Foote hints at sensible lineup changes coming for Vancouver Canucks
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The Vancouver Canucks top line of Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, and Brock Boeser spent the entire preseason playing together.
Now, it appears as though they’ve lasted three regular-season games as the Canucks top forward trio.
Aside from a four-goal outburst in the third period of their season-opening win over the Calgary Flames, the Canucks offence has sputtered.
In situations where the game has been tied, the Canucks have the second-fewest expected goals for in the entire NHL. That’s not a shock when you consider how thoroughly they were outplayed early in both losses to the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues.
That’s why it was surprising to see the forward lines remain the same during practice on Tuesday.
Tuesday #Canucks practice lines
DeBrusk. EP40. Boeser.
Kane. Chytil. Garland.
O’Connor. Cootes. Lekkerimäki.
Bains. Räty. Sherwood.Hughes. Hronek.
EP25. Myers.
MP29. Mancini.Extras: Karlsson, Blueger, Joseph@Sportsnet650 pic.twitter.com/BfzOiiENB2
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) October 14, 2025
However, head coach Adam Foote hinted after practice that a few shakeups are likely coming.
“I’m not sure if the lines are going to stay like that when we go into Dallas,” Foote said on Tuesday. “We might move it around a little bit.”
The Canucks coach expanded on what he’s thinking in terms of lines heading into the road trip.
“Right now, I’m leaning more towards going with [Elias Pettersson] and [Conor Garland], and maybe [Evander] Kane, we’ll see… and [Filip] Chytil with [Brock Boeser], and you got the speed with [Jake] DeBrusk.”
With the Canucks stuck in a multi-goal deficit to St. Louis during the third period on Monday, Foote swapped Pettersson and Chytil, leaving each centre with a new set of wingers.
While the analytics have been kind to DeBrusk, Pettersson, and Boeser (55.5 per cent expected goals as a line this season), they were largely invisible during Monday’s loss. That line was also on the ice for St. Louis’ opening goal.
We may see Conor Garland play with Elias Pettersson on the Canucks upcoming road trip. (Sergei Belski/Imagn Images)
Dating back to last season, some of the best hockey Pettersson played was when he skated with Garland. The Canucks have generated offence with both guys on the ice together; they just haven’t been rewarded with actual goals. That’s largely thanks to an unsustainably low on-ice shooting percentage of six per cent.
Foote did suggest that one forward duo would remain together after a solid performance on Monday.
“I thought [Aatu] Räty did well with [Kiefer] Sherwood. We might put [Drew] O’Connor there as well. We’ll see.”
If Foote does roll with that on his first three lines, that leaves forwards Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Linus Karlsson as the healthy forwards on the roster.
Of course, Bains, Sasson, and Karlsson were the top line for the Abbotsford Canucks during their Calder Cup championship run. Bains has two assists in three games, while Sasson and Karlsson have yet to play an NHL game this season.
Teddy Blueger is back at practice and will travel with the team on the road trip, although it’s unclear when he will return to the lineup.