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There has never been a Canucks roster that started the season with this level of talent that was so non-competitive night-to-night
Published Apr 06, 2026 • 4 minute read
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Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the first period on Monday night in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights won 4-2. Photo by Candice Ward /APArticle content
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There are two games left at Rogers Arena in what is clearly the worst season the Vancouver Canucks have ever had and then fans can start consulting shamans, building shrines, scouring for four-leaf clovers, burning Mark Messier jerseys — anything they can do to appease the hockey gods to try and land the first-overall pick in this summer’s draft for the first time in their disappointing history.
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Argue wins, point percentage, tanking and stripping down the roster, there has never been a Canucks team that started the season with this level of talent that was so non-competitive night-to-night. Not just after the Quinn Hughes trade — that deal mostly came about because Hughes bailed on his teammates and the city — but also because the start to the season had made it apparent this team that had Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Filip Hronek, etc., was going absolutely nowhere.
Nonsensical front office moves, a first-year NHL head coach who has looked out of his depth since Day 1 and a roster full of players that don’t seem to care for each other or the fans, as evidenced by a truly awful home record, this season should be studied by NHL owners for years to come as to the polar opposite of how to build a team.
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Ben Kuzma took a look at one of the stories of the NHL this season, the Buffalo Sabres, who have suffered through infinite rebuilds to snap a 15-season playoff appearance drought and look like the league’s hottest team heading into the playoffs. Are they even embers of that kind of fire in Vancouver that could grow into a hot commodity in the next couple of seasons?
The Sabres had a vision for the future by sending big scoring winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth last June for right-shot defenceman Michael Kesserling to address a need for an Owen Power partner. It added to previous moves to land centres Josh Norris from the Ottawa Senators and Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers to bolster the top-six mix and depth.
And the Sabres didn’t part with first-round draft picks in 2026, 2027 and 2028 in acquisitions to help the team now and in the future.
“The guys have worked so hard to get to this point,” said long-serving Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. “Every month has been pretty darn consistent, and we played a good brand of hockey. We got rewarded.”
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Meanwhile, the Canucks have roster riddles to solve before next fall. They’ve scored the third-fewest goals, have allowed the most goals, and the penalty kill is dead last. They will set a franchise record for futility on home ice, where they need to make the most impact for fans to keep the faith as ticket-prices rise again.
The Athletic’s weekend rankings seem to have given up having anything to say about the Canucks — and who can blame them?
It’s been a quiet season around these parts when it comes to Canadian content. There hasn’t been a Canadian team in the top five since the season was a month old, back when the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers made brief appearances in the haze of optimism carried over from the year before. The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks have taken up residence in the bottom five, where we’re running out of ways to say “Yep, they’re bad” every week. Vancouver Canucks (22-46-8, -97) — They did it. They clinched dead last, top lottery odds and a worst-case scenario of a top-three pick. Also, Drance wants you to hate Quinn Hughes now.
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At least the Athletic offers a silver lining, looking at the “top prospect” for each team, the Canucks pickings are woefully thin, but, of course, there’s one — just one — who stands out.
Braeden Cootes, C
Vancouver’s first-round pick at the 2025 draft has enjoyed an impressive draft-plus-one campaign, making the NHL team out of training camp and representing Canada in a depth role at the U20 tournament. He then proceeded to score 63 points across 45 WHL games for the Seattle Thunderbirds and the Prince Albert Raiders. Cootes, a well-rounded right-handed centre with quality two-way details and scoring touch in his game, is likely to turn pro full-time next season. — Thomas Drance
Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day.
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