The Vancouver Canucks’ season has gone from disappointing to historically rough - and even with a recent win snapping a brutal losing streak, they’re still sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings. This kind of collapse doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a series of missteps, and one of the biggest has been letting high-impact players walk out the door.
Right now, Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek are tied for the team lead with 29 points. That’s not exactly elite company when it puts them in a tie for 141st in league scoring, alongside names like Patrick Kane and Mats Zuccarello.
It’s not just that the Canucks are struggling - it’s that several players they once had are now thriving elsewhere. Here's a look at six former Canucks who are outproducing everyone currently on Vancouver’s roster.
1. Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild)
2025-26 stats: 46 GP, 4 G, 43 A, 47 PTS
Quinn Hughes is doing things in Minnesota that defy logic - and gravity. Since joining the Wild, he’s been a one-man highlight reel.
Just 22 games into his new stint, he’s already piled up 24 points. That number alone would rank third on the Canucks right now.
Hughes has been dishing the puck like a magician, racking up four games with three or more assists. Only Paul Coffey has ever matched that kind of production with a new team in such a short window.
And Hughes is just one more three-assist night away from tying the Wild’s franchise record - after barely a month in town. The Canucks didn’t just lose a star; they lost a game-changer.
2. Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins)
2025-26 stats: 41 GP, 9 G, 26 A, 35 PTS
The Bruins were supposed to be in a retooling phase after last season’s fire sale, but Elias Lindholm has helped keep them in the playoff hunt. Boston currently holds a slim edge over Toronto for the final Wild Card spot in the East, and Lindholm’s been a big reason why.
He’s taken on top-line center duties, often skating alongside David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. That trio has given Boston some much-needed stability down the middle. Lindholm may not have stuck long in Vancouver, but he’s proving to be a key piece in Boston’s unexpected push.
3. Bo Horvat (New York Islanders)
2025-26 stats: 36 GP, 21 G, 12 A, 33 PTS
Bo Horvat’s still doing Bo Horvat things - scoring goals, winning faceoffs, and anchoring both ends of the ice. Even after missing 14 games this season, he’s managed to rack up 21 goals and 33 points, outpacing every Canuck in both categories.
The Islanders, like the Bruins, have outperformed expectations this year, and Horvat’s two-way game has played a major role in that. He continues to be the kind of player you build around - something Vancouver once did, but no longer can.
4. Tyler Toffoli (San Jose Sharks)
2025-26 stats: 49 GP, 14 G, 19 A, 33 PTS
It’s been over five years since the Canucks let Tyler Toffoli walk in free agency, and they’re still feeling the sting. Since then, he’s put up 308 points across five seasons - just 46 fewer than Elias Pettersson in that same span.
Toffoli has bounced around a bit, suiting up for five different teams, but he’s consistently produced wherever he’s gone. He’s also played in 39 playoff games since leaving Vancouver.
The Canucks? Just 13.
Letting Toffoli go for nothing continues to be one of those “what if” moments that looms large over the franchise.
5. **J.T.
Miller (New York Rangers)**
2025-26 stats: 42 GP, 13 G, 19 A, 32 PTS
Things haven’t gone smoothly for the Rangers this season, but J.T. Miller has started to heat up. The team’s captain has found his offensive rhythm lately, putting up eight points over his last four games.
That surge has pushed him past every current Canuck in the scoring column. While New York tries to find its footing, Miller’s production is trending in the right direction - and it’s another reminder of the high-end talent that once wore a Canucks sweater.
6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs)
2025-26 stats: 50 GP, 8 G, 23 A, 31 PTS
This one might sting the most - not just because Oliver Ekman-Larsson is playing well in Toronto, but because the Canucks are still paying him over $4.7 million this season. The buyout made sense at the time, freeing up cap space to build around a now-dismantled core. But now, with Ekman-Larsson putting up solid numbers for a playoff contender, it’s hard not to wonder what could’ve been.
He’s under contract elsewhere through 2031, but his presence - or rather, his cap hit - will linger in Vancouver for years to come.
Final Word
The Canucks didn’t just lose games this season - they lost a whole lot of talent over the years. Whether it was through trades, free agency, or buyouts, the franchise has watched a long list of former players thrive elsewhere while the current roster struggles to find its footing.
This isn’t about hindsight. It’s about a pattern of roster mismanagement that’s caught up with the team in a big way. And if Vancouver wants to climb out of the NHL’s basement, they’ll need to stop letting top-end talent slip away - and start building something sustainable.