With NHL free agency about to open, the Canucks are still very much a work in progress. But if you freeze the roster right now and imagine Manny Malhotra drawing up his first lineup card as head coach, there’s already a rough shape to what Vancouver could roll out.
The biggest takeaway? There’s obvious room for the Canucks to add.
A veteran depth centre would make sense, and so would at least one more player with some bite. Ryan Johnson has made patience a point of emphasis since taking over as general manager, so the roster may not change quickly.
Still, based on what’s here today, there are at least some educated guesses to make about how the forwards could fit together.
Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson and Linus Karlsson would form the top trio in this snapshot, even if it doesn’t exactly scream “crowd-pleaser.” Pettersson is still the best centre on the roster, and DeBrusk remains the top left winger for now despite his 5-on-5 scoring issues last season.
Karlsson, meanwhile, earned his way into a bigger role by leading the club in even-strength points. He scored 15 goals while averaging only 12:31 of ice time, and he looks ready for a chance higher in the lineup.
He wins battles, goes to the net and has done enough to deserve a real look.
A second line of Liam Öhgren, Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser carries more momentum. Boeser finished strong after the Olympic break, leading Vancouver with 10 goals and 23 points in 25 games.
Rossi, when healthy, was second on the team in scoring with 20 points, and the two appeared to click. Öhgren adds size, speed and a forechecking edge that can create room for Rossi.
It’s the kind of mix that could tell you a lot about Öhgren’s first full season as a Canuck and whether Rossi can carry his late-season form into camp.
The next group - Drew O’Connor, Aatu Räty and Brendan Gallagher - comes with more uncertainty, but also a little bit of everything. O’Connor scored 17 goals last season, though he tailed off late.
Räty has once again been penciled in as a third-line center candidate, even though he struggled to stay in the lineup down the stretch. He did help Finland win gold at the World Championship, which at least gives him some positive momentum.
Gallagher is the new face here after speaking Monday following the trade, and the Canucks will be hoping he can bounce back after a seven-goal season in Montreal and still be the nuisance he’s long been known to be.
The fourth line projection is where the fit gets especially murky: Max Sasson, Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Sasson looks the most natural in that role, with speed that can make life uncomfortable for defenders.
Chytil is harder to place, but he’s on the roster, under contract, and for now lands here - with the clear caveat that he is not a classic fourth-line center and that health remains a major concern. Lekkerimäki is also being placed here more out of necessity than ideal fit.
He hasn’t yet proven he’s ready to stick in an NHL top six, so this gives him a starting point, some power-play opportunity and a path to climb.
There are also a few names sitting just outside the lineup picture. Braeden Cootes would ideally repeat the preseason he had a year ago, the one that forced the Canucks to keep him around. But in a perfect world, the 2025 first-round pick would spend a full season in Abbotsford as a 19-year-old under the new CBA rules.
Ty Mueller also has a case. He was a Manny Malhotra favorite in Abbotsford, and the 23-year-old now has a real chance to push for NHL work after proving himself as a steady all-around AHL contributor.
Then there’s Ilya Safonov, who brings a very different look. At 6-foot-5 and 222 pounds, the 25-year-old Russian centre offers size that stands out at the bottom of the lineup, and he’s coming off a 16-goal, 33-point season in the KHL.
Arshdeep Bains is the other name to watch, though his path is less certain. The 25-year-old had just one goal in 28 NHL games last season and seemed to slide down the depth chart as the rebuild moved forward.
Malhotra knows him well, which may help, but Bains still has to show more. At this point, he’s fighting to prove he deserves another shot in Vancouver.
In Other News...
Canucks Are Betting On One Risky Free Agency Approach
Ryan Johnson is heading into NHL free agency with a clear template for the Canucks: add veteran players with strong character, enough bite to help the younger defensemen, and a physical edge that fits the roster better. Vancouver also has the cap room to be active, but the preference sounds more measured than splashy, with short-term commitments and an eye toward players who could still carry value later.
A.J. Greer, Colton Scissons, Boone Jenner and Kevin Stenlund are among the names being discussed as fits for that approach, and the Canucks are also weighing whether there is room for another familiar face to come back into the fold. If those additions start to stack up, the next question becomes how Vancouver creates the necessary space, especially with several established pieces already in the mix as possible trade candidates. [Read more 🡒]
Former Flame Troy Stecher Lands Another NHL Opportunity
Troy Stecher has found another NHL landing spot, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs as he continues a career that has taken him through seven teams and into his 10th season in the league. For a player who built his reputation in Vancouver as a reliable, undersized defenseman with a steady edge, the latest contract is another sign that he still has a place in a league that keeps asking him to adapt.
Stecher sounded pleased with the arrangement and also clear-eyed about where his game sits now. He said he wants to sharpen his offensive touch without giving up the defensive details that have kept him around this long, a familiar balancing act for a veteran trying to stay useful as the league changes around him. [Read more 🡒]