Liam Öhgren says the biggest thing right now is simple: keep stacking good days.
The 22-year-old is settling in with the Vancouver Canucks and leaning into the chance to grow alongside a young group he believes can build something special together. From his perspective, the energy around the room has made the transition easier.
“It's exciting, and I think right from when I got here, it's been a great spot for me to be in, and to have a lot of young guys with a lot of potential that can build something together, it's special,” Öhgren said. “I think it will only get better and better every year, and hopefully someday end up being really good."
That patience has carried over to how he views his own game. Öhgren described his play as uneven at times, but the response has stayed the same: work, learn, and keep moving forward.
“For myself, I've felt like I've been a little up and down, and but [I] just keep working and try to get better every day,” Öhgren said.
His path to this point has already given him a clear picture of what life in the NHL demands. After making his debut with the Minnesota Wild, he spent most of that time in fourth-line minutes, where the job was about staying reliable and keeping mistakes to a minimum.
Vancouver has opened a different door. Öhgren has had a chance to play higher in the lineup, and that has pushed him to trust his offensive game more and try to make more of each shift. He says that opportunity has changed how he feels about himself on the ice.
“It's a huge difference. I didn't feel confident at all last year at this time. In the beginning, I didn't trust myself at all, and it was a hard time,” Öhgren said.
“Getting traded here and getting more opportunities higher up in the lineup, more ice time and get some bounces with me that got me some confidence. After that I just kept going and this year coming in, know where I am and off the ice as well, with getting a place and be settled and all that stuff, it's been huge for me with my confidence.”
He also pointed to the value of feeling settled away from the rink. With that in place, Öhgren is focused less on where he stands and more on what he can do with the chances in front of him.
As the Canucks continue through an opening stretch against some of the league’s top teams, those early games have become part of the learning process for a team trying to find its rhythm together. For Öhgren, the mission stays the same: keep improving, contribute when he can, and grow with the group.
Listen to this and much more as Öhgren joins Chris Faber on the latest episode of the Canucks Insider Podcast.
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