The Vancouver Canucks are actually 11 video games into the 2025-26 season and sit one recreation beneath .500 at 5-6-0. They sit firmly in the course of the Pacific Division, 5 factors forward of the last-place Calgary Flames, and 5 factors again of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights. All in all, they’ve had a fairly good begin, contemplating the circumstances with accidents, adjusting to a brand new system and the brutal schedule they’ve needed to endure. With that mentioned, let’s check out a couple of takeaways from the Canucks’ first 11 video games.
Kiefer Sherwood & Conor Garland Have Been the MVPs
For sure, the Canucks could be in a a lot completely different spot with out Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland. Sherwood leads the staff in objectives with six after his two-goal efficiency towards the Edmonton Oilers, and Garland leads in factors with 11. They’re each on tempo for career-highs and have been carrying the Canucks’ offence for the reason that starting of the season. Garland has solidified his spot on the highest line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, whereas Sherwood is at present main an power line alongside Aatu Raty and Drew O’Connor, who had one in every of their greatest video games as a trio towards the Oilers.
Sherwood and Garland are the epitome of exhausting work paying off. They each have countless quantities of power and appear to will their staff into the battle each time they’re on the ice. Garland mentioned after signing his extension within the offseason that he wished to be extra of a frontrunner offensively this season. Effectively, he’s making good on that promise thus far with among the greatest hockey Canucks followers have seen from him, production-wise. Sadly, he was injured towards the New York Rangers and was nonetheless being evaluated after the sport, in line with head coach Adam Foote. Hopefully, it received’t be for too lengthy as a result of he’s clearly been one in every of their MVPs thus far.
Associated: Rangers & Fast Shut Out Canucks in J.T. Miller’s Return to Vancouver
As for Sherwood, it’s wanting like final season wasn’t only a flash within the pan, however the begin of one thing nice. Might he be the subsequent Alex Burrows, a bottom-six grinder early in his profession, solely to emerge as a distinguished goalscorer able to scoring 30 objectives? We are going to simply have to attend and see on that, however thus far, he’s been even higher than the participant we noticed in 2024-25, and that’s saying one thing.
Pettersson might have began sluggish out of the gates, however over the previous few video games, he’s wanting an increasing number of just like the participant who dominated the league in 2022-23 and put up 102 factors. He’s additionally channeling his internal Pavel Datsyuk/Henrik Zetterberg, returning to the elite two-way participant that isn’t simply within the Artwork Ross Trophy conversations, however the Selke as properly. Whereas his manufacturing thus far isn’t within the realm of the previous but, he’s making early inroads within the latter.
Pettersson at present leads all NHL forwards in blocked pictures with 23, and head coach Adam Foote is trusting him to match up towards high forwards like Connor McDavid and Alex Ovechkin, like Rick Tocchet used to do with JT Miller. He’s beginning to produce extra as properly, with eight factors in 11 video games, and his faceoff numbers noticed an early signal of turning round towards the Oilers, the place he went 16-13 for a 55 p.c success fee. If he can sustain the offence and enhance his faceoff numbers, he shall be a Selke Trophy candidate and, for the primary time since signing his large contract extension, be well worth the cash he’s being paid.
Calder Cup Line Trying Like a Legit 4th Line
Coming into the season, I don’t assume anybody thought the Abbotsford Canucks’ high line in the course of the Calder Cup Playoffs was going to be Vancouver’s fourth line after 10 video games. Effectively, resulting from accidents, that’s precisely what they’re proper now. It’s not a foul improvement, both, as Max Sasson, Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson have been an efficient two-way trio since being reunited towards the Dallas Stars on Oct. 16. Sasson is the one one with any objectives, however their chemistry has been evident, and Foote hasn’t been afraid to deploy them usually at 5-on-5. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see what occurs when the Canucks get wholesome, however they’ve been a nice shock early on.
Thatcher Demko Is Again
The largest optimistic of the season thus far is the play (and well being) of Thatcher Demko. He has began seven video games thus far and has been nice in all of them, posting a 2.18 goals-against common (GAA) and .926 save proportion (SV%) alongside a 4-3-0 file. He might have a fair higher file if the Canucks had pulled out the win towards the Edmonton Oilers within the second recreation of the season, the place he stood on his head and made 34 saves (a couple of of the highlight-reel selection), and given him some run help towards the Rangers, the place he solely allowed one purpose. Mainly, Demko is again to his Vezina Trophy finalist kind, and so long as he stays at that degree, they may have an opportunity to win in each recreation.
Kevin Lankinen Trying Like a Backup, Not a 1B
Sadly, Demko’s counterpart, Kevin Lankinen, who was presupposed to kind the second half of top-of-the-line tandems within the NHL, has struggled to match his efficiency from final season. Whereas it’s nonetheless very early, his numbers have dropped off dramatically to a mediocre 3.74 GAA and .873 SV%. He additionally has three of the Canucks’ six losses, and just one win below his belt – the shootout victory towards the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 17.
The Canucks had been hoping they might run a 1A/1B tandem this season, but when Lankinen continues to wrestle, they may be compelled to play Demko in a starter function once more with Lankinen as a backup, slightly than a 1B. That may be the worst-case state of affairs, and one they may attempt to keep away from, contemplating his wage and the truth that they need to preserve Demko rested and wholesome for a possible playoff run.
Particular Groups Nonetheless Want Work
There have been undoubtedly going to be some rising pains with a brand new teaching workers working each the ability play and penalty kill this season. As of this writing, the Canucks rank twenty second on each of their particular groups and have allowed 10 power-play objectives and solely scored six. They’ve misplaced video games due to their incapacity to kill penalties and rating on the ability play, and that’s not going to chop it for a staff that hopes to make the playoffs. Whereas accidents haven’t helped issues, with Teddy Blueger solely enjoying two video games thus far, they nonetheless have loads of gamers that may kill penalties. For a staff that had top-of-the-line models within the NHL final season, they should be quite a bit higher shifting ahead.
Accidents Testing the Canucks’ Resolve Early On
It was a theme final season, and it’s sadly a theme this season as properly: the damage bug ravaging the Canucks’ roster. Proper now, they’ve a complete of 10 gamers on the damage record, with eight of them being regulars. This previous week has been significantly robust, as Garland was added on Tuesday and Quinn Hughes and Victor Mancini had been added on Saturday. Total, while you embrace Filip Chytil, Nils Hoglander, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, that’s 4 potential top-six gamers at present on the IR. To not point out, key penalty killers in Teddy Blueger and Derek Forbort and a younger puck-moving depth choice in Victor Mancini.
To say the Canucks are shorthanded could be an enormous understatement, and it’s really stunning they’re just one recreation beneath .500. It’s a credit score to Sherwood, Garland (earlier than he was damage), the Calder Cup line, Aatu Raty, and others that they’re nonetheless above water. Hopefully, they may begin seeing the infirmary get much less crowded quickly, as a result of you may solely go so lengthy with out all these gamers in your lineup. The cracks will begin exhibiting finally.
What Do the Subsequent 10 Look Like?
After getting shut out by J.T. Miller and the Rangers on Tuesday, the Canucks are in St. Louis to tackle Pius Suter and the Blues on Thursday. They are going to then journey to Minnesota and Nashville earlier than returning dwelling to face Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks for the beginning of a four-game homestand. One other robust three-game highway journey follows that towards the high-powered Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. For sure, the schedule isn’t getting any simpler, so it will be good if among the injured gamers return to assist pull on the rope.
