Team

Betting

CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA

4 Canucks breakout candidates for the 2026-27 season

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Jordan Frew

Aug 3, 2026, 14:15 EDTUpdated: Aug 3, 2026, 14:11 EDT

Comments

The Vancouver Canucks focus is on the future, particularly on players and their development.

After a season that saw the organization hit rock bottom, or at least close to it, it became apparent that the organization was in a rebuild, which shifts the focus to drafting and prospect development. The Canucks have shown they are working to rebuild properly, trading Marcus Pettersson for a first-round pick, drafting Caleb Malhotra third overall in the 2026 NHL draft, and bringing in veterans who will help guide and develop young prospects.

This is a great showing by the Canucks during the first year of their rebuild, and while the team is still nowhere near positioned to climb the standings this season, nor are they expected to, there are expectations to see them grow.

There are players in the Canucks who should be breaking into the National Hockey League, or who have played a season or two, and should now be breaking out and taking another step in their careers.

Liam Öhgren

From having no points in 18 games with the Minnesota Wild to notching 18 points in 51 games with the Vancouver Canucks, Liam Öhgren began to show himself as a piece that could be part of the Canucks’ plans.

Öhgren struggled with the Wild, consistently going between their American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Wild, and the NHL. After his arrival with the Canucks, he started to change that narrative, proving he is a full-time NHLer.

He was traded to the Canucks in mid-December 2025 as part of the Quinn Hughes trade and impressed early on. Enough so that he was never sent down to Canucks AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, despite beliefs at the time of the trade that he would see time there. The stability of staying at the NHL level helped elevate his game, and in return he became a reliable presence throughout the season.

Offensively, the forward started to show his abilities when the BRÖ line came together. The BRÖ line consisted of Öhgren on left wing, Brock Boeser on right wing, with Marco Rossi centring. Currently, this trio is projected to be Canucks’ second line, and hopefully, they can pick up their chemistry from last season.

With the Canucks, the 22-year-old set career-highs, including a three-game point streak and a high of 18:47 minutes played in a game. He also saw time on the Canucks second power play unit and penalty kill, helping to round out his game.

The Swede took a major step forward last season. He proved himself to be a reliable NHL player for the Canucks, finding his place in the organization. Considering the encouraging leap in his game last season, the off-season work the Canucks put in, and the opportunities Öhgren has on the team, he is in the position to continue his momentum and take another step forward.

Tom Willander

Tom Willander only has one season of NHL experience under his belt, but is already poised to have a breakout year.

Last season, with no choice, the Canucks threw Willander into the deep end, and he excelled. While the Swede didn’t crack the 2025-26 season opening night roster, before the month of October was over, he had already been recalled from the Abbotsford Canucks and made his NHL debut. From there, he never looked back.

The Canucks pushed and stretched Willander as much as they could. By the end of the season, the rookie was averaging 16:59 minutes per night, which had steadily increased after the Hughes trade and then again after the trade deadline. He had also been featured on the Canucks’ first power play unit and was playing on his off-hand as needed.

This offseason, the Canucks signed Luke Schenn, which will help alleviate some of the pressure Willander faced last season, allowing him to focus more on his growth rather than filling gaps. Schenn, a right-handed player like Willander, is a player the Canucks signed for his veteran presence and the guiding hand he will provide the youth rather than his on-ice abilities. Willander is likely to play on a pair with Jamie Oleksiak, and Schenn is an option to substitute in and out for the sophomore, should he need a night to reset.

Willander faced pressure very early in his career and handled it well, adapting where he was most needed. Now, in his sophomore campaign, he will have more support on and off the ice, allowing him to focus on his development. Willander set the bar high for himself in his rookie season, and while he won’t have as dramatic a breakthrough as last season, he will break through in smaller ways, focusing on his physicality and game as a whole, which will be more important in the long term.

Zeev Buium

Another player only in his sophomore season, Zeev Buium is set to take the next step in his game. Despite last year being Buium’s first full NHL campaign, he demonstrated great leadership, showing his desire to be part of the team’s change.

Buium was viewed as the main fixture returning to Vancouver in the Hughes trade. There was hope that Buium would be Hughes’ replacement, but those are massive shoes to fill, and the 20-year-old joined a controversial team, one that was hard for any player to truly excel in.

This season, the Canucks have created a more fostering environment with support for the young players. Buium will gain valuable on-ice experience by pairing with Filip Hronek and will be a part of the Canucks power play. As a player who shows great offensive upside but struggled to be consistent during his transition to the NHL, playing with Hronek and seeing increased power play minutes should help propel Buium to build on what he learned in his first NHL season and apply it this season while still receiving veteran support.

While Buium won’t become the player Hughes is in his sophomore season, he has the proper mindset to put in the work to be the best player and leader he can be. With what he has shown so far, this is promising for Buium and the Canucks future. With the right environment and supportive players around him, Buium can take the jump now.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki

It’s time; Jonathan Lekkerimäki should have a breakout year.

Lekkerimäki was considered one of the Canucks’ brightest offensive prospects, but having recently turned 22, he needs to start showing more of what he can do.

The Swede’s 2025-26 season ended early, as he needed shoulder surgery. With that said, the 2026-27 season is a brand new year. And with next to no expectations for results next season, Lekkerimäki will have every opportunity to break out. This begins at training camp, then cracking the Canucks opening lineup, and showing he can be an 84-game NHL player.

As of now, Lekkerimäki is one of the most developed Canucks prospects, getting a glimpse of NHL action over the past two seasons. However, the Canucks prospect pool is getting deeper. With players like Malhotra, Braeden Cootes, Adam Novotný, and others beginning to build towards their NHL careers, this is Lekkerimäki’s best chance to break into the NHL.

This season, many of the Canucks prospects are committed to playing elsewhere and just aren’t ready to play at the NHL level, meaning Lekkerimäki faces little threat of having to compete with other prospects for a roster spot. This gives him his best chance of playing full-time on the Canucks, and looking back at Öhgren, it shows how this stability can transform one’s game.

Lekkerimäki would also likely feature on the Canucks power play, specifically the second unit. Öhgren is also featured here, and the two former childhood teammates showed their chemistry in Sweden and the handful of games they played on the same line last season. Playing together on the man advantage should help the pair boost each other’s offensive abilities. Even without Öhgren, Lekkerimäki’s presence on the power play gives him time and space to showcase his offensive capabilities as he works to translate that into 5-on-5 playing time.

Former Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra will be behind the bench as Lekkerimäki works to break through this season. Praised for developing the Canucks at the AHL level, Malhotra can continue to bring out the best in Lekkerimäki during a critical season for the Swede.

Sponsored by bet365