NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks are eager to prove last season’s disappointing step back was just an exception by quickly returning to the promise shown two seasons ago.

With few roster upgrades so far, Vancouver is counting on a return to form from top center Elias Pettersson, a return to health for No.1 goalie Thatcher Demko, a defense general manager Patrik Allvin believes is top five in the NHL, and a consistent message by promoting first-year head coach Adam Foote to accomplish that bounce-back.

Forward Evander Kane, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a June 25 trade, is the only big addition this offseason, leaving the Canucks short of their stated intent to upgrade at center after trading J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31. But the last-minute decision by forward Brock Boeser to re-sign July 1 rather than leave as an unrestricted free agent, and contract extensions for forward Conor Garland and Demko, at least ensures the return of a core group determined to prove they are better than last season showed.

“Last year, I think, carries a lot of noise that isn’t as warranted,” Garland said after signing a six-year, $36 million contract that begins in 2026-27. “We dealt with injuries right from the start. … We had a lot of top players hurt. I think we’re a pretty good hockey club. We’ve got a really good coaching staff, we have some really good pieces coming back, and I think the noise is a lot louder than what we feel in the room, so we’re a confident group.”

Garland listed off injuries to Boeser (concussion), top-pair defenseman Filip Hronek (shoulder), and Demko (knee), whose season didn’t start until Dec. 10 and was twice more interrupted by injuries. There were also late season injuries to Pettersson (oblique) and center Filip Chytil (concussion), since-traded forward Dakota Joshua missed the first month recovering from surgery for cancer, and No. 1 defenseman Quinn Hughes missed 14 games with lower-body injuries he struggled trying to play through for long stretches.

Despite those injuries and “the noise” surrounding a rift between Pettersson and Miller that led to the latter’s trade, the Canucks finished 38-30-14 last season, well off the pace that saw them win the Pacific Division in 2023-24, but as Garland stressed, still just six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

“We overcome a lot of adversity,” Garland said.

It continued in the offseason when Rick Tocchet chose to leave on April 29, less than a year after being voted the Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year, before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers on May 14. Foote was named the new Canucks coach that same day after spending the past three seasons as an assistant under Tocchet and wasted little time meeting with the leadership group and building belief in what’s to come.

“I have so much faith in our team and the pieces that we have, and Adam Foote too,” Boeser said after signing a seven-year, $50.75 million contract July 1. “Look at our ‘D’ core and the goalies, it’s so good. Everyone talks about the centers and getting another center, but us forwards know we need to be better.”

Vancouver finished 23rd in scoring last season averaging 2.84 goals per game, well off a 3.40 average that ranked sixth the season before. The Canucks also lost versatile forward Pius Suter — whose 25 goals tied with Boeser for second on the team — to the St. Louis Blues in free agency.

Allvin believes the team’s identity will be in how well — and how hard — it defends after finishing 18th averaging 3.06 goals against per game.

“Our back end, our goalies and our defense, are in my opinion probably top five in the League,” he said. “When you have that, you know you’re going to be hard to play against.”

Allvin also believes his defense is capable of contributing more offensively beyond Hughes, who won the Norris Trophy in 2023-24 and is second in scoring among defensemen over the past two seasons combined with 168 points (33 goals, 135 assists) in 150 games. He cited conversations with Foote during the hiring process, and with new assistants Kevin Dean, Brett McLean, and Scott Young during recent meetings, for that optimism.

“There will definitely be some X and O changes and I’m not sure if the regular fan will see it right away, but I hope when things settle in they will see the adjustment in how we want to play,” Allvin said. “Our defense needs to be joining the rush more and provide more of a second wave of a threat and I do think attacking and getting out of our own end clearer with the defense core we have will allow us to play faster and more connected.

“And once you get into the offensive zone, you can definitely expect to see our defense getting quicker to shots, getting quicker to the harder areas, and getting more shots on net. … I think we have definitely enough talent to be more creative and obviously scoring more goals.”

A bounce-back from Pettersson would go a long way toward accomplishing that. He had 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 64 games last season, well below the NHL career-high of 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) he had in 2022-23.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Pettersson told NHL.com/sv independent correspondent Peter Ekholm on Aug. 6. “Actually, I haven’t thought about it, but for myself it’s revenge. I’m not happy with last season.”

Few Canucks were. Now it’s up to mostly the same group to prove it was just a blip.