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WDYTT: Which Canuck will increase their point total the most from 2025-26 to 2026-27?
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sep 3, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 2, 2026, 20:10 EDT
Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that has never increased its prices.
Speaking of increasing, it’s not really something that folks are counting on the Vancouver Canucks doing as a team in this upcoming 2026-27 season. Most would be pretty happy if the majority of the Canucks growth was of the internal and intangible variety, and if their place in the standings remained exactly as it was, that being last place.
But individual growth is an outright necessity for a rebuilding franchise. And so, even if the Canucks themselves don’t begin to rise out of the basement by next season, it is expected that some of their players rise up themselves and continue on their path to bigger and better things.
In other words, while the Canucks as a team might not get that many more points than they did last year, they’ll want several players on their team to achieve more points on a personal level. Especially when it comes to the youth movement.
And, really, there’s nowhere to go but up. Last year, Elias Pettersson led the team with a meagre 51 points. Only three other Canucks scored more than 40 points, and the youngest of those players was Filip Hronek at 28.
The Canucks need their next wave to start cresting a little higher as of 2026-27. But who will crest the highest?
This week, we’re asking:
Which Canuck will increase their point total the most from 2025-26 to 2026-27 (and why)?
Let it be known in the comment section.
What does a successful 2026-27 Canucks season look like to you?
You answered below!
burnabybob:
A successful year for the Canucks will simply involve exercising patience and restraint, which haven’t been characteristic of this organization. Specifically, no more over-long, over-expensive contracts to veteran players of questionable long-term value. Promising development of prospects and younger players on the roster. Another high draft pick, preferably first overall to take Dupont, but a top-five pick should land them another good center prospect. Joseph, Privalov, and Sundström all look promising. Those would make this a good year.
JCanuck:
Simple
Simple
Health for Demmer/Chytil, bounce back for EP to 80 pts, 35-40 pts for Zeev, and a top-three pick.
Captain Tank:
Winning a lottery spot.
Rickster64:
(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)
The magic number is 69 points … Bit of an improvement, an 11-point improvement, but still gives them a good chance to finish last overall.
Tim 122:
I want to see the team play with more pushback. Last years team was so passive. The new vets have to show the young guys that you can’t simply skate away from trouble. Show some grit in front of their own net instead of just standing there letting the opponent tip and shoot pucks. The young D were all guilty of that last year. And I would like to see some growth from the young guys. Lekkerimäki and Mancini for sure. But Öhgren and Buium have to show growth as well.
orcaa:
Lots of little story-lines ( Lekkerimäki, EP-40, Mancini, and all the rest of the young players).
I think Bains is done as he is just not good enough. Tolopilo is still a work in progress.
Raf N:
64 points. Lose every game by 1-2 goals except four wins against each EDM/CGY/SEA/VGK, three wins against each Chi/Min, two wins against each Tor/Bos/NYR/Phi/NYI. Gives you 32 wins, 52 losses, 0 OT losses. Lottery win.
Jibsys:
There’s not a lot to say here. They need to ensure they can pick in the top-three again and try to acquire another first round pick.
On the ice, you really just want to see younger players get better and see some progression in rounding our their game. All in all, a significant improvement to team defense is needed so that when they are losing, which they will a lot, at least they are in the fight and keeping games under control.
JustaNucksfan:
45 OT/SO losses all of them either 3-2 or 4-3… Four blowout wins against Edmonton, two blowout wins against Toronto and Boston each, three blowout wins against Chicago.
65 points.
Management staying steady with the rebuild.
Hockey Bunker:
On the ice I am looking for developmental progress with young players…and a team which looks organized.
Off the ice, turning short-term players into potential long-term players by trading them and acquiring draft picks and quickly moving on from anyone who has not followed the bigger faster stronger mandate. The last month of the season, I hope to see two or three Abbotsford players getting a 10-15 game NHL look.
If all this happens, the season is a runaway success.
Magic Head:
Finishing in last place will make next season a success. What would make it an overwhelmingly successful season is if they’re also able to unload all their players with full NMCs in exchange for draft picks and players without NMCs.
Alex h:
RJ and the Sedins have a three-year contract. If they haven’t established a championship calibre core by the time their deals expire, they simply haven’t done their jobs. That is why winning draft lotteries and ruthlessly figuring out which young players fit into the long-term plan are the most critical goals for them, and that is exactly what a successful season looks like.
