The Vancouver Canucks open the 2026-27 season Tuesday night in Edmonton, and the conversation around this team is already clear: nobody is circling wins and losses as the main measure of success.
That’s not the point of this season. The Canucks’ own management has made it clear the organization is taking a patient route in its rebuild, and around the league, the expectations are bleak enough that plenty of people are picking Vancouver to finish last.
So what should fans be watching for instead? It starts with effort.
This is about whether the Canucks keep working for one another and for the crowd for a full 60 minutes, night after night, instead of fading the way some past teams have at times. Head coach Manny Malhotra put it bluntly during training camp: “There’s a very big difference between losing games… and playing losing hockey.”
Development is the next checkpoint. The Canucks need their younger players to show real growth and give the fan base something to hold onto for what comes next.
That list includes Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Elias “Junior” Pettersson, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Liam Öhgren, and Aatu Räty. The hope is that each of them takes a meaningful step, while players beginning the year in the AHL push their way into NHL roles.
There’s also the entertainment factor. A rebuilding team can still be fun, and that’s part of the vision here.
Malhotra wants the Canucks to play fast, attack aggressively, and spend as little time as possible in the defensive zone. If that style sticks, the results may be rough, but the product should still be worth watching.
As for the opening-night lineup, Jake DeBrusk missed Monday’s practice while dealing with an injury, but he’s expected to play against the Oilers. The projected forward groups have DeBrusk on the left of Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, with Liam Öhgren, Marco Rossi, and Brock Boeser together on the second line. Drew O’Connor, Max Sasson, and Linus Karlsson are next, while Arshdeep Bains, Paul Cotter, and Brendan Gallagher make up the fourth line.
On the blue line, Zeev Buium is projected to skate 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.
Gallagher will make his first appearance for the Canucks, nearly 14 years after his last game with the Vancouver Giants, and he’ll begin on the fourth line. He said he’s already enjoying the energy around the younger players.
“They bring a lot of life to the locker room and enjoyment to the game; it’s fun to see the excitement,” said Gallagher. “It’s a really good young core, and they show up every day, ready to work and put in the time, and they’re excited to be Vancouver Canucks.
So, it’s fun to be around.”
Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s role is one of the more interesting pieces to watch after he looked strong on DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson’s wing in Vancouver’s final preseason game. That spot gives him a real chance to show he belongs in the top six. Aatu Räty, meanwhile, skated at centre on the fourth line at Monday’s practice, but he’s projected to be a healthy scratch to start the season, with Paul Cotter taking over at centre.
Edmonton’s lineup has its own wrinkle. Expectations are sky-high there too, and the Oilers have turned to a hard-ass coach as they try to make the most of a Cup window that’s getting close to the end. Whether that works any better than the Canucks’ experience with John Tortorella is an open question.
The Oilers will be without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins because of a lower-body injury, which leaves their forward groups unsettled. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are likely to be separated, and the projected lines have Isaac Howard with McDavid and Zach Hyman, Vasily Podkolzin with Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen, Alex Formenton with Colton Dach and Mathieu Joseph, and Max Jones with Owen Michaels and Trent Frederic.
On defense, Edmonton is projected to roll out Mattias Ekholm with Evan Bouchard, Jake Walman with Connor Murphy, and Ryan Shea with Shakir Mukhamadullin. Tristan Jarry is expected to start in goal, with Devon Levi behind him.
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