The Vancouver Canucks believed they would be in a completely different position than the one they’re currently in. At the start of this season, they were aiming to return to the playoffs, but before 2025 had even come to a close, they traded Quinn Hughes and were forced to set their sights on the future.

Now, the NHL trade deadline has passed, and their roster is set for the remainder of the season. As the Canucks prepare for what’s next, it’s important they put their developing players in key roles now so they can properly learn and grow where it matters most: in game situations. With 18 games remaining this season, it is vital to give these five up-and-coming players a bigger role down the final stretch.

Nikita Tolopilo

Thatcher Demko is out for the remainder of the season, and Kevin Lankinen has been promoted to the starter position, but now is the perfect opportunity to put Nikita Tolopilo in the number one spot.

In his last two starts before the Olympic Break, he allowed two goals on 73 shots and earned a joint shutout in a game he played just under 58 minutes. Since returning to NHL action, Tolopilo has started in three of the Canucks seven games, earning their only win across this span. Across the season, he has a .899 save percentage, leading all Canucks goaltenders.

As the Canucks head into a critical decision about their goaltending duo, Tolopilo should be the go-to guy, giving him the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

The Canucks know what they get from Demko and Lankinen – both 30 – as starters. So, with just under a quarter of the season remaining, putting the soon-to-be 26-year-old in this pressure role allows him to show himself in the lead position as the Canucks consider where they will be in a few years’ time.

Last season, the Canucks had another goalie trying to break into the NHL level, Artūrs Šilovs. He struggled when he played with the higher team, but led their farm team to a Calder Cup. The Canucks traded him over the summer to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he has been playing well.

It is essential that the Canucks don’t find themselves in a similar spot and give Tolopilo time to find his game.

Tom Willander

Tom Willander is in his rookie season and is already showing himself to be the future of the Canucks’ defence. He’s played important roles for the Canucks, featuring on the power play and playing on his off-hand when needed. Giving him a larger role and continuing to put him in important positions will further his development at a time when the Canucks will need him the most.

In five of the seven Canucks games since returning from the Olympic break, the Swede has logged a minimum of 20 minutes of ice time. This reflects higher than his current average of 15:56 and needs to hold steady down the final stretch, potentially even increasing by a couple of minutes. The 21-year-old has proven he wants to grow, going home to Sweden over the Olympic break to continue training, and the best place for him to do that is on the ice during games.

Three Canucks players receive more ice time than Willander: fellow rookie Zeev Buium, along with veterans Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson. Tyler Myers was another player who saw more ice time than Willander, and the Canucks traded him at the deadline. Both are right-handed, and with Myers’ departure, this opens the door for the Swede’s role to increase down the final stretch and highlight himself as a part of the Canucks’ future core.

On the ice is where the 21-year-old will grow the most. Playing him more for the remainder of the season will let him learn the most valuable lessons, which he can carry into his summer training as he loads up for a strong sophomore campaign.

Liam Öhgren

Heading into the Olympic break, Liam Öhgren was undoubtedly one of the Canucks’ most effective players, and he has kept that up since NHL action returned.

The Swede has featured on the second power play unit, is seeing steady time on the penalty kill, and hit a career-high three-game point streak just before the break. His ice time has been steadily increasing since joining the club, and he recently logged a career-high 17:57 time-on-ice.

When Öhgren first arrived in Vancouver via the Quinn Hughes trade, there were some questions as to whether or not he’d go down to the AHL following a few games with the Canucks. But he quickly proved himself to be a valuable piece on the NHL team.

A contributing factor to his success is the stability he has had playing at the highest level of hockey, rather than continuously going up and down between the AHL and NHL. Öhgren has shown that when he has stability, his game improves. Giving the Swede more responsibility through the remaining schedule allows him the time to learn and continue to elevate his game.

As the Canucks focus stays on development, the 22-year-old is growing into a well-rounded forward for the team. He is a player who is already making a difference and, with an increased role down the final stretch, has the potential to continue taking his game to new heights and show himself to be a valuable player for the future.

Aatu Räty

Since the Canucks traded go-to faceoff guy JT Miller during the 2024-25 season, faceoffs have been a weak point for them. Currently, they sit 24th in the league with a 51.1% win percentage.

Within the team, Aatu Räty leads with a 61% success rate. Trading centre David Kämpf has opened up a spot in the lineup for the Finn, and he has played in the team’s three games since the trade deadline. Across these three games, he has an average win rate of 67%, with most faceoffs taken in the defensive zone.

The 23-year-old is proving himself to be a reliable presence in the faceoff dot. Right now, when the stakes are low, the Canucks can keep letting him develop in game situations, battling different guys across the league.

Linus Karlsson

Linus Karlsson is in his first full season with the Canucks and has done well, signing a two-year contract extension that will start next season. Last season, he helped lead the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, to the Calder Cup, and he has translated his game to the higher level.

After signing a two-year extension on January 2, the 26-year-old showed less offensive production until it eventually dried up. He recorded his first point in nine games on March 4, against the Carolina Hurricanes. This triggered his second three-game point streak of the season, which ended after the Canucks were shut out by the Ottawa Senators on Monday. During this span, he collected four points, one goal and three assists.

Including new guy Curtis Douglas, Karlsson has the fourth-lowest ice time on the team, averaging 11:41. Despite the low ice time, the Swede sits fifth in Canucks scoring with 28 points. The club chose to re-sign him for a reason, and giving him more opportunities may bump his game up another level, finding the heights of his offence on a struggling team and seeing where he fits in long-term.

As the Canucks’ season winds down and the playoffs are out of the picture, now is the best time for them to build towards the future and test developing players in bigger roles to see how they fare.

This team has players who have the potential to be key to the Canucks’ future success, and they need to start putting them in positions to either showcase their talents so there are no question marks heading into next season. The only way to do that is by giving them more responsibilities on the ice.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Who do you want to see get an increased role down the stretch? Let us know in the comments below!

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5 Canucks who should see increased roles down the final stretch