Vancouver Canucks 2025/26 Season Preview: Bounce Back or Bust?

Can the Canucks turn chaos into a playoff return?

A Quick Look at the Canucks’ Last Season

Record: 38–30–14 (90 points)
Result: Missed playoffs by six points
2025–26 Stanley Cup Odds: +6000 at Sports Interaction
Projected Points: 91.5

Vancouver’s Offseason Recap

Vancouver chose belief over rebuild. Instead of tearing things down, management doubled down on the core. Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland signed extensions, and Brock Boeser avoided free agency with a new seven-year, $50.75 million deal.

Rick Tocchet stepped away in April, replaced by assistant coach Adam Foote. It is Foote’s first NHL head-coaching job, and he inherits a roster with talent, baggage, and something to prove.

The team added Evander Kane from Edmonton for a fourth-round pick, betting on his size and edge to give the forward group more bite. Dakota Joshua was traded to Toronto, and Pius Suter left for St. Louis. Nils Hoglander will miss the start of the season after a lower-body surgery.

2025/26 Canucks’ Team Outlook

Offence: All Eyes on Elias

Elias Pettersson’s production collapse defined last season. He went from 102 points to just 45, and Vancouver’s attack never recovered. Foote’s first job is to help his star centre find confidence again.

Jake DeBrusk led the Canucks with a career-high 28 goals and was a bright spot on the top line. Boeser remains a steady finisher, while Kane adds net-front presence and physicality. Filip Chytil, acquired in the Miller deal, brings speed but must stay healthy. Rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki could see top-six time early with Hoglander out.

If Pettersson bounces back and DeBrusk repeats, Vancouver’s offence can compete in the Pacific. If not, the scoring depth is thin.

Defence: Hughes Still the Engine

Quinn Hughes is the heartbeat of this team. When he is on the ice, Vancouver dominates possession. When he sits, they struggle.

Hughes and Filip Hronek anchor one of the league’s better top pairs. Marcus Pettersson provides stability behind them, and Tyler Myers continues to eat heavy minutes. Derek Forbort adds a reliable penalty-killing presence, while defenceman Elias Pettersson looked NHL-ready in limited action last spring.

Foote’s system should tighten things up, but the group still leans heavily on Hughes to drive transition and offence.

Goaltending: Demko’s Health Is Everything

Thatcher Demko’s injuries derailed last season. When he is healthy, he is elite. When he is not, Vancouver is ordinary.

The team hopes a full offseason of recovery brings back his old form. Kevin Lankinen proved capable in a starter’s role last year and signed a five-year deal to stay in Vancouver. Together, they give the Canucks one of the better tandems in the West if both stay on the ice.

Vancouver’s X-Factors

Elias Pettersson: Needs to rediscover his confidence and drive play like a true 1C.
Thatcher Demko: A full, healthy season keeps Vancouver in the playoff picture.
Evander Kane: Adds grit, size, and experience to a top six that needs it.
Quinn Hughes: Still one of the best defencemen in hockey and the key to everything.
Adam Foote: Must steady the room and get buy-in from his stars in his first year behind the bench.

Vancouver Canucks 2025/26 Betting Outlook

Sports Interaction’s NHL Futures board lists Vancouver at:

+6000 to win the Stanley Cup

+3000 to win the Western Conference

+115 to make the playoffs

The Canucks’ value sits in the playoff market. At +115, Vancouver is a near coin-flip to return to the postseason.

Best Bet: Vancouver to Make the Playoffs (+115)
If Demko stays healthy and Pettersson rebounds, this team has enough talent to grab a Wild Card spot. The blue line is strong, the goaltending is solid, and the core is still in its prime.

Longer shots like +1500 for the division or +6000 for the Cup are pure gambles, worth only small exposure unless Vancouver starts hot out of the gate.

So, What’s the Final Verdict on These Canucks?

Vancouver is built to rebound but cannot afford another year of injuries or inconsistency. Foote’s first season will depend on Demko’s health, Hughes’s brilliance, and Pettersson’s ability to rediscover his form.

Prediction: 92 points, 4th in the Pacific Division, Wild Card contender
Bottom Line: The Canucks have the pieces to return to the playoffs. It is all about health, focus, and proving last year was a fluke.