Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet still running at this time of year.

Speaking of years, well, 2025 was not your year, Vancouver Canucks fans. After a 2024 that featured things like a Norris Trophy, a return to the playoffs, and taking the hated Edmonton Oilers to the brink of a second-round Game 7, this franchise seemed to have some momentum. But 2025 had other ideas.

JT Miller? Gone. Rick Tocchet? Gone. Quinn Hughes? Gone! No playoffs, no nothing.

In many ways, it was a year to forget. In all actuality, it’s going to go down as one of the most memorable in Vancouver history.

But enough about the past. By the time you’re reading these words, you’re probably already done with 2025 and on to the glorious future of 2026. Or, if you’re not feeling quite that optimistic, then at the very least, the unwritten future of 2026. Unwritten, that is, until this very column.

Last time we met, we asked you to pick out a highlight of 2025 as the best thing to have happened to the Canucks, and we realize that was a difficult task after such a tumultuous year. This week, we’re asking you to look in the other direction while maintaining that same positive outlook. Let’s manifest a season to remember for the right reasons, together.

This week, we’re asking you to predict:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

Deciding to rebuild, starting with trading Hughes.

Braeden Cootes was the best thing to happen to the Canucks in 2025.

Surprisingly, the best thing that happened this year for the Canucks was the departure of Quinn Hughes. Hard to believe that this would be true, but ending this era may bring in a new refreshing vibe, with a decent return in the trade and hopefully a few more changes to the ‘old guard’ bringing in new prospects for the new year!

If we look beyond the snark and permanently angry, it’s clear the best thing is the emergence of the young defencemen. Willander and Petterson are here and here to stay. It’s reasonable to believe that one or two out of Mancini, Kudreyatsev, Mynio, etc will make it. Add in Buium and they have the makings of a solid young D-core.

Both Miller and Hughes were traded in the same calendar year. Glad they are no longer being used as “the excuse.” But the drafting of Cootes is the best addition in 2025.

Elias Pettersson’s return to form as a legitimate top centre is the best thing to happen to the franchise in 2025.

We’re talking playoffs, baby!

For me, the best thing to happen was for QH to be open enough to let management know well in advance that he wasn’t going to sign an extension.

That allowed JRPA to get out ahead of things.

Let’s just surmise for a moment the losing put Quinn over the edge. Our losing ways in 2025 have netted us the:

2020 9th OA

2022 19th OA

2024 12th OA

2025 15th OA

2026 late 1st round

2026 early 1st round (maybe even 1st to 3rd OA)

Add in the pending return for Sherwood – whom would not be traded if we were in the playoffs.

Losing has restocked the cupboards, profoundly transformed the nature of the team, and ensured continued short term losing which will return other big assets sooner than later.

The best is yet to come. The roster freeze comes off Dec 28, and waiting eagerly for the announcement of a trade of a certain moody up-and-down undedicated centreman.

Trading Hughes; drafting Cootes.

Has to be the re-positioning of the team and direction. JB-esque constant retool at the expense of draft capital has now finally come to an end. I really think the direction in the first two years of the current FO was the right one. We had some really good pieces that were young. Strength at center and in goal. They took a swing and missed. The issue for me was that it seemed to take 12-18 months to realize that they missed. Now they get it and hopefully the “hybrid” comment was thrown out there to subdue ownership and we fully go in the direction we have started moving in. The pivot was the best thing to happen in 2025.

Unfortunately I would have to say trading Quinn. I never thought it would happen, because I thought Quinn took being the Captain of a team seriously, but I was wrong.

Everyone can say “they aren’t winning” but a captain should be part of the solution, not problem. Like Tkachuk, seems like Quinn wanted to sign in the States and closer to the east coast. Pretty sure Minny will get hammered by the Avs and Quinn will take his talents to another place.

Back to the question: JTM, Quinn, and Toch are gone, were they the solution or the problem? I don’t know, but getting younger and having players that want to be here are key.

Is Foote the right coach? I don’t think so. For all those trolls that say, ‘Quinn would be here if they traded everyone?’ It’s not managements fault since they did everything they could to make Quinn want to stay.

The end is simple. I don’t think Quinn wanted to be the Captain of the Canucks and would rather be an ‘A’ on a team in the States. That’s for another discussion.

Would he still be here if they were winning? Sure but Captains don’t give up the ship and are the lasts ones on the boats.

That’s not the way this played out.

What was the best thing to happen to the Canucks in 2025? Drafting Cootes and Medvedev in the 2025 draft.

Nothing else was positive, (unless you count Abby’s Calder Cup). The year was largely very negative, including the trades of Miller and Hughes, continued poor play by EP40, Demko injuries, and the departure of Rick Tocchet. The only good news seems to be that ownership and management now recognize the Miller-Hughes-EP 40-Demko core around which they sought to build is no longer viable, and they need to assemble a new younger core. Hopefully Buium, Cootes, Medvedev and Willander will form the beginnings of such a core.

Best thing? Clarity on a franchise player/captain who wasn’t in it, for better or for worse, and was going to walk, so allowed the team to maximize returns and refresh the entire team.