Antoski:
The current general sentiment in the comment section is obvious and anything aside from a top-three pick and shedding the big tickets are a step in the wrong direction. Also, hope they get something from their RFAs and FAs or just let them walk, ‘cause none of them are real long-term pieces. Save the Cap for RJ’s picks with the hope that when they’re done with their ELCs, they would had earned their RFA deal(s)? Otherwise, keep rebuilding and shedding players/salaries until a winning core organically develops. The real question for me as it relates to the FO: will they get the opportunity from the owner to truly build up a NEW core or will they make the same mistakes that Allvin made in year two of his three-year deal? The mistake of chasing a playoff spot for job security..
Wilson:
My thoughts, which I’m sure mirror many other commentors:
– the draft picks showed the identity management wants, so start to show that – a tougher, quicker team that for sure loses a lot, but is bruising and never quits.
– No locker room drama.
– EP40 making some sort of comeback.
– Some good surprises, like Sherwood from recent memory.
-A healthy Demko.
Anything much more would seem like wishful thinking. But those five would be a good start towards something.
Harold Drunken:
I just want to see some semblance of a cohesive team playing a recognizable structure with players that look like they want to be here. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Following that up with the franchise’s first draft lottery win would just be the icing on the cake, and that’s what asking for too much looks like.
Kiwi Canuck:
Success and a bit of luck…
1) Building an “all for one, one for all, fight to the end” culture
2) Signing Buium, Öhgren, and EP25 to long term deals
3) Developing Cootes and Novotny appropriately
4) Accumulating another two first round picks
5) finally winning the lottery and picking DuPont 1OA
6) drafting some big, quality D, and RWs
7) and RJ continuing his methodical, uninhibited development plan.
defenceman factory:
days ago
This is an interesting question. The Canucks have a lot more to accomplish than most teams and those objectives are much less straightforward than moving up the standings or making the playoffs.
With the management and coaching staff, almost all new these parts of the team have to settle in and function well.
Ensure player development is performing well. This includes having the resources and expertise to carefully monitor prospects not yet within the organization.
A healthy team culture has to start to emerge.
A few trades need to be made. Canucks already have ten picks for the 2027 draft, so they don’t really need a bunch more, but with only one first round pick, it would be a huge success if they found ways to get quality over quantity. This is difficult, as the obvious candidates to trade this season will not bring back first round picks on their own.
Watch the young players/prospects carefully. If someone is showing they are ready to move up, make the trade necessary to clear a spot for them.
On the ice, the Canucks need to be more exciting, starting by playing less in their own end.
They do need to win a few more games particularly on home ice. More importantly they need to truly compete in more games. They cannot display the same apathy they have. You only need to be one point behind the 32nd team to be last, so they can be better without hurting draft position.
Craig Gowan:
I’d like the 2026-27 Canucks to: 1. Show they can play as a team. I’d like to see a team which plays well together and it’s apparent it’s a well-coached team. This would include a structure that features a sound defensive system. 2. Be a team that is assertive not passive. I’d like to see the Canucks acquire a player like Adam Klapka on the Flames 3. Be a team with team cohesion in terms of “team spirit” 4. Show marked improvement from Buium, Willander, EP 25, Öhgren, and other young players 5. Finish 32nd in the NHL for another year.
tyhee:
Success for 2026-2027 Canucks:
- Win the draft lottery.
- Buium, Willander, EP25, Räty, and Öhgren have good NHL seasons.
- Lekkerimäki, Cootes, Malhotra, Novotny, Rogowski, Aaram-Olsen, and at least two other prospects develop well.
- DeBrusk gets traded and O’Connor either traded or extended, both for good returns.
- EP40 plays like a first line center and Demko plays at least 20 games, stays healthy, and by the end of the season is playing well.
- Have the team involved in the community as was often the case in earlier years.
- Have the team playing a well-structured system, staying close in pretty much every game, while still being poor enough to have a reasonably high draft pick in later rounds (the first round being taken care of by #1 above.)
- No Canuck gets so disgruntled as to not only request, but demand a trade.
- There isn’t reason for fans or media to complain about lack of effort or lack of push-back.
Reubenkincade:
Bottom-three finish.
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Vancouver CanucksTeam Cap Summary
Cap Summary
2026-27
2027-28
Projected Cap Hit
$86,185,833
$62,923,333
Projected Cap Space
$17,814,167
$50,576,666
Current Cap Space
$17,814,167
$50,576,666
Active Players
23/23
13/23
Draft Picks
Round
'26
'27
1
2
1
2
2
2
3
1
1