The Abbotsford Canucks are heading back home for a four-game homestand, hoping to bounce back after a frustrating three-game road trip through California. It’s frustrating, even though they managed to kick things off with a solid 3-1 victory over the San Diego Gulls.

The remaining two games of the trip? Well, 14 goals against should tell you all you need to know. It’s a trip showcasing glimpses of potential but exposed glaring issues the team must address moving forward.

There were positives to take away from the road trip. Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s offensive surge was undoubtedly the brightest spot.

The 20-year-old Swedish rookie picked up four goals and five points over the three games while launching an impressive 17 shots on net. Now sitting at five goals, two assists, and 39 shots in just seven games, Lekkerimäki is quickly emerging as an offensive force in the AHL.

His sniper-like accuracy and quick release have drawn obvious attention, but even he wasn’t immune to the team’s defensive shortcomings. He ended the trip with a minus-four rating, bringing his total to minus-eight on the season.

Between the pipes, Jiri Patera was instrumental in the opening 3-1 win, making 26 saves to help secure the victory. However, consistency proved elusive as Patera allowed four goals in the final 10 minutes of the second game, leading to a chaotic 6-4 collapse.

The return of Arshdeep Bains added a welcomed boost to the lineup for the final game of the road trip. In his season debut, Bains collected three points, though even he was subjected to a minus-two thrashing in his season debut.

Ultimately, Abbotsford returns home with a middling 5-5-0-1 record after 11 games, placing them fifth in the Pacific Division. They’ve allowed 39 goals so far — the second-highest total in the AHL — raising valid questions about the team’s defensive structure and overall consistency.

The defensive numbers tell a worrying story. Only one regular defenceman, Elias Pettersson, holds a positive plus/minus rating, with a plus-four.

Mark Friedman also carries a plus-two but is currently sidelined indefinitely after suffering a concerning, undisclosed injury last week.

The rest of the blue line has been porous. Christian Wolanin sits at minus-two, Kirill Kudryavtsev and Cole McWard are both at minus-three, while Jett Woo sits at minus-five. Meanwhile, Guillaume Brisebois has been particularly struggling, ranking 843rd out of 844 league skaters with a dismal minus-11 rating.

It’s clear that the Canucks’ defensive structure needs work. Defensive breakdowns — from missed coverages to poor rush defence — have been all too frequent.

The issues aren’t isolated to the blue line; goaltending has also been inconsistent.

Jiri Patera has been the more stable of the two goaltenders, carrying a .899 save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average. While he’s put up some solid periods, including allowing just two goals over 10 frames, his collapse in the second game of the road trip highlights the team’s overall fragility in net.

On the other hand, Nikita Tolopilo has been having a rough go of it lately. After starting his season with three straight wins, Tolopilo has been pulled in two consecutive games, conceding 11 goals on just 34 shots across those outings. His numbers have now ballooned to a 3.81 goals-against average and a .850 save percentage — far from what Abbotsford needs to steady their season.

With Patera now injured after leaving Wednesday’s game, 20-year-old Ty Young has been called up from the ECHL. Young has impressed in his two professional starts, stopping 74 of 76 shots, but will he be the answer to the team’s defensive woes?

So, what’s going on in Abbotsford? Is it a coaching issue? Are the young players struggling to adjust? Should fans be hitting the panic button?

To answer the latter: Absolutely not. It’s way too early for that. Yes, the defensive effort has been lacking, but there’s more context here.

The Canucks are undergoing several growing pains, which is par for the course on a developing team. First and foremost, this is Manny Malhotra’s first year as a head coach at the professional level. The players are still adapting to their systems, and implementing new philosophies always takes time. For a young team, this learning curve is even steeper.

And this Abbotsford roster is young — very young. Two of their regular defencemen, Pettersson and Kudryavtsev, are just 20 years old. For the first time in franchise history, the team is leaning heavily on five full-time roster players under the age of 23.

With such youth comes inevitable hiccups.

The AHL, by nature, is a difficult league to navigate, especially for a new coach. The roster sees constant changes, and maintaining consistency in such an environment can be a challenge. Already, Abbotsford has dressed 28 different skaters in just 11 games, making it tough to build chemistry and establish set lines — at least this soon.

Moreover, the Canucks came into Wednesday’s 8-5 defeat having played five games in eight days, adding to the fatigue factor. When you combine the wear and tear of travel with young players adjusting to a new coach’s systems, it’s a deadly combination bound to cause havoc within the lineup.

Yes, the team needs to address their defensive issues, and some of the goals conceded during the road trip were simply inexcusable. But the bigger picture suggests patience is key here. By this point last season, Abbotsford sat at 6-4-1-0 and had conceded 40 goals, one more than their current total. They managed to turn things around then, and there’s no reason to think they can’t — and won’t — do the same this year.

Malhotra is still getting his feet under him as a head coach, but the potential is there. Establishing systems and a winning culture takes time — especially with a young, mixed group like Abbotsford’s.

While the defensive side of the game has been underwhelming, the Canucks have shown they can light the lamp. With 30 goals in 11 games, they currently rank eighth in the league for scoring.

They are also shooting at just 8.2%, meaning there’s room for improvement in finishing their opportunities, which should boost their offensive output as the season continues.

Meanwhile, their PDO (a combination of shooting percentage and save percentage) ranks among the lowest in the league, suggesting that a bit of positive regression is due.

The return home provides an opportunity for a reset—time to regroup, practice, and catch their breath.

There’s no need for panic, folks.

The Canucks are still working their way through early kinks, and these setbacks are part of that journey. The AHL is, after all, about development — and development comes with ups and downs. It requires time, patience, and persistence.

The Canucks are back at home this weekend, kicking off a four-game homestand with back-to-back games against the Bakersfield Condors. The puck drops at 7:00 pm Pacific Time at the Abbotsford Centre on Saturday.