With the beginning of the Vancouver Canucks 2025-26 season, we decided to look at ten burning questions with the hockey club.
1. Can Thatcher Demko stay healthy?
A lot of the Canucks’ fortunes this season will ride on their goaltender’s health. After playing in 64 games during the 2021-22 season, Demko has appeared in 32, 51 and 23 games subsequently.
Yes, the team has a competent backup in Kevin Lankinen but when faced with everyday duties last March, the affable Finn’s goals against average soared to 3.16 for that month. Keeping Demko healthy by managing his workload will be priority #1 for new head coach Adam Foote.
2. Can Elias Pettersson regain his 30-goal form?
Pettersson told the media at the start of training camp that his stricter off-season training regimen resulted in gaining six kilos. The organization is hoping that their $11.6 million dollar man can get back to the 30-goal plateau after struggling to score only 15 goals in 2024-25.
On a team that doesn’t have a bona fide second line scoring threat, it’s imperative that Pettersson rebound and drive play for linemates Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk.
3. Can Jonathan Lekkerimaki be a contributor?
The Canucks first round pick (15th overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Lekkerimaki started off slow in training camp but kept getting better as the pre-season progressed.
The Canucks are desperately looking for offence and if Lekkerimaki can provide some secondary scoring playing on a line with Evander Kane, it would go a long way in helping the team.
4. Can Evander Kane rebound from missing an entire regular season?
Kane did manage to get into 22 playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers last spring and chipped in with six goals and six assists but faded as the playoffs wore on.
That’s understandable when you return in the high-intensity atmosphere of the post-season and the adrenalin eventually wears off but the Vancouver native was the team’s prized off-season acquisition and the organization is hopeful he can return to his perennial 20-goal form.
5. Can Filip Chytil contribute offensively?
If you are noticing a theme about the Canucks needing offence, give yourself a pat on the back. Chytil is yet another player who management is hoping can contribute in that department.
Acquired in the trade that saw J.T. Miller become a New York Ranger, Chytil only managed to play in 15 games before suffering a concussion in a game against Chicago on March 15 that ended his season. Chytil did score 22 goals in 72 contests for the Rangers in 2022-23 but he hasn’t appeared in that many games since, with a high of 56 games in 2024-25.
6. What about the leadership group?
With the drama of last season, it’s a given that the team didn’t have a strong enough leadership group to have checks and balances in place. Key leaders such as Ian Cole and Nikita Zadorov were missed when it came to keeping things in line.
Kane was the only veteran added in the off-season, so it appears that management believes it is addition by subtraction. As Quinn Hughes mentioned this week, the group is “more at peace right now” and the hope is that this version of the team is more cohesive than last year.
The players have to hold one another accountable and I can guarantee you that is one thing that Foote and his staff are emphasizing.
7. Do the Canucks have enough depth?
Pre-season injuries to Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger will test the Canucks depth up front early on but given the progress of players such as Arshdeep Baines, Linus Karlsson and Aatu Raty in the AHL last season, the Canucks will have suitable bottom-six replacements. However, they can ill afford any injuries
to their top-six forwards.
Likewise on the blueline, where once you start getting into the likes of Victor Mancini and company, you’re getting into unproven commodities at the NHL level. Given the compressed schedule this season because of the Olympics, depth will be of even more importance.
8. How much pressure are head coach Adam Foote and general manager Patrik Allvin under?
It’s a given that the Canucks are in a win-now mode given the contractual status of Hughes. They need to show the 25-year-old superstar that the future of the hockey club is bright considering Hughes is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season.
If things go sideways, the organization has two valuable assets waiting in the wings in the Abbotsford duo of general manager Ryan Johnson and head coach Manny Malhotra. The pair led Abby to the AHL championship last season and their stock is rising around the NHL. In a sense, it’s now or never for Jim Rutherford and company.
9. Do the Canucks have enough size and experience?
The Canucks opening night roster will be lacking when it comes to these two factors. Vancouver has a combined 8,366 games played in the NHL. That’s the sixth lowest total in the league with only Calgary (7,572 GP), Philadelphia (7,622), Chicago (7,312), Montreal (6,325) and Buffalo (6,184) having less.
Throw in the fact that the Canucks are the smallest team in the league (6’1”, 194 pounds on average) and one wonders if the wear and tear of a condensed schedule will play a factor.
10. And the big one…are the Canucks a playoff team?
Vancouver finished with 90 points last season and missed out on the playoffs by seven points. The Vegas line on the Canucks over-under total is at 90.5 points – clearly not a ringing endorsement. An ESPN.com model is extremely pessimistic, predicting that the team will finish with 79 points which places them 25 th
in the 32-team circuit.
It’s going to take a lot of things to click for the Canucks to defy those odds but it is possible.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes about the B.C. sporting scene for Black Press Media. This column is brought to you by:
- The West Coast Auto Group. For the very best car buying experience – be sure to check out westcoastautogroup.com.
- Delaney’s OK Tire Langley and Aldergrove. The experts you can trust. 19863 Fraser Highway in Langley or 3063 275a Street in Aldergrove
