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4 Canucks nearing make-or-break territory next season

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Jeff Paterson

Jul 26, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 26, 2026, 04:31 EDT

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Even in a rebuild when the pressure isn’t nearly as high as it will be when the Vancouver Canucks are competitive again, there will still be a handful of players feeling the heat to perform next season. That’s simply the nature of the beast in professional sports. And so here is a look at four players who need to step up and prove they can be a part of what the Canucks are trying to put together:

Aatu Räty

Simply put, Räty couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. The Canucks elected to let Teddy Blueger walk away in free agency. The team is now coached by Manny Malhotra who already has a working relationship with the 23-year-old Finn from their time together in Abbotsford. And unlike last summer, Räty is healthy and has an entire off-season to train. So there are no excuses. None. It’s time for the Canucks to give Räty ample opportunity to be an every night NHL’er and it’s on the player to make the most of the situation.

Certainly, he needs to be more productive than the four goals and 14 points he produced in 66 games last season. Everyone knows Räty is a face-off ace – among the best in the business. He needs to continue to excel in that area of the game and be leaned on to win draws in key situations. With a heavy possession advantage off the draw, Räty has to find a way to make that matter. He had a strong showing helping Finland win a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in May. That should help his confidence heading into training camp. It’s also a contract year for Räty and that should add to his motivation. So either he puts it all together and announces his arrival in the NHL on a full-time basis this season or the Canucks will have to decide if there is a place in the organization for him.

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Which young player has best chance to rebound or develop under Manny Malhotra?

6:30 PM · Jun 9, 2026

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Victor Mancini

The Canucks committed to the 24-year-old defenceman with a two-year extension at a million dollars per season. So he has a little bit of security. But the big right-handed blueliner still hasn’t shown the consistency necessary to lock down full-time employment in the NHL. The physical tools are there, but questions remain about Mancini’s decision-making and his ability to process the game at the highest level.

As it stands, he appears to be the seventh defenceman on the depth chart and a spot in the opening night line-up is far from a given. When he gets into uniform, Mancini needs to let others worry about flash and dash. That’s not what’s going to keep him in the NHL. He has to lean into his size, find a way to use it effectively and develop as a defensive stopper and penalty killer.

The Canucks were outscored 21-9 in Mancini’s 5-on-5 minutes last season. That has to improve. Across the board, his possession metrics were among the worst on a last-place team. By this time next year, Mancini will be a 25-year-old and will no longer be a prospect. So what will he be? It feels like this season will go a long way to determining whether there will be more chances in a Canucks uniform or if Mancini may be looking for employment elsewhere.

Nikita Tolopilo

The big Belarusian is a 26-year-old with a grand total of 23 NHL games on his resume. And 21 of those came last season when he earned the opportunity he had been looking for. At times, Tolopilo looked the part of a capable NHL goalie. But there were also moments that had head coach Adam Foote looking for more consistency from his netminder. As a result, Foote never looked fully comfortable giving Tolopilo an extended look down the stretch of a lost season. All of that was with Thatcher Demko sidelined and unavailable.

Fast forward to next season and all reports suggest Demko will be healthy enough to command the crease. And with Kevin Lankinen under contract long term, Tolopilo is clearly the third man on the Canucks depth chart. That’s a tough place for a guy wanting to start games in the NHL. Tolopilo requires waivers which complicates matters. The Canucks may roll the dice and try to sneak him through to the minors ahead of the season or they may carry three goalies on the roster.

Either way, Tolopilo is going to have to be patient and seize the opportunity when NHL starts present themselves. The bottom line is that the six wins, 3.61 GAA and .881 save percentage from last season simply won’t cut it if Tolopilo dreams of being a full-time NHL’er. So it feels like he needs to take what he learned from his time in the big leagues last season and show up at camp trying looking to prove he can be an NHL option.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki

Lekkerimäki, who turned 22 on Friday, isn’t quite at a make-or-break point in his young career. But he does have to show more at the NHL level than he has to this point. And the Canucks need to find every opportunity to let the 2022 first-rounder strut his stuff. Play him in the top six. Get him power play minutes. Live with his mistakes. This is a last-place team in the early stages of a rebuild. If you can’t make room for one of the team’s top offensive prospects now, then when will it ever happen?

And while no one is suggesting the Canucks let Lekkerimäki stand at centre ice and completely disregard his defensive responsibilities, maybe the team ought to worry less about turning him into a 200-foot robot and let his natural goal-scoring ability shine. Encourage him to shoot the puck at every opportunity. Set him up for one-timers on the power play. Give him a chance to win games in overtime.

Basically do what the team refused to do with Vasily Podkolzin and, to a lesser degree, with Nils Höglander. Coming off shoulder surgery, Lekkerimäki has to prove he is fully recovered and ready for the rigours of a full NHL season. He still has a legitimate chance to be a big part of the Canucks’ rebuild. But if we’re asking the same questions about Lekkerimäki and his ability to hold down a full-time NHL job at this time next year, then something has gone terribly wrong.

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