The 2025-26 season has been a rough ride for the Vancouver Canucks, and Monday night’s 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks might’ve been the lowest point yet. A team that was already expected to struggle has now dropped nine of its last ten games, and frustrations are starting to boil over-especially in the locker room.
After the loss, rookie defenseman Tom Willander didn’t hold back. He was blunt, frustrated, and brutally honest about what went wrong.
“I don't think we played good anywhere today,” Willander said. “I think pretty much every detail was bad; can't name anything good today.
At least the last few times we had results like this, I think we did a decent job in many parts of our game. But today, I thought, was awful.”
It’s rare to hear a player speak that candidly, especially a young defenseman in his first full season. But it’s also a sign of just how far things have slipped for a Canucks team that’s now staring down its 31st loss of the season.
Ironically, it was Willander who gave Vancouver a spark early. Just 1:15 into the first period, he opened the scoring with a goal that, at the time, looked like it might set the tone for a bounce-back performance. But that momentum evaporated quickly.
From there, the Canucks were outplayed in nearly every facet. San Jose peppered Vancouver’s net with 33 shots, and while Nikita Tolopilo posted a solid 92.6% save percentage in relief, Kevin Lankinen struggled, stopping just half the shots he faced. That kind of disparity in goaltending made it tough to stay competitive.
The Canucks weren’t without chances-they managed 25 shots on goal-but Yaroslav Askarov was locked in between the pipes for the Sharks. He turned away 92% of what came his way and looked confident doing it, frustrating Vancouver’s forwards all night long.
Discipline also continues to be a problem. Vancouver took six penalties, including a seven-minute stint for Evander Kane after a roughing and fighting sequence. That kind of time shorthanded is hard to overcome, especially for a team that’s already struggling to find its rhythm.
Filip Hronek managed to get one back late in the third, but by then the outcome was all but sealed. It was a consolation goal in a game that had long since slipped away.
This is a team that’s clearly searching for answers. Head coach Adam Foote has a young roster, and while there’s talent, the execution simply hasn’t been there. Whether it’s defensive breakdowns, goaltending inconsistency, or an inability to stay out of the box, the Canucks are finding new ways to lose-and it’s taking a toll.
The silver lining? If there is one, it’s that players like Willander are showing they care.
His postgame comments weren’t just frustration-they were accountability. And for a team that’s likely headed toward the draft lottery, that kind of leadership matters.
There’s still time for the Canucks to salvage some pride this season. But if they’re going to do it, they’ll need more than just effort-they’ll need structure, discipline, and a commitment to the fundamentals. Because right now, as Willander made clear, there’s not much working.