There\u2019s also a reasonably large handful of hardworking, high-character veteran players with local ties \u2014 Colton Sissons, Beck Malenstyn and Troy Stecher among them \u2014 that would be suitable free agent targets for a rebuilding team to consider. There are several more players with some ability to play a top-nine role and build up their value. Players like winger A.J. Greer, right-handed centre Kevin Stenlund, winger Jeffrey Viel and defender Ville Heinola might be worth speculating on if the price is right.<\/p>\n
Identifying needs<\/p>\n
Vancouver\u2019s needs, in short, are everything.<\/p>\n
This is a team short on top-line talent and short on depth. Short on quality centres, scoring wingers and reliable, veteran defenders who can reasonably log top-four minutes, too.<\/p>\n
This is a team that needs to rebuild its star-level core from scratch, which means that the Canucks\u2019 biggest needs have nothing to do with the lineup.<\/p>\n
Vancouver is already reasonably well-positioned from a draft capital perspective, both in 2026 and over the medium term. There is still significant work to be done in adding top-round draft selections over the next two to three years, but Vancouver\u2019s position is already appropriate for a rebuilding team.<\/p>\n
Currently, the Canucks have 36 picks through the 2029 NHL Draft, a total that closely matches the number of picks made by Montreal (39), Anaheim (36) and San Jose (36) during their rebuilding stints over the previous four drafts.<\/p>\n
The Sharks, however, have picked seven times in the first round across the past four drafts, and will do so two more times in June, including at No. 2. The Ducks have made six first-round selections over the previous four years, in constructing their own promising young core.<\/p>\n
Vancouver has made a good start in accumulating futures, but this is a team that should be hunting for additional first-round picks, ideally conditional picks that could convey at higher value in future seasons.<\/p>\n
Cap and roster space<\/p>\n
Vancouver will enter this offseason flush with significant salary cap flexibility, but that doesn\u2019t mean what it used to mean in an era of cap growth.<\/p>\n
The Canucks will also enter this offseason with a roster that\u2019s effectively full.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s model this out over at PuckPedia by projecting a full and surprisingly credible 23-man roster, including 13 forwards, seven defenders and three goaltenders:<\/p>\n
(Courtesy of PuckPedia<\/a>)<\/p>\n With that roster intact, Vancouver is poised to enter the offseason with well over $20 million in cap space. It\u2019s a healthy sum, especially when you consider that the Canucks are still carrying over $6 million in dead money cap hits due to the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout and the money Vancouver agreed to retain in trading Tyler Myers to Dallas.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the roster number crunch that Vancouver will have to be careful about navigating, more than any salary cap considerations.<\/p>\n It\u2019s really at the point where the Canucks will probably need to shed player volume first in order to speculate on veteran reclamation projects in free agency and on the trade market.<\/p>\n Trade chips<\/p>\n Given Vancouver\u2019s roster position, it seems only sensible to expect that the new Canucks brain trust will be motivated to continue the deconstruction of this roster. It\u2019s probably the primary question of Vancouver\u2019s offseason: \u201cHow aggressive will Ryan Johnson and company look to be in shedding long-term cap and salary liabilities to create the space required to build something fresh?\u201d<\/p>\n Here are the key trade assets that we\u2019ll be focused on as this offseason unfolds:<\/p>\n Filip Hronek: The soon-to-be 29-year-old right-handed defender is the last remaining veteran player who is also a premium trade asset. Hronek has total sway over the decision for another two seasons and appears settled in Vancouver, but these things tend to be negotiable. The Canucks will have to weigh the wisdom and risks of carrying a depreciating asset of Hronek\u2019s value and calibre during the depths of their rebuild. The Canucks will select third at the NHL Draft, and the general industry consensus has strongly linked them to OHL centre Caleb Malhotra<\/a> ever since the draft lottery. The Athletic has heard throughout this process that Chase Reid has been in the mix for Vancouver near the top of their draft board.<\/p>\n Of course, there\u2019s also the possibility that San Jose opts to draft a defender with the second pick. Would Vancouver really pass on a potential NHL-ready star winger like Ivar Stenberg if he were still available at No. 3?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Canucks-PuckPedia.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJake DeBrusk: DeBrusk is widely viewed around the industry as the most likely of Vancouver\u2019s veterans to be dealt this summer. The veteran winger has a full no-move clause through the 2026-27 league year, and is a consistent \u2014 if streaky \u2014 20-goal scorer and net-front power play ace, who\u2019s also a high-end skater.\u00a0 That should carry some measure of value, although the term remaining on DeBrusk\u2019s deal will probably limit his trade value somewhat.
\nElias Pettersson, the centre: A one-time top-line centre who has performed at the level of a 3C for two and a half years now, Pettersson still has six years remaining on his $11.6 million per season contract, which also carries a full no-movement clause. The structure of Pettersson\u2019s deal will make him more valuable in the future than he is today, even if he never recovers the dynamic form that first earned him this contract. On the other hand, given the organization\u2019s constant commentary about his habits and preparation, it\u2019s certainly fair to wonder if he\u2019s the right presence for the organization to keep around through the early stages of a forthcoming youth movement?
\nNils H\u00f6glander: With two years remaining on a three-year, $3 million per season deal that H\u00f6glander signed before the start of the 2024-25 campaign, H\u00f6glander is relatively expensive for a winger who has never been able to earn the trust of three separate coaches required to contribute regularly in an everyday top-nine role. There\u2019s no questioning H\u00f6glander\u2019s work ethic, motor or skill level, but he\u2019s yet to put it all together. If the club were to make H\u00f6glander available, he would probably still have some measure of cachet with some NHL teams.
\nDrew O\u2019Connor: O\u2019Connor is coming off a very good season in which he converted shots into goals at an elevated percentage, worked hard consistently, carried himself like a consummate professional and contributed helpfully in a variety of phases of the game. The veteran winger is entering the final year of his deal, and seems likely to be sold eventually, whether it\u2019s this summer or at the trade deadline. Will the Canucks be tempted to get out ahead of it, given their overall roster crunch entering this offseason?
\nDraft considerations<\/p>\n