The Vancouver Canucks are 15 games into their 2026-27 season, and the numbers have already turned into a Halloween mixed bag. They’re 3-11-1 heading into today’s home date with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the picture gets even stranger when you start sorting the stats into tricks and treats.
For one thing, the offence has not completely vanished. Vancouver still sits in the top half of the NHL in overall goals for with 45, good for 11th in the league. At 5-on-5, the Canucks have 28 goals, which ties them with the Montréal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres for 14th in the NHL.
The goaltending side of the ledger is a different story. Vancouver’s combined save percentage is .859, which puts the club at the bottom of the league and just under .860.
Kevin Lankinen is at .812, while Leevi Meriläinen sits at .898. Around the league, other goaltenders below .900 include Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at .885, Karel Vejmelka of the Mammoth at .881, and 2026 Stanley Cup winner Brandon Bussi at .865.
There is at least some scoring punch showing up in Abbotsford. Two Abbotsford Canucks have already hit five goals or more through the team’s first nine games: Ty Mueller with six and Jacob Quillan with five.
Three AHL Canucks are averaging exactly a point per game right now. Mueller leads the team with 10 points in 10 games, 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes has three goals and three assists in six games before a lower body injury sidelined him, and defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev has six assists in five games for a team-best 1.20 points per game.
As for the home ice comparison, last season’s group still had the edge through 15 games. The 2025-26 Canucks were 2-4-0 at home after 15 games, while this year’s team is 1-5-0. That means the 2025-26 club had one more home win through the same point in the schedule.
The Canucks’ Halloween night matchup with Toronto now gives them another chance to change the story.
In Other News...
Canucks Suddenly Have A New Lineup Question Up Front
The Canucks forward depth chart got a quick shakeup with Jacob Quillan coming up from Abbotsford, giving the club another look at a player who has settled in well since arriving from Toronto a few weeks ago. Quillan has started strong in the AHL, and his promotion adds a fresh option up front at a time when Vancouver is trying to keep its lineup stable.
Filip Chytils move to injured reserve creates the opening, and it also underscores how quickly the Canucks have had to adjust around his health this season. He is dealing with an upper-body injury and is eligible to return next Thursday, so Vancouver now has to manage the short-term gap while waiting to see how the next stretch unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Suddenly Have Another Filip Chytil Injury Scare
Filip Chytils latest scare came after a hit from San Jose Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse, and it sent the Canucks back into familiar territory with a player whose availability has too often been tied to injury updates. Chytil missed practice afterward while the team evaluated him, a frustrating development for a forward who has been trying to build momentum and stay clear of the kind of contact that has derailed him before.
Manny Malhotra said Chytil will get the day off for the upcoming game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving Vancouver to manage another uncertain stretch without one of its more intriguing pieces. Chytil has been working on his on-ice awareness to help avoid dangerous situations, but for a player with his injury history, every collision seems to carry a little extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Like This Young Winger More Than His Trade Cost
A young winger with a tantalizing profile is suddenly in the trade conversation, and the Canucks are among the teams said to be paying attention. Ivan Miroshnichenko has drawn interest around the league as Washington makes him available, and Vancouvers curiosity makes sense for a club that is always looking for upside on the wing without having to wait too long for it to develop.
The catch is the price tag, which is where the discussion gets tricky for a Canucks front office that has to balance present needs with future value. Miroshnichenko has not yet locked down a full-time NHL role in Washington, but the Capitals are still believed to be setting a steep asking price, and that alone could determine whether Vancouver keeps kicking the tires or decides the fit is better than the cost. [Read more 🡒]