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5 things Canucks fans can be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Elijah Ford

Oct 12, 2026, 17:40 EDT

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Following a disappointing 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks have given their fans plenty of reasons to be frustrated through the opening weeks of the season. After watching their team struggle through another lopsided defeat, finding something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving Monday might be a challenge.

But that is the point of the holiday, isn’t it?

Think about your own Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey might be dry, the stuffing might stink, and your aunt might have forgotten the pumpkin pie. But at the end of the day, there is still plenty to appreciate. The Canucks might be off to a 2-5 start, but even during a difficult rebuilding season, there are reasons for optimism. Here are five things Canucks fans can be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. The goals just keep coming

If there is one thing hockey fans can agree on, it is that goals are fun. And through the first seven games of the regular season, the Canucks have certainly delivered their share of them.

Despite their losing record, Vancouver has scored 24 goals, the fifth-most in the NHL. Unfortunately, they have also allowed 35, the most in the league. The resulting 59 combined goals in the Canucks’ games are 15 more than the next-highest total, the Carolina Hurricanes’ 44. In other words, if nothing else, Vancouver has made for some eventful viewing.

Of course, the offensive production has come at a cost. Defensive breakdowns have been frequent, and the penalty kill has struggled to contain opposing power plays. Those issues need to be addressed if the Canucks hope to turn some of these losses into wins.

Still, there is something to be said for a team that can generate offence even when the results are not there. During a rebuilding season, when player development matters more than the standings, the Canucks’ willingness to play an attack-minded game has at least given fans reasons to get out of their seats. It is not a sustainable formula without better defensive structure, but it certainly beats watching a team struggle to create anything at all.

2. Young Canucks are beginning to take steps forward

In a season when wins and losses are not the primary measure of success, watching young players develop is one of the most rewarding parts of following a rebuilding team. So far, several members of Vancouver’s young core have provided encouraging signs.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki entered the season with something to prove after injuries limited him to 13 NHL games in 2025-26. He surprised many by earning an opportunity on the first line with Elias Pettersson straight out of training camp, and has turned that opportunity into solid production. Lekkerimäki has five points through the opening seven games, all at even strength, and ranks third among Canucks forwards in five-on-five Corsi-For percentage. Just as encouraging has been the improvement in his all-around game.

The young winger has used his hand-eye coordination effectively to disrupt passes and chips along the boards in the defensive zone. He also looks heavier on the puck in contested areas, with his assist on Jake DeBrusk‘s goal against the Rangers on Sunday offering an example of his willingness to compete along the boards. For a prospect whose offensive instincts have never been in question, seeing him make progress away from the puck is an especially encouraging development.

Elias Pettersson, the defenceman, has also shown signs of taking another step forward. Entering the season behind Zeev Buium and Tom Willander in the prospect cast playbill, D-Petey has begun to make a case for himself as a headliner with his physicality and increased confidence.

His ability to use his body to close off opposing forwards, separate them from the puck and create turnovers has been a bright spot amid Vancouver’s defensive struggles. He has also looked more comfortable joining the attack, with his two goals this season coming from him actively jumping into the play on offence, looking for a shot himself.

Tom Willander, meanwhile, has continued to show why the Canucks drafted him in the first round. The smooth-skating right-shot defenceman has always been mobile, but his agility and ability to use his feet to create shooting lanes from the blue line have stood out early this season. His increased confidence carrying the puck through all three zones has also been noticeable.

Zeev Buium has been a little slower out of the gate, but there is no reason to sound the alarm after seven games. Altogether, the early progress from Lekkerimäki, Pettersson, and Willander gives Canucks fans something tangible to look forward to, even when the team’s results are disappointing.

3. The next wave of first-round picks is giving fans reasons for optimism

The development happening at the NHL level is only part of the picture. Vancouver also has three recent first-round picks progressing in different environments, and all three have offered encouraging signs to start the season.

Braeden Cootes, selected 15th overall in 2025, was one of the standout performers during training camp and the preseason. He recorded three points in three exhibition games, showing flashes of the offensive ability that helped him make the Canucks’ opening roster as an 18-year-old last fall.

This time around, Vancouver’s stated “anti-yo-yo” approach meant sending Cootes to the Abbotsford Canucks rather than keeping him in a situation where he could be shuffled between levels. The goal is to give him a more consistent environment in which to develop. So far, the decision has provided a promising start. Cootes has two goals and two assists through his first four AHL regular-season games, carrying his offensive production into his first full professional season.

Adam Novotný, Vancouver’s 24th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has also given fans plenty to be excited about. He impressed at the Canucks’ prospect showcase and showed flashes during training camp that suggested he might be closer to NHL readiness than some expected.

