The Vancouver Canucks finally have something to hang onto after a brutal stretch, and it came in the form of a 10-game losing streak that they were able to stop Tuesday with a third-period rally against the Anaheim Ducks.
That comeback mattered because the Canucks had been spiraling in all the ways that sting most: not enough shots on goal, and a penalty kill that has been downright ugly. The win bought them a little breathing room, but it also did not erase the mess they’ve been dealing with early in the season.
Still, it hasn’t been all doom. Elias Pettersson has rediscovered his power-play one-timer and is producing at a 90-point pace, which would have sent Canucks fans into a full double-take if they’d heard it before the season started.
Beyond that, there are a few actual bright spots worth paying attention to.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki has looked every bit like a real NHL scorer. He leads the Canucks in goals and sits second on the team in points.
On the back end, Elias Pettersson has been logging heavy minutes in the top four and leads all Canucks in corsi percentage, while also adding a few goals of his own. Linus Karlsson, who is stretching the usual definition of “youth” at 26, has quietly climbed to fifth in team scoring with nine points.
And Zeev Buium, after some rough early-season moments, is starting to show the dynamic defenceman the Canucks believe he can become.
If you want a better read on where this organization might be headed, the Abbotsford Canucks may be the more useful place to look. While the NHL club was stuck in its losing streak, Abbotsford ripped off five straight wins and moved to the top of the Pacific Division.
Braeden Cootes, Riley Patterson, and Ty Mueller have all been part of that surge, and 24-year-old Jacob Quillan has added another layer of offense since arriving in the Aatu Räty trade. Quillan is on a four-game point streak and just posted a hat trick in his last game.
The prospect pipeline has other names trending the right way, too. Adam Novotný has been excellent in the OHL, Anthony Romani has been lights out in the NCAA, and Caleb Malhotra is drawing rave reviews at Boston University. Lucian Bernat is a point-per-game in his rookie OHL season, Connor Davis has four points in five NCAA games, and Aiden Celebrini is skating on Boston University’s top pairing while playing some of the best hockey of his career.
And then there’s the draft angle, which may be the most important part of the whole picture. The Canucks’ place in the standings is ugly, but it also puts them on the right track for a major swing in 2027. With a 3-10-1 record, they are in last place in the NHL and on pace for 42 points, which would give them the best draft lottery odds.
That doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed the first pick - Canucks fans know that better than most - but finishing last would mean they won’t fall any lower than third overall. And if they miss out on Landon DuPont, the projected first-overall pick and a potentially elite number-one defenceman, there will still be serious talent on the board in Sergei Skvortsov, Jonah Neuenschwander, Nazar Privalov, Milan Sundström, and Dima Zhilkin.
In Other News...
Former Canuck Carson Soucy's Sudden Slide Says Plenty
Carson Soucys path since leaving Vancouver has taken another sharp turn. After signing a one-year, one-way deal with Columbus following a professional tryout, the former Canucks defenseman has appeared in just seven games this season before the Blue Jackets decided to put him on waivers.
It is the kind of move that says plenty about how quickly a veterans standing can shift in the NHL, especially for a player trying to re-establish himself after a change of scenery. If Soucy is not claimed, the next stop would be the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate in Cleveland, which only adds to the uncertainty around where his season goes from here. [Read more 🡒]
Bubl Just Weighed In On The Canucks Frustration Fans Feel
Michael Bubl has never been shy about his Canucks fandom, and after Vancouvers recent stretch of frustration, he decided to reach out directly to Brock Boeser with a message of support. The singer, who has long followed the team closely, framed the moment as part of a bigger rebuilding process and urged patience from both the players and the fan base as the Canucks try to piece things together the right way.
Bubl also pointed to a recent comeback win in Anaheim as the kind of result that can keep a season from drifting too far off course, even when the losses pile up and the mood around the team gets tense. For Vancouver, the challenge is balancing short-term frustration with the longer view, and having a prominent supporter reinforce that message only adds to the sense that the next steps matter just as much as the last result. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Linked To Young Winger But The Trade Cost Could Sting
The Canucks are being tied to a young winger with a pedigree, and the appeal is easy to see. Any club that thinks it can buy low on upside will at least kick the tires on a player who once went in the first round and has had trouble carving out a regular NHL job.
The catch is that Washington does not sound eager to move him for a modest swap. The Capitals are said to be looking for a real return, with the price drawing comparisons to the Egor Chinakhov trade value, which could mean draft capital and a player or two leaving Vancouver if talks ever get serious. [Read more 🡒]