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Mercifully Vancouver leaves town. Is coaching an issue with this team?
Published Mar 26, 2026 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 12 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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Vancouver’s eight-game homestand comes to an end tonight against the L.A. Kings. In their nine home games in March they have two wins.
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It’s been well covered how bad this team is at home yet no one within the club seems to be able to say why. Lack of talent, no atmosphere, tense young players, bad coaching? Surely they’ll dig deep in the off-season and find a way to justify raising food and beer prices as a way to fix it, right?
GAME DAYIs tonight the night?
Never say never.
The Canucks could catch the slumping Kings at the right time to play spoiler for a rare home-ice win. Or, the league’s last-place club could struggle in the second period where it has been outscored 97-57.
Los Angeles has lost four straight, including a 3-2 shootout setback Tuesday in Calgary, and is losing ground in chase of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Kings are three points back of the surging Nashville Predators, who have won five straight.
There’s opportunity for the Canucks to win for just the ninth time at Rogers Arena in this sorry season. And with just four dates left here, they will have the worst franchise record at home, even if they run the table.
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The previous mark of just 13 wins in a full schedule season came from 1976-77 and 1977-78 squads.
“We have to find a way to win and we’re going up against another opponent that’s heavy, hard and it’s going to be playoff hockey, so we have to be ready,” Canucks head coach said Thursday morning.
Nils Hoglander returns to replace Curtis Douglas tonight and Kevin Lankinen gets his fifth-straight start.
Projected lines, pairings:
Kane-Pettersson-O’Connor.
Ohgren-Rossi-Boeser.
Sasson-Blueger-Karlsson.
Hoglander-Raty-DeBrusk.
Buium-Hronek.
M. Pettersson-Willander.
E. Pettersson-Joseph.
Here’s what to look for
Ben Kuzma has an idea of what you might want to pay attention to tonight.
Young defenders in big rush
At one point Tuesday, Zeev Buium and Tom Willander manned the points on the second power-play unit.
The promising blueliners quickly whipped the puck around, moved smartly in rotations, and caused the Anaheim Ducks matchup problems against the swift and quick-thinking defencemen. It was enough to get pulses pumping of their potential.
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Foote, a former defenceman who is often cautious in doling out praise, was pumped in his post-game address because the pair easily exited their zone and confidently gained the offensive zone. Buium looked comfortable in a first pairing with Filip Hronek, and Willander’s motor was running hot.
“They’re learning,” said Foote. “When they gap up when the puck leaves our zone, they can stuff a turnover in the neutral zone, have more momentum to go back for pucks way harder. They felt comfortable when guys were close to them, and made good reads of beating one guy and not necessarily the second.
“It opens up other players, and they’re just feeling more comfortable. And a lot of it has to do with getting reps and loading their legs.”
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Filip Chytil takes to the ice
The hard-luck Canucks centre skated Thursday morning to test progress from his latest career setback, while the club had an off-ice workout to prepare for tonight.
Chytil, who has had six career concussions, has missed the last 15 games after suffering migraine headache symptoms Feb. 2 in Salt Lake City. Chytil did not return for third period of a 6-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth, in what the club initially called a “tweak.”
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It was then clarified as migrane headaches, which fit with what we were seeing. He was slow in skating progressions through zones, finished with just one shot and a minus-3 rating in just 7:36 of ice time. Migranes are associated with concussions symptoms, along with dizziness and sensitivity to light.
Regardless, any rehab process is a good sign, although the possibility of Chytil playing in 12 remaining games seems like somewhat of a stretch, compared to waiting for the offseason to train.
“I’m sure he wants to,” Foote said of playing before end of the season. “The training staff is probably pushing for him not to.”
May 5 is NHL Draft Lottery
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on May 5 and can be seen on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. As has been the case since 2021, the first two picks in this June’s NHL Draft will be determined after two draws.
Who has the best prospect pools in the NHL
As every Canucks fan knows, it’s not about this season, this is all about the future. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has been doing a countdown ranking on the best prospect pools in the NHL and the Canucks come in at number 15. It’s worth noting that neither Zeev Buium or Marco Rossi are included in the rankings as they’re considered ‘graduated’ prospects, but Liam Ohgren, the third leg of the Quinn Hughes trade is included. If the Canucks snag the No. 1 overall pick and make good use of their second first rounder and their two second rounders you’d have to think their ranking would swell considerably going into next season.