After returning to the Peterborough Petes, Novotný made an immediate impact. He was named the Ontario Hockey League’s Player of the Week after recording three goals and three assists in his first three games. His production has cooled slightly since that blistering start, but his early performances have offered a glimpse of the potential the Canucks saw when they selected him in June.

Then there is Caleb Malhotra, Vancouver’s third overall pick in the 2026 draft. The centre has begun his college career at Boston University, where he is facing a demanding level of competition for an 18-year-old.

Malhotra’s latest performance was particularly encouraging. In Boston University’s 3-1 win over Brown on Saturday, he played more than 19 minutes, led all Terrier forwards in ice time and recorded 10 shots on goal. Although he did not find the back of the net, he generated plenty of opportunities and showcased his offensive instincts.

“He was getting chance after chance,” head coach Jay Pandolfo said after the game. “It just wasn’t going in for him. It will. It will.”

There is a long way to go before any of these players become an established NHL contributor, but that is precisely why their development is worth watching. Cootes is learning the professional game, Novotný is building confidence in junior, and Malhotra is testing himself against older competition.

For a franchise trying to build a sustainable contender, having young players gaining experience in the right environments is something worth appreciating.

4. Elias Pettersson is looking more like himself

For the better part of the past three seasons, patience has been in short supply among Canucks fans when it comes to Elias Pettersson. The former 100-point centre has endured extended stretches in which his game lacked the confidence and assertiveness that once made him one of Vancouver’s most dangerous offensive players. Seven games do not erase those concerns, but there are encouraging signs that Pettersson is beginning to get his swagger back.

One indicator of his confidence with the puck over the years has been his ability to draw penalties. At his best, Pettersson was excellent at gaining inside position on defenders, forcing them to reach with their sticks and putting Vancouver on the power play. That ability became less pronounced over the past several seasons.

Penalties drawn per 60 minutes

Season	Penalties drawn/60
2018-19	1.85
2019-20	1.76
2020-21	2.10
2021-22	1.38
2022-23	1.85
2023-24	1.27
2024-25	1.10
2025-26	1.15
2026-27*	1.78

Through seven games.

Pettersson’s current rate is back in the range of his early NHL seasons and leads the Canucks by a considerable margin. Seven games is a small sample, so take the number with a grain of salt, but it aligns with what the eye test has suggested so far.

Pettersson appears more willing to attack defenders, carry the puck into dangerous areas, and take chances rather than defaulting to safer plays. That assertiveness has been reflected in his production, too.

He leads Vancouver with eight points through his first seven games, including five at even strength. Pettersson will need to sustain this level of play over a much longer stretch, but for a player whose confidence has been a significant talking point in recent seasons, the early returns are encouraging. Canucks fans have spent plenty of time wondering when their star centre would look like himself again. So far, there are reasons to be thankful that he might be finding his way back.

5. The Canucks finally appear to have a long-term plan

Perhaps the biggest reason for Canucks fans to be thankful is that the organization has publicly committed to a full-scale rebuild.

For years, it often felt as though Vancouver was determined to squeeze as many wins as possible out of each season, regardless of whether the roster was capable of competing for a Stanley Cup. While other organizations took a step back to assess their options and build for the future, the Canucks frequently seemed caught between trying to win now and preparing for what came next. That approach appears to be changing.

In May, Daniel and Henrik Sedin took over as co-presidents of hockey operations, with Ryan Johnson becoming the team’s general manager. The new leadership group, along with owner Francesco Aquilini, openly embraced the word “rebuild” and acknowledged that returning to contention would require patience.

Johnson has emphasized a deliberate approach centred on player development, organizational alignment and building a sustainable winning culture. Rather than rushing the process or making short-term decisions to chase immediate results, the message has been that the organization needs to remain committed to its long-term vision.

Of course, saying the right things and executing them are two very different challenges. The Canucks are still in the early stages of this process, and their first seven games have shown just how much work remains. A rebuild is not guaranteed to succeed simply because the organization has finally acknowledged the need for one. But there is a meaningful difference between losing while searching for a direction and losing while working toward a defined goal.

With the Sedins and Johnson leading hockey operations, the Canucks have an opportunity to establish a consistent development philosophy, build around their young talent and avoid the temptation to sacrifice future progress for short-term gains. Fans have every right to be skeptical until the results arrive, but the commitment to a longer-term plan is at least a reason for cautious optimism. For a fan base that has waited years for a clear direction, that is something worth being thankful for this Thanksgiving.

What else are you grateful for today, Canucks fans? Here at Daily Faceoff Vancouver, we’re grateful for all of you!

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