It’s the kind of matchup that used to come with built-in tension, but the Canucks and Rangers are meeting in a very different place now.
Elias Pettersson and Vancouver are still connected to the J.T. Miller storyline, even if most of the old noise has faded.
Nearly two years after the Canucks sent Miller to New York during their disastrous 2024-25 season, the roster around the two stars has changed so much that this feels less like a reunion and more like a glance back at a different era. The drama that once followed the pair has largely given way to two teams trying to settle into the season they have now.
That’s especially true in Vancouver, where the club seems content with the feel of its “ego-less” room and what it’s getting from Pettersson, even if the losses may pile up this year. Miller, meanwhile, has settled into life as the Rangers’ captain and even sounds comfortable enough to joke about the whole thing. New York enters Sunday at 4-2-0, with Miller leading a group that looks very different from the one that left him behind.
For the Canucks, Aatu Räty is expected to re-enter the lineup in place of Arshdeep Bains, according to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. Vancouver’s projected forward groups have Jake DeBrusk with Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki on the top line, followed by Paul Cotter with Marco Rossi and Linus Karlsson, Liam Öhgren with Max Sasson and Brock Boeser, and Drew O’Connor with Räty and Brendan Gallagher.
On the blue line, the projections have Zeev Buium paired with Filip Hronek, Jamie Oleksiak with Tom Willander, and Elias Pettersson with Luke Schenn. Kevin Lankinen is expected to start in goal, with Leevi Meriläinen backing him up.
That choice carries a wrinkle of its own. Lankinen was credited with the loss in Saturday’s game after he allowed the eventual game-winner in five minutes of relief at the end of the first period, stepping in when Meriläinen had a skate issue. Meriläinen had started that game.
New York’s situation is more dramatic, because the Rangers just lost Igor Shesterkin to a season-ending injury in Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals. That is a brutal blow for a team that now has to keep going without its Vezina-winning goalie.
Colin Stephenson of Newsday Sports projected the Rangers with Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Dorofeyev up top, then Tye Kartye alongside Miller and Alexis Lafrenière. Will Cuylle, Noah Laba and Eeli Tolvanen are listed on the third line, with Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar rounding out the forwards.
The defense pairs Vladislav Gavrikov with Adam Fox, Marcus Pettersson with Sean Durzi, and Alberts Smits with Braden Schneider. Dylan Garand is expected to start in net, with former Canuck Spencer Martin backing him up after returning from injury.
Through six games, Lafrenière has been New York’s best player, with four goals and six points. It’s still early, but that start looks like a clean reward for the upside that made him the No. 1 pick in 2020.
In Other News...
Canucks Send A Clear Message With Surprising Blue Line Decision
The Canucks made a noticeable change on the blue line against the Rangers, sitting Jamie Oleksiak and giving Guillaume Brisebois his first game of the season. It was the kind of lineup decision that says as much about the coaching staffs expectations as it does about the player getting the nod, especially with Manny Malhotra looking to manage both development and performance on the back end.
Brisebois got into the action quickly, finishing with two shots, two hits, a blocked shot and a penalty in 12:44 of ice time. Malhotra framed Oleksiaks night off as a chance to reset and simplify, with the emphasis on being more physical and cleaner in the breakout game, a clear reminder that the Canucks still see a specific role they want him to return to. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Suddenly Have An Early Problem Fans Cant Ignore
A four-game skid has quickly turned an encouraging start into a more uneasy conversation around Vancouver, and the trouble has shown up in a few familiar places. The Canucks have not been able to get steady work in goal, their defense has given up too many quality looks, and the penalty kill has been a drag instead of a backstop, leaving the team chasing games more often than not.
Kevin Lankinen has had a rough stretch in net, which has only sharpened the focus on how exposed the club has looked when shifts break down in its own end. Even so, there have been a couple of small bright spots to hang onto, including Jonathan Lekkerimaki and a young defenseman who have stood out while the rest of the group searches for a cleaner response. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Road Trip Is Suddenly Exposing A Bigger Problem
The Canucks six-game road trip hit another rough patch at Madison Square Garden, where Vancouver fell 6-2 to the Rangers and saw familiar issues resurface in a hurry. Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson provided the only offense, with Pettersson even chipping in a shorthanded goal, but it was not enough to offset a night when the game tilted heavily the other way.
Kevin Lankinen was left to absorb most of the damage after allowing six goals on 25 shots, and the result only deepened the concern around how this trip is unfolding. Through the first three games, Vancouver has been outscored 17-5, a stretch that is starting to make the road trip feel less like a rough patch and more like a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]