optional skate for #Canucks. 7F/8D/2G
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Scenes from morning skate: Lankinen to make first start in two weeks as Canucks host Ducks
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2026, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 3, 2026, 14:03 EST
The Vancouver Canucks (3-12-1) open their November schedule with a home game against the Anaheim Ducks (6-7-1) at Rogers Arena. Tonight’s game between these Pacific Division rivals starts at 7 p.m. PT.
It’s also the team’s 10th annual Diwali Night celebrating Metro Vancouver’s vast South Asian population.
What we saw
As is the case on most game days under Manny Malhotra, the Canucks conducted an optional skate this morning. All eight defencemen, along with seven forwards and both goaltenders, took to the ice.
Kevin Lankinen did the starter’s drills and was the first goalie to leave, which means he’s the probable starter tonight. It will be his first game action since a 5-2 loss to Detroit on Oct. 22. While this season has been a struggle to say the least, for Lankinen, in his career, he is 4-1 against the Ducks with a 2.20 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
Arshdeep Bains, Luke Schenn and Guillaume Brisebois appear to be the extra skaters for tonight’s game. That means the Canucks will stick with the same 12 forwards they used in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Toronto. As shown at practice on Monday, the only change appears to be Liam Ohgren and Drew O’Connor swapping spots on left wing.
Filip Hronek, who turned 29 yesterday, has a goal and five assists on a six-game point streak. His next point will be his 300th in the NHL.
As the Canucks look for just their second win in 14 starts, they need a handful of forwards to find their scoring touch. Jake DeBrusk has gone nine games without a goal while Marco Rossi has no goals and just one assist in his last 12 games. Drew O’Connor has one goal and one assist in his last 13 outings, Paul Cotter has not scored and has just one assist in 11 games and recently Linus Karlsson has gone cold with a single assist to show for his last five contests.
Head coach Manny Malhotra revealed on Tuesday morning that injured centre Filip Chytil is not scheduled to join the team on its upcoming road trip to Winnipeg and Edmonton. He is eligible to come off the injured list on Thursday, but it appears he will remain out of the line-up until next week at the earliest as he recovers from a shoulder injury suffered late in last week’s 3-2 loss in San Jose.
The Opponent
The Ducks kick off a three-game road trip looking to follow up a 6-3 win over Ottawa on Sunday. Anaheim fell behind 3-0 in the first period before rallying with six unanswered goals. Cutter Gauthier had a hat trick while Judd Caufield scored two goals and added an assist. Leo Carlsson had three helpers on the night. The final four Ducks goals came on the power play as the team went four for five with the man-advantage.
Laurent Broissoit made 20 saves in his Ducks debut after being recalled from AHL San Diego on Saturday. It was his first NHL action since March 15 with San Jose and his first NHL win since April 18, 2024, against the Canucks when he was a member of the Winnipeg Jets.
Carlsson was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week with a goal and seven assists in three games. He leads the Ducks with 21 points. Bennett Sennecke leads the team with eight goals, while Gauthier has seven, including five in his last two games. Interestingly, all of his goals have come in just three games, with a hat trick and a pair of two-goal outings.
As a team, the Ducks have scored five or more goals in four straight games. They are second in the league with a power play clicking at 34 per cent.
On Monday, Anaheim recalled 21-year-old Prince George native Nico Myatovic. The left winger was the first pick of the second round in the 2023 NHL Draft. If he plays tonight, it will be his NHL debut. Myatovic was recalled after an injury to veteran AJ Greer on Sunday night.
According to the league, the Ducks are currently the youngest team in the NHL averaging 26.43 years old.
News and notes
The Canucks defeated the Ducks 6-5 in overtime last Tuesday at Honda Center. Filip Hronek scored the winner on a 5-on-3 power play. It’s the team’s lone victory in the past 13 games.
The Ducks are ninth in the league in offence, but are 30th in team defence.
The referees for tonight’s game are Graedy Hamilton and Jean Hebert.
What we heard
Manny Malhotra is not putting much stock in his team’s 6-5 overtime win over the Ducks a week ago heading into the rematch tonight: “It’s a new night for us. No one cares what you did last week. It’s all about tonight. We understand that we’re going to have to come in against a team that’s probably going to be pretty ticked off about the last game against us. Offensively, they’re clicking. So for us, it’s attention to detail in our structure and making sure that we limit the number of those opportunities they have.”
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Vancouver CanucksTeam Cap Summary
Cap Summary
2026-27
2027-28
Projected Cap Hit
$87,993,412
$71,329,167
Projected Cap Space
$16,006,588
$42,170,833
Current Cap Space
$19,407,988
$42,170,833
Active Players
23/23
13/23
Draft Picks
Round
'27
'28
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
1
1