The Canucks were back on the ice Tuesday morning at Rogers Arena, and the early session came with a few notable tweaks before the team headed out on a six-game road trip.
After a full day off Monday following back-to-back weekend games, Vancouver held a roughly 45-minute skate at 9 a.m. - an unusual start time, but one that fit the team’s noon charter to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Jake DeBrusk was back in the fold after missing both weekend games with an illness. He returned to his familiar spot alongside Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, giving Vancouver one of its more established forward looks back in place.
There were other changes up front as well. Paul Cotter, fresh off being named the NHL’s third star of the week on Monday, skated on the left side with Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser.
Max Sason stayed in the middle between Liam Öhgren and Linus Karlsson, while Manny Malhotra also had Drew O’Connor taking reps at centre between Arshdeep Bains and Brendan Gallagher. Aatu Räty spent most of the morning as the extra forward, though he did rotate in for O’Connor at times.
The blue line featured a couple of new pairings, too. Victor Mancini, who still hasn’t appeared in a game this season, skated with Elias Pettersson, and Luke Schenn lined up with Guillaume Brisebois. The top two pairs stayed unchanged: Zeev Buium with Filip Hronek, and Jamie Oleksiak with Tom Willander.
As they have all through training camp and the preseason, the Sedins and Ryan Johnson were watching from the top of the lower bowl. Assistant GM Richard Seeley and Director of Player Personnel Daren Hermiston were also in the building for the session.
The skate wrapped up with Cotter leading the stretch in a circle at centre ice, a moment that drew stick taps from his teammates.
Filip Chytil remains sidelined as he continues to recover from the shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason. He has not returned to practice and will not travel on the road trip.
Malhotra said the early workout was about making sure the team didn’t waste a rare chance to get touches in before flying out.
“Looking at the schedule there are very few opportunities to get practices in. So it would have been easy to say ‘hey we’ve got a long flight, we’ll get there early and have a nice dinner’ but these are the days we have to take advantage of to get the (puck) touches we need.”
Cotter, meanwhile, said the recognition from the league was a nice reward after a strong start.
“Obviously I put a lot of work in over the summer. I think everyone wants the start to go like that and get some confidence early.
You can’t expect it. But it’s a nice start for sure.”
DeBrusk, who has just one point so far and said he still feels like he hasn’t really gotten going this season, was happy simply to be back around the group.
“Well, I don’t think I’ve started my year yet. I’m still excited to play.
Obviously, watching the guys battle for the last two games is tough. It’s the first time in my career I’ve missed games because of illness.
I’m starting off at zero. The last few days I’ve been kind of doing nothing, but being able to skate today, see the guys, it gives you energy.
You feed off of them, everyone’s in a good mood and it’s nice to be back in the room”
In Other News...
Canucks Already Have An Aatu Rty Problem To Sort Out
Aatu Rty has barely gotten a foothold to start the 2026-27 season, sitting out the first two games as a healthy scratch and averaging just 9:43 of ice time when he has dressed. Before the Canucks headed out on their road trip, he was the extra forward at Tuesdays practice, which is not exactly the kind of usage that suggests a growing role. For a young player still trying to carve out a place in the lineup, it is already a delicate spot.
The bigger issue is what comes next, because the Canucks do not have many easy options if they decide he is not fitting cleanly into their system. Rtys path to a more secure role may involve a shift to wing, but even that comes with its own challenges, and the club cannot simply tuck him away in the AHL without risking losing him on waivers. For a team that would rather keep developing depth than giving it away, that makes his situation one to watch closely. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Loss Exposed The Early Problem Fans Were Worried About
Ottawas season opener had the kind of uneven start that can follow a team for a while, especially when the first period gets away from it early. The Senators fell 5-3 to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, and while there were positives on the scoresheet, the broader concern was familiar: Ottawa spent too much of the game on the back foot and had to chase after a rough opening stretch.
Tim Sttzle, William Eklund and Drake Batherson each chipped in with a goal and an assist, so the offense did show life. Samuel Ersson also settled in for his first start with Ottawa and made 31 saves, but the Senators were still dealing with early pressure and penalty trouble, the sort of issues that can quickly turn a tight game into one that feels like a scramble. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Schenn Knows What This Canucks Road Trip Could Really Build
On the eve of a long road trip, Luke Schenn was talking less about matchups and more about the small routines that can hold a team together when it leaves home. The veteran Canucks defenseman has spent years around different NHL rooms, and he said the culture around bonding has changed over time, but the purpose has stayed the same: team dinners, time away from the rink and a chance for players to connect and unwind.
For Vancouver, that matters now because the next stretch will keep the group away from home long enough for those habits to matter. Schenn framed the road as a place where a team can build something beyond the standings, and the Canucks are about to find out how much of that chemistry carries through a demanding trip through Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Florida and Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]