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The Canucks don’t have the quantity of the other pools ranked in the NHL’s upper half, but they have a quality prospect who is going to have a career in the league at all six positions. That’s also without including Zeev Buium, who would be ranked No. 1 in a tier of his own here if he weren’t deemed graduated.
Adding a game-changer at the top of the 2026 draft is imperative, though.
2025 prospect pool rank: No. 21 (change: +6)
Tier 1
1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, 21, Abbotsford/Vancouver (No. 15, 2022)
After a disappointing post-draft season that included two lacklustre performances at the World Juniors and a challenging regular season in HockeyA llsvenkan, Lekkerimaki really hit his stride in the Hockey Allsvenskan playoffs at the end of the 2022-23 season. He re-emerged as a top prospect, winning a World Juniors MVP on home ice in Gothenburg and then leading his SHL team in scoring as a teenager. Some of that progression was likely some natural catch-up given his late July birthday. Some of it was good health after his draft year was derailed by injuries and illness. And some of it was natural talent taking over, and important work he did in areas of his game that needed it.
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Last season, he had an as-expected up-and-down first season in North America that saw him score his first three NHL goals and nearly break 20 in the AHL but also struggle in the Calder Cup playoffs and drift at times in games on a championship team. And though he hasn’t been able to break through and establish himself as a full-time top-nine NHL winger and power play guy this year, he has looked extremely dangerous in the AHL.
Lekkerimaki’s talent is undeniable. He’s dynamic in control and threatening from anywhere in the offensive zone. He can beat you in an instant with a quick catch-and-release or curl-and-drag shot, or hang onto pucks and make things happen himself. He has a knack for hitting holes in the net, frequently beating goalies low-blocker and five-hole. He has A-level hands, a deceptive release, a lethal one-timer and a slyness to his game that allows him to get to spots to score with and without the puck. He has slowly become more threatening on a consistent basis at five-on-five against men, coming and going less in games, fading to the perimeter in control less and making sure he’s getting touches by keeping his feet moving more and working to involve himself in the play. He has learned to play with more intention off the puck and on the forecheck, and has found more consistency in his approach and consequently his game.
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With the right coaching and usage, he has upside as a top-six/PP1 finisher — you want the puck in his hands. He’s imperfect, though.
2. Tom Willander, RHD, 21, Abbotsford/Vancouver (No. 11, 2023)
An excellent directional skater, Willander was a beast for the Swedish under-18 team and Rögle’s junior team in his draft year and drove strong two-way results for the Terriers as a freshman and for the Swedish U20 team post-draft without necessarily taking a pronounced step. Last season, he played top-four minutes as a sophomore at BU and was impactful as Sweden’s go-to D on a shutdown pair with Theo Lindstein, while also sharing the blue line on the power play with Axel Sandin Pellikka. This season, he has played predominantly in the NHL as a 20-year-old, making him one of the league’s younger players at his position, and his underlying results have been OK in favourable deployment.
He’s a strong-in-all-three-zones defenceman who plays a steady, decisive defensive game that uses his balanced skating to swallow up opposing carriers and then push forward or fall back onto his heels and outlet the puck. He pulls away or retreats from pressure with ease, and excels on exits and going back to get pucks. His head is always up. He gets his shots through. And then, on top of the pro frame, the skating and the general athleticism, he also just plays the game with an intentionality that’s rare in players his age. He looks and operates like a pro out there. His passes are quick and firm.
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Willander doesn’t have dynamic skill or creativity on the puck, and his offensive-zone instincts are still coming, but he could become a two-way transition monster in a second-pairing role with continued development. Because of how high a level he defends and skates at, he rarely has bad games and play has normally tilted in his team’s favour at lower levels. And even though the offence doesn’t always pop inside the offensive zone, he’s a comfortable puck mover and transporter. He’s going to have a long career as a No. 3-4.
3. Braeden Cootes, C, 19, Vancouver/Seattle/Prince Albert (No. 15, 2025)
Cootes is a well-liked, well-rounded centre who plays in all situations at the WHL level, was named co-captain in Seattle in his draft and led the low-scoring Thunderbirds in scoring at just above a point per game. He was also outstanding as Team Canada’s captain at U18 worlds, playing well in each game and making an impact when he was on the ice. After making the Canucks out of camp this year, Cootes struggled in his first three NHL games before returning to the Thunderbirds. He has since played for Team Canada at the World Juniors (where he wasn’t particularly impactful in depth usage) and been traded to Prince Albert, where he has become the WHL’s best team’s top centre.
