Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that doesn’t pair well with “Mr. Brightside.”

Speaking of the bright side, it’s something we always try to look on in this column. Lately, it’s been getting a little tougher than usual, but there are still some silver linings to be found in the dark cumulus that is the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks season.

One upside to The Tank that this author is noticing is an increased opportunity to appreciate the talent spread around the other 31 teams in the NHL. When one is watching the Canucks with winning on their mind, one tends to pay the most attention to the Canucks themselves. But once winning is no longer the primary objective – sometimes and for some, even to the point of outright cheering for losses – it becomes easier to pay increased mind to what the other team is doing, and who is doing it.

A game against the Pittsburgh Penguins becomes an opportunity to appreciate the refined game of Sidney Crosby in one of his final few seasons. A game against the San Jose Sharks becomes an opportunity to marvel at the burgeoning greatness of local product Macklin Celebrini. It’s still hockey, after all, and there’s still a lot in this league to love, even when it’s not the performance of the home team.

That makes this as good a chance as any to ask a non-Canucks-related question, and it’s one where the answers should be very personal and vary widely. We’ll keep it simple and direct, but, if you want to play this one on ‘hard mode,’ avoid former Canucks in your answer, too.

This week, we’re asking you:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

I think Räty could be one of those players that quietly gets better each year. Capping at a third line, 45-point center.

Solid, dependable.

I’ll go with Räty. Has pedigree as a good prospect, good size, a good shot and good in the faceoff circle. I think if he improves his skating a little more, there could be a good middle-six center there.

For guys 24-26, Karlsson seems like a slam dunk to keep on becoming more and more important to this team.

IMO, the only players in their 20s with potential are Chytil, Rossi, and maybe O’Connor and Räty.

However, I say we still need to keep Höglander, Karlsson and maybe even Sasson to fill roster spots.

For the times he’s been healthy, I’ve been wowed more by Chytil than I expected. He can be a one-man zone-entry machine, a trait that no one else on the team has after Hughes’s departure, and has shown the talent to make plays that can pull fans out of their seats. If only they could get an NFL-style tea-cozy helmet on him. Seriously, can they?

Two years ago, in the midst of a winning season, it was important to bring mid-20s players into the lineup. The top of the roster was performing well, getting a prospect ready for the NHL to support a solid core was a priority. This is no longer the case or the priority.

None of these mid-20s players have enough untapped potential to reasonably expect them to be good enough to be more than a supporting cast. This question reminds me of the look on my eight-year-old grandson’s face when asked what his favourite vegetable is.

These players all have their strengths and I like most of them, but there are two questions to ask about these mid-20s players far more pertinent than untapped potential:

How well does the player fit with the vision of what the future team looks like?

Can they be leveraged in a trade to land a high impact player (or pick to draft one) the Canucks desperately need?

All the mid-20s players are expendable. Without a top-six or adequate size or speed, deciding who might make the best bottom-six forward isn’t very important.

Strictly speaking, that will be Rossi, but only because he has the most value when he gets flipped. I doubt any of these guys will be on the next playoff team. There are just roster filler until the draft picks arrive.

(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)
When it comes to “untapped potential,” I can only think of one player that could truly still take some big steps, and that would be Mancini. A right shot D with size, quite good skating/agility, and decent puck skills already has an excellent base to start from. If he can continue to hone his defensive skills/IQ and add some nastiness to his arsenal, he could be a very valuable second pairing D man. To date, the Canucks haven’t force-fed him minutes, and that is a good thing. Simple opportunity may be just the right key to unlock his full potential and that is coming sooner than later.

Chytil has the most potential!

If he could play close to a full season, who knows what stats he would put up. Heard a weird stat that the Canucks are six games over .500 with Chytil or Blueger in the lineup.

Chytil has the most skill, so the most potential, but I would say he is the least likely to achieve his full potential with his concussions…

After him I would say Rossi and Höglander, as they have done it before…and Sasson.

But realistically, in three years I suspect maybe one of the current mid-20s will still be on the team, the rest will have been traded.

On a rebuilt team, they are mainly fourth liners…

Höglander. He still hasn’t been deployed where they can maximize his skillset. He needs to go to another team where can be utilized properly.

The list of mid-20s (25-27) Canucks includes:

Aman – probably seen his peak…solid pro but borderline NHL

Bains – just cannot seem to keep his offensive skills at NHL speed, not likely to develop that now.

Berard – very similar to Bains.

Chytil – intriguing, as so much high-end skill. Now with new work on neural elasticity approach he is using, if he is over that hump, he could turn into a legit upper-end second line center.

Clayton – VERY solid in his own zone, but not enough footspeed and unlikely to add it.

Höglander – intriguing and if he clicks, he can go on a run. Has skill to score 30 goals in NHL.

Karlsson – definition of a late bloomer and is defensively responsible. As he is showing more and more grit AND foot speed, he has a good chance of being a bottom-six fixture and power play specialist with 20-goal upside.

O’Connor – almost a direct comparable to Karlsson, except has some of the best acceleration and top-end speed of anyone his size in the league. As his confidence grows, hi offensive output seems to follow. While MP was the key target of that trade, Drew may end up being a really nice find of a rebuilding team. Also seems to have fun, which is important!

Pettersson – EP40 seems so polarizing, but he is having a great season as a two-way center who creates a lot of great chances. Leads entire NHL in blocked shots by a forward (and that IS leading by example) and only NHL player to have ten or more shot attempts and five blocked shots in a single game. I know many seem to loathe this player, my guess he hits 100 points again twice at least before he turns 30.

Rossi (still only 24) – still growing as a player with great vision and seems to make players around him better. Certainly hasn’t hit his prime yet. May be able to hit point-per-game year in and out as the Canucks climb back up the ladder.

Sasson – you cannot teach speed and hands and Max has both, but unfortunately he seems to not see his linemates often enough, and perhaps at NHL level the game is too fast for his thinking as he often has plays that could be sustained, but doesn’t make the right play. Karlsson’ brain in his body would be ideal! Anyway, is an NHL player for energy and such, but not sure there is more here.

Joseph – what you see now is what you get. Will get his pension but won’t make anyone remember how.

Tolopilo – could be more than a backup if he stopped giving up both a bad early goal in most every game and had some dynamic movements in scramble situations. Looks improved year-on-year, but will take a massive summer this year to see if it is all coming together. I say 50-50.

Woo – injury really has stopped his development and this year has been a big step back for him. Not sure if he will get a real NHL shot now that the Canucks depth on D continues to grow behind him…