7 ways Vancouver Canucks could risk ruining the tank next season
Expectations couldn’t be lower for the Vancouver Canucks heading into next season.
Multiple outlets have them ranked 32nd in their offseason power rankings. FanDuel has the Canucks with +50,000 odds to win the Stanley Cup. The next-worst team (Calgary Flames) has odds of +35,000.
Canucks fans certainly aren’t complaining about that. This is a rebuilding team and the lottery odds race is back on.
But what if the tank goes awry?
This time last year, the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins had the lowest Stanley Cup odds. A Connor Bedard injury kept Chicago in the basement. However, the Sharks nearly made the postseason, while the Penguins surprised everyone by securing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
It seems unlikely that the Canucks could do the same, unless a few of these things happen.
1. The new-coach bump
The biggest upgrade Vancouver made this offseason was at the head coaching spot.
Adam Foote’s lone season as Canucks head coach was a disaster. Not all of it was his fault, although odd lineup decisions, a crumbling structure, and some lackadaisical practices were on him.
Malhotra comes in as a polished communicator, a sound teacher, and a head coach with an actual track record in pro hockey.
The new-coach bump is a real thing. Last season, the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and Penguins were all projected to be bottom feeders before qualifying for the postseason with a new bench boss.
2. Elias Pettersson gets his mojo back
The Petey truthers have been waiting for this one.
Elias Pettersson is now more than 2.5 years removed from scoring 13 goals in 14 games back in January of 2024. That was the last time we saw vintage Pettersson.
A combination of injuries, locker room feuds, inferior linemates, and bad coaching have played a part in his downfall. But the $11.6 million question is: will things be different for Pettersson under Malhotra?
It’s not an expectation, but a bounce-back could catapult the Canucks up the standings. If they don’t trade him first, that is.
3. Demko beats the odds
A healthy Thatcher Demko could result in the Canucks winning more games. (Bob Frid/Imagn Images)
Although they finished with one of their best regular seasons ever, the spring of 2024 was a turning point for the Canucks.
Not only has Pettersson never been the same, but Demko has barely been healthy since exiting a game against the Winnipeg Jets on March 9, 2024.
Since then, Demko has started just 43 of a possible 193 games for the Canucks, which is 22.7 per cent of Vancouver’s games over that stretch.
Demko believes he’s found the answer to his constant injury woes. And, when healthy, he’s proven to be one of the best in the business.
4. The new system works
Foote’s work with Canucks defencemen under Rick Tocchet came into question as the Canucks’ structure evaporated last season.
Whether Demko is healthy or not, Malhotra’s system should make life easier for Canucks goaltenders.
The Canucks will still likely have three or four young defencemen in the lineup, so mistakes are expected. However, Malhotra’s system bears similarities to Tocchet’s, where the goal in the defensive zone is to protect the middle of the ice through a box-plus-one technique. In Abbotsford, the Canucks often played a 1-1-3 in the neutral zone, which can be boring but leads to a less chaotic environment.
5. Power play stays hot
You may be surprised to hear that Vancouver’s power play finished in the top half of the league last season (21.8 per cent, 14th overall).
That wasn’t a fluke either, as they were top-10 in both shot attempts and expected goals during five-on-four hockey.
Filip Hronek was a big part of that, quietly excelling as power play quarterback in Quinn Hughes’ absence.
Pretty surprising #Canucks stat from last year that flew under the radar.
Among all NHL defencemen who played at least 50 minutes on the power play (5-on-4), Filip Hronek led the league in points-per-60.
He quietly took over as the PP QB last season after Hughes left. pic.twitter.com/nob7MJmbNp
— Trevor Beggs (@TrevBeggs) August 14, 2026
One thing to note about special teams under Malhotra. When Abbotsford went on their Calder Cup run, both the power play and penalty kill were humming. During 24 postseason games in 2025, Abbotsford’s power play clicked at 25.7 per cent, and they killed 88.2 per cent of penalties.
6. A top-six breakout
We recently covered young players who could take a step forward. Honestly, it might just take one breakout for the Canucks to meaningfully improve.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki might have the biggest boom-bust potential for the Canucks this season. When healthy, he’s been one of the most efficient goal scorers in the AHL over the last two seasons. The 22-year-old has the potential to score 30 goals if absolutely everything goes right.
Liam Ohgren was one of the better Canucks players after joining via trade from Minnesota (Bob Frid/Imagn Images)
Liam Öhgren could also take a big step forward, especially if he remains in a top-line role. Linus Karlsson scored at a first-line rate while playing fourth-line minutes last season. If he sees more ice time, that could boost the Canucks’ fortunes.
While Jake DeBrusk largely looked invisible at five-on-five last season, his five-on-five shooting percentage was an absurdly low 2.48 per cent. He’s due for some regression to the mean, if he remains in Vancouver.
7. The Buium effect
Of all players on the Canucks roster right now, no one’s ceiling is higher than Buium’s.
The Canucks’ prized young defenceman showed flashes of being an elite blueliner last season, but the chaotic environment was tough to judge him in.
It’s asking a lot of a 20-year-old defenceman to take a big step forward. But if he does, the Canucks could once again have a legitimate top pairing with Buium and Hronek.