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He’s a strong skater who plays with energy and detail, earning the trust of coaches with his diligent, complete game. He’s a good athlete. He plays with determination as a good penalty killer and five-on-five driver. He plays the bumper on the power play well because of his nose for the net and competitiveness to get to pucks. He gets open and has an NHL wrister and release. He always seems to be lurking around the slot and involved in everything. He works and makes little plays, arriving on time in good spots. He’s just a smart, well-rounded centre.
I’ve wondered about whether he has enough skill to become a top-six type, but he also confidently projects as a top-nine NHLer. His U18s sold me a little more on his skill, and there was a lack of talent around him in Seattle last season, but the World Juniors also showed that against top competition he can struggle to make an impact; his production has never been high-end and he’s average-sized. He has secondary skill and can make plays, though, even if it’s not the focal point of his game. I’m a little lower on him than where he was picked in last year’s draft, but his combination of work ethic, smarts, competitiveness and reliability should result in a long career in the league.
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Tier 2
4. Liam Öhgren, LW, 22, Vancouver (No. 19, 2022)
There has always been a lot to like about Öhgren as a player. He’s strong on pucks, holding them with ease against his peers and with comfort against pros, which has helped him become a natural at drawing penalties and hold his own to start in the NHL. He’s also a combination shot-and-pass, power-and-finesse player who can show a variety of tools over the course of a game. I like the way he shades into and away from pressure in control. His shot comes off his blade quickly, hard and naturally, rocking it back into his stance and letting it go — it really rattles off his stick. He has some underrated craftiness to his game to complement the strength, effectiveness and shooting that are more evident. He releases quickly and goes and gets pucks/wins races. He’s good on the cycle.
He could use another step, but I don’t think his skating will impede him from having a good career as at least a complementary third-liner. (I always thought he might have a chance to be like Brock Boeser, ironically, if things break well.) His skating has also noticeably improved over the last couple of years, looking a little lighter through his crossovers and his pickups, and he finds ways to get to pucks and/or get open around the home-plate area, where his skill and shot take over. Add in a commitment to puck retrievals and battles and a strong base knowledge of when to make the simple play and when to attack, and you’ve got a pretty safely projectable winger.
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And don’t confuse completeness for lack of talent, as I think that can often be misconstrued, and that’s not the case here. He’s not going to be a dynamic, high-skill guy, but he can attack when opportunities present themselves. You can’t fault his effort level. He’s strong. He can score. Again, there’s a lot to like.
Öhgren put together one of the most productive age-adjusted seasons in the history of Sweden’s top junior level and two strong performances internationally for Sweden in his draft year. And he was in the middle of following that up with a strong post-draft season in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan while riding a three-game point streak when he got injured late in January 2023, only to return and pick up where he left off in the home stretch and into the playoffs.
Ultimately, I expect Öhgren to have a long career as a solid NHL player and secondary scorer.
It’s a deep and detailed look at 13 of the Canucks top prospects, we won’t post the whole thing but it’s well worth a read.
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And this summer is sure to feature lots of rumours about trades, starting of course with Mr. Trade Rumour himself, Elias Pettersson as examined by The Sporting News.
The Vancouver Canucks have had a terrible 2025-26 season. After entering the season with the hope of bouncing back from their rough 2024-25 campaign, they are instead at the bottom of the NHL standings.
Due to how this season has gone for the Canucks, they traded several players during the campaign. Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, Lukas Reichel, and David Kampf were among them.
Yet, with the Canucks rebuilding, it would not be the least bit surprising if they continued to trade more of their veteran players this summer. Because of this, let’s look at three Canucks trade candidates for the 2026 NHL off-season.
Elias Pettersson, C
Elias Pettersson has been in the rumour mill for several seasons now, and there is no question that he could use a change of scenery. The 27-year-old centre has had another tough year for Vancouver in 2025-26, and a fresh start could be what’s needed to help him regain his elite form.
Teams looking for a top-six centre could pursue Pettersson during the summer, but his $11.6 million cap hit until the end of the 2031-32 season makes things challenging. If the Canucks are open to retaining some of his salary, that could certainly help a Pettersson trade come to fruition.
Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day.
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