After a 25-win, last-place season, Vancouver opens 2026-27 camp with a new leadership group focused on rebuilding culture and defensive pace.
The Story
Vancouver enters the 2026-27 season after a season the organization would “hardest to erase from memory,” according to a pre-camp preview published by NHL.com/sk. The Canucks won 25 of 82 games, collected 58 points and finished last in the NHL.
The same preview said the Canucks’ playoff absence reflected a large gap—Toronto. For Vancouver, the core message was that the issues were not limited to one component but were spread across the team.
The off-season brought a significant overhaul. The preview notes that general manager Patrik Allvin’s time ended after the season, Adam Foote was replaced as coach by Manny Malhotra, and the franchise’s leadership also included the Sedin brothers, Henrik and Daniel, in club responsibilities.
Ryan Johnson, identified as the new general manager, is portrayed in the preview as emphasizing a change in how the team works rather than promising instant results. He is quoted saying his job is to change “how we train” and “how we prepare,” with results expected to come as a consequence.
A major personnel shift shaped the beginning of the rebuild. The preview says Quinn Hughes, the team’s captain and a Norris Trophy winner in 2024, left for Minnesota Wild in December. Vancouver received Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren, Zeev Buium and a first-round pick in the trade, which the preview characterizes as signalling the end of an era.
With Hughes gone, the preview highlights Filip Hronek as the defensive anchor who produced through the full schedule, appearing in all 82 games and recording an 8+41 line. It adds that Hronek will take on even greater responsibility after Hughes’s departure and that he is again expected to play a large role on the blue line.
The Canucks’ forward group and style are tied to a mix of returns from health and a desire for a more direct, faster brand. The preview frames Malhotra’s aim as playing straightforward hockey and playing quickly, including less waiting and more pressure toward the opponent’s net.
The goaltending situation remains a key question for the early season. The preview notes that Thatcher Demko, after a January hip joint operation, has not yet returned to full-load ice work and is listed as out at the time of the preview. It also notes his workload in the past two seasons, including 20 games handled last season and a season-ending turn after the operation.
Health is also described as the biggest uncertainty for Filip Chytil, who is presented as having been intended as a central piece but limited by injuries. The preview says Chytil has played only 27 games across two seasons, suffered another concussion in October, returned in January, and had his season ended by an incident during training involving a puck to the face.
Beyond health, the preview outlines both roster decisions and the club’s longer-term building blocks. It describes recruiting experience and physicality in the summer, including Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn, Brendan Gallagher and Paul Cotter, as additions intended to raise standards such as toughness and character.
The preview also points to the organization’s internal pipeline, naming Caleb Malhotra as a high-end draft selection. It says Vancouver chose him as its third draft pick this year and describes a “family connection” with Manny Malhotra as his father, while outlining Caleb’s recent junior production and the style traits the club values.
Finally, the preview sets expectations in realistic terms. It says postseason contention is far away for a club coming off the NHL’s worst finish, but that Vancouver must show that the worst version of the team is truly in the past. It also notes that the team hopes to maintain one of its special strengths from the previous season: power-play results, which were described as solid with a 21.8 percent success rate.
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