For the Vancouver Canucks, the late-summer guessing game has a pretty clean twist this time: which is more likely to happen, Jonathan Lekkerimäki scoring 15 goals or Filip Chytil getting into 50 games?
It’s the kind of question that forces you to balance upside against availability. One player needs a bigger offensive jump.
The other needs his body to cooperate long enough to matter. And for the Canucks, both scenarios come with real uncertainty.
Lekkerimäki is the more obvious swing-for-the-fences name. The 22-year-old has only five NHL goals in 37 games over two seasons, so asking him to hit 15 is no small ask, let alone pushing toward 20 in the broader version of the exercise. But the case for him is simple: if he’s going to make meaningful progress in his NHL career, he has to start looking like a real scoring threat now.
That means playing a lot, and playing high-leverage minutes. He needs a spot in the top six, and he needs power-play time.
He also needs to show the Canucks that his goal-scoring touch can translate beyond junior and other levels into the NHL. The raw talent is there, but the volume has to follow.
Last season, he managed just 10 shots on goal in 13 games, and that kind of passive output won’t move the needle.
There’s also the health piece. Before he can start cashing in on those chances, Lekkerimäki has to prove he’s fully back after season-ending shoulder surgery.
That’s not a minor detail. The opportunity is there, but he still has to answer the bell.
Chytil’s path is more complicated, and honestly, more fragile. The 26-year-old centre dressed for just 12 games last season, making it the second time in three years he’s been limited to 12 appearances or fewer. Injuries have become part of his story, whether he likes it or not.
When he’s available, Chytil brings speed and skill the Canucks can use. He flashed it right away last season with two goals on opening night and another one three games later.
After that, though, the points stopped coming, and head injuries knocked him out of the lineup. His final game came on February 2nd, which means he’ll have more than seven months to get ready by the time training camp opens.
There’s still a positional question hanging over him too: centre or wing. And because this is a contract season, the incentive to stay healthy and put the injury talk behind him is obvious.
Chytil has pushed back before on the idea that too much is made of his injury history, but the reality is hard to dismiss. Some of that is out of his hands.
That’s what makes him such a wild card heading into the 2026-27 season.
So which one feels more likely? The answer here leans toward Lekkerimäki.
He still has plenty to prove, and a 15-goal season would require a lot to break right. But Chytil’s health track record makes 50 games feel like the tougher climb.
In Other News...
Canadiens Trade Debate Just Got More Interesting Up Front
The Canucks rebuild has already put plenty of names into circulation, and Jake DeBrusk is now part of that conversation as Montreal continues to search for more finishing touch up front. DeBrusks recent play and contract situation have made him an easy player to connect to the Canadiens, especially with a roster that could use another proven winger who can slide into a top-six role and help drive offense.
For Vancouver, the appeal is obvious in a different way. If the front office is looking to reshape the roster around younger pieces and future flexibility, DeBrusk becomes the sort of player who can draw interest from a team trying to climb faster. The fit makes sense on paper, but for now it remains just that, with no trade or confirmation on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Are Finally Choosing A Direction Fans Have Been Begging For
After years of searching for the right mix, the Canucks have finally started leaning into a direction that looks built for more than a quick fix. Ryan Johnson stepping in as general manager and Manny Malhotra taking over behind the bench signals a clean shift in tone, with the organization now emphasizing a longer rebuild, future assets and a stronger push to develop younger talent like prospect Caleb Malhotra.
That approach also comes with the part fans usually ask for until it arrives: patience. Vancouver is prepared for some difficult decisions on veteran players and their roles in what comes next, including moving names such as Marcus Pettersson as part of the reset, and the team has acknowledged there may be losing seasons along the way before the plan starts paying off. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Face A Rebuild Dilemma As Free Agency Stays Quiet
The Canucks have kept their summer activity fairly quiet, adding three NHL players along with some AHL depth while continuing to lean into a rebuild that emphasizes flexibility and future assets. For a team trying to balance immediate respectability with longer-term planning, the approach has been cautious rather than aggressive, and it leaves Vancouver with a roster picture that is still taking shape heading toward training camp.
Several pending unrestricted free agents remain in the mix, giving the Canucks another layer of decision-making as they weigh whether to keep stockpiling tradeable pieces or add more help before camp opens. The current depth chart suggests there is room to do more, but it is unclear how much more management wants to commit before the season begins, especially with the trade deadline looming as a possible pivot point for veteran movement. [Read more 🡒]