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Former Canucks captain gets post-Olympic spotlight while trade rumours hit all but one ‘untouchable’ Canuck
Published Feb 27, 2026 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 6 minute read
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Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote looks on from the team bench in a Dec. 2, 2025, game in Denver. Photo by David Zalubowski /APArticle content
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Saturday night Canucks action is back, are you excited? While everyone waits for the Tyler Myers shoe to drop, or the Teddy Blueger one, or Evander Kane, or Jake DeBrusk there’s the little matter of a few games to play. It seems the reaction we get from most fans is that they’re OK with a full clear out and the Canucks using a roster that would struggle to compete at the AHL level the rest of the way.
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So, what do you care about? Maybe Canucks former captain Quinn Hughes apparently making an appearance this weekend on Saturday Night Live?
Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin confirmed what FanDuel Sports North publicized Thursday night, with the Wild playing the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, that Hughes will fly to New York on Saturday for his 11:30 p.m. “Saturday Night Live” appearance at NBC studios and then return to New York on Monday for an afternoon taping of Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.
As we’ve covered this week, Hughes’ stock with Canucks fans appears to be dropping both with a realization of how he left the Canucks but also the fallout from the crass behaviour of his U.S. team and teammates following their winning the Olympic gold medal last weekend, along with the political attachment and denigration of their American women’s Olympic teammates.
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Keep your eye out for potentially more local content on SNL this weekend as well. Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie is the host, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see his co-star on the hockey series, Hudson Williams, who is from Kelowna, make a cameo considering the popularity of the Crave series.
Might make more entertaining TV than watching the Canucks in Seattle tomorrow.
The Kraken are still in a playoff spot but have not looked good in two losses this week, including Thursday against the almost-as-bad-as-the-Canucks St. Louis Blues.
Well before Thursday’s 5-1 loss got out of hand, the Kraken weathered a worryingly slow start. It took nearly 10 minutes and five giveaways — St. Louis had seven and none, respectively — for the Kraken to get a shot on net.
“Another game (in which) we were sleepy,” defenceman Brandon Montour said. “You come off the break. You should show excitement, be ready to play some important games all the way in. Obviously we’ve wasted two games here.”
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The Blues were in the same position the Kraken (27-22-9) were in the night before, coming out of a three-week layoff for the Milano Cortina Winter Games. The Kraken were listless in a 4-1 road loss to the Dallas Stars, but St. Louis looked fresh in its post-break debut.
The Kraken will head home, smarting but still in a playoff spot. Their standings nemesis, Anaheim, came back from a 4-2, second-intermission deficit Wednesday night and took its first lead of the game with 1:14 left to beat the Edmonton Oilers in regulation. That victory pushed the Kraken back into the second wild-card spot in the West.
It’s clear Canucks fans already have their eye on the draft. A second-round pick for Myers? Sure. A third for Blueger? Great? Getting Elias Pettersson’s salary off the books? Well that one might be a bit more divisive. They have to retain some skill, right? Nevertheless the only news you’re going to hear about the Canucks between now and next week’s trade deadline is going to be about outgoings.
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The Athletic have ranked the Canucks as the second-biggest sellers in the NHL, behind the Blues.
Pending UFAs: Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, David Kämpf
Others on trade board: Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland
Analysis: It’s full-on tank mode for the Canucks, who are paying for years and years of mismanagement and now have to sell off anything that isn’t bolted down. It’s going to be painful, sure, but at least there’s finally a semblance of a plan and a youth movement on the way.
TSN focused their most recent ‘trade centre’ squarely on Vancouver, suggesting the only ‘untouchable’ is Filip Hronek.
Just how deep are the Canucks willing to go when it comes to selling players at next week’s deadline? TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston suggested Thursday that Filip Hronek may be the only untouchable on the roster.
Dreger noted on Insider Trading that Brock Boeser, who inked a seven-year contract with the Canucks just seven months ago, is willing to consider trade options.
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“It’s interesting to me that Brock Boeser’s name is out there,” Dreger explained on Insider Trading. “This guy just signed a seven-year contract with the Canucks on July 1st. Now, is he willing to move?
“Well, he is, if there’s a fit that makes sense to Boeser and his family. He’s a playoff performer, so teams will express some interest.
“I look at Jake DeBrusk, we talked about Elias Pettersson on Tuesday, but the most likely to get moved in Vancouver, sooner than later, is Evander Kane in the next couple of days.”
It’s pretty pointless to go through the power rankings at this point. You can assume the Canucks are last in every single one. But if you’re into weird sports props, ESPN offers up a betting theme for each team.
32. Vancouver Canucks
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 37.1%
O/U 64.5 (over -115; under -115) With several prominent players likely out the door by the time the deadline hits, Vancouver will struggle to collect more victories. After the Canucks won just two of their past 20, asking them to emerge triumphant in nine of their last 24, plus earn a few overtime loss points, is a lot. Pick: Under (-115)
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If you’re looking for optimism there’s lots of months to focus on the draft. Currently Sportsnet has popular Canucks target Gavin McKenna at number two, though both of their top prospects are left wingers.
No. 1: Ivar Stenberg, LW, 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, Frolunda (SHL)
Many wondered if he would experience a drop-off in production going back to the SHL after the world juniors. That has not been the case, as Stenberg continues to pace himself towards the best draft-eligible season in SHL history. That record is owned by Daniel Sedin with 42 points in 50 games, followed by brother Henrik with 34 points. At time of writing, Stenberg has 32 points in 36 games played. But Stenberg’s status as the No. 1-ranked player is not just because of his point production. It’s his swagger, compete and the way he’s played under pressure that keeps him there for now.
No. 2: Gavin McKenna, LW, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Penn State (NCAA)
Macklin Celebrini and Adam Fantilli are the most recent comparable to McKenna as far as players who went to college at this age. Three years ago, Celebrini had 32 goals and 64 points as a freshman at Boston University. Four years ago, Fantilli had 30 goals and 65 points as a freshman at Michigan. Both were Hobey Baker winners. Until recently, we hadn’t seen that level of production from McKenna, but the eight points he recorded in a Feb. 20 game against Ohio State set a school record and puts him on track to compete with those totals. More importantly, McKenna’s off-puck play and effort to be more responsible defensively have scouts excited.
Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …
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