The Vancouver Canucks could spend the 2026-27 season showing exactly what this rebuild is supposed to look like.
With September arriving, the conversation around the organization is shifting toward draft-and-prospects season, and the biggest theme is clear: youth is going to be a major part of the picture. Heading into the year, Vancouver could have as many as nine players 24 years old or younger appear for the club at some point, a sizable wave for a team trying to map out both the present and the future.
Up front, the Canucks’ younger group includes Marco Rossi, who is 24, along with Braeden Cootes at 19, Jonathan Lekkerimaki at 22, Liam Ohgren at 22 and Aatu Raty at 23. On the blue line, the list features Victor Mancini at 24, Tom Willander at 21, Zeev Buium at 20 and Elias Pettersson at 22.
That kind of age mix makes this season a useful test for the organization. A rebuild only works if the team learns what it has, and Vancouver has a real chance to do that with a cluster of players who are still early in their development.
Mancini’s role will be one of the more interesting things to watch after the acquisitions of Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn. Those additions make it worth seeing how much room there is for him in the lineup.
Cootes presents a different question. He is listed as one of the 14 forwards on PuckPedia, but there is also a real possibility that the Canucks want him getting more minutes with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League rather than being buried in limited NHL ice time.
The bigger picture is that Vancouver has veterans and younger pieces all mixed together, and the way Manny Malhotra handles that blend will matter. The team does not have its lines set in stone, but there is a sense he could create opportunities for the younger players to take on the kinds of roles that help them grow.
Malhotra’s background in the AHL with the Canucks gives the organization some confidence that he can continue that development at the NHL level. The playoffs may not be the immediate destination during a rebuild, but the younger players could still give fans something to latch onto as they look ahead to what this group might become.
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Canucks Fans Are Getting An Early Look At A Very Different Roster
The Canucks are already back on the ice, even if training camp is still a little ways off. Informal skating sessions began at Rogers Arena ahead of camp opening Sept. 17 in Penticton, and Mondays group offered an early glimpse of a roster that looks notably different after a busy summer. Sixteen current players were identified skating, including new additions Brendan Gallagher, Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn and Paul Cotter.
For Vancouver, the timing matters because these workouts are happening around a building that is already juggling other events. Rogers Arena has upcoming concerts on the calendar, which means players will need to keep finding alternative ice on certain dates. It is a small reminder that camp is approaching fast, and that the Canucks are trying to build chemistry in an environment where even the early reps come with a bit of logistical juggling. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Winger Situation Still Feels Unsettled As Trade Buzz Builds
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Boeser stands out as the more movable name because of the stronger trade market around him, even if his full no-movement clause runs through 2028-29. DeBrusk brings a different challenge, with uneven even-strength production and a no-movement clause that covers 2026-27, leaving Vancouver in a familiar position of having to balance player protection, on-ice fit and whatever interest might develop once other teams sort out their own needs. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Just Got An Early Look At Malhotras Fixes
Manny Malhotra is wasting no time putting structure around his first Canucks coaching staff, assigning clear responsibilities well before training camp opens in mid-September. Ryan Mougenel will handle the offence and power play, Jordan Smith will take on the defensive side and the penalty kill, and Jason Krog will help guide offensive principles along with individual player development.
For a team trying to sharpen its identity under a new head coach, those early assignments offer an immediate glimpse at how Malhotra wants the bench to function. The details matter because the coaching staff will be working with the group soon, and the way those duties are divided should give the Canucks a more defined plan as camp gets underway. [Read more 🡒]