were ‘in the mix’

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READ NEXT: Getting to know the 7 names linked to the Canucks’ vacant GM position (so far)

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Where would the Canucks pick if the NHL used the PWHL’s Gold Plan instead of the draft lottery?

Don’t miss the 2026 Draft Lottery — live with our crew at Greta!

15 years ago today: Canucks’ Alex Burrows slayed the dragon

Why the rebuilding Canucks should re-sign Teddy Blueger as a culture carrier | Wagner’s Weekly

Blueger isn’t afraid to be blunt

“You’ve got to be willing to give up some of your own ego”

Canucks to interview Oilers AGM Bill Scott for vacant GM job: report

READ NEXT: Getting to know the 7 names linked to the Canucks’ vacant GM position (so far)

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Where does Marco Rossi fit in on the rebuilding Canucks in the long-term?

Option 1: A future 1C

Option 2: A future 2C

Option 3: A future 3C

Option 4: A hybrid top-six winger

Option 5: A trade chip