Canucks: Is this a fourth-placed team?

Breadcrumb Trail Links

JFresh Hockey predicts the Canucks will pick up 98 points this season, good for fourth in the Pacific Division.

Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox Sign Up

Published Aug 30, 2025 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 3 minute read

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Elias ‘Junior’ Pettersson takes control of the puck during a game in Dallas in April. Photo by LM Otero AP Photo /APArticle content

Two seasons after winning the Pacific Division, are the Vancouver Canucks already also-rans again?

Advertisement 2

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account

Article content

Emotionally, it’s undeniable that this team is different from the one that won the division two years ago, that looked like it was just a player or two away from being a proper contender.

Article content

Last season was atrocious. There were few positives to come from it, although it could be argued the resetting of the defence corps qualifies as one of those few.

With Elias (Junior) Pettersson’s game surely set to grow and Tom Willander making his first steps into professional hockey, the re-buttressed defence corps has lots of room to grow too. That’s good.

That, as we know, is a good thing about this team. But there are questions about scoring goals — Elias Pettersson needs to find his scoring game again, and overall the team needs to find a way to fill in the hole left by J.T. Miller — and about goaltending, with Thatcher Demko wanting to put three seasons’ worth of injury issues behind him.

Canucks Report

Thanks for signing up!

Article content

Advertisement 3

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

It’s a team of “ifs”. If Demko regains old form, if Pettersson does the same, if Filip Chytil can stay healthy and be a viable second-line centre night-in, night-out — if those all play out, this is a team that will seem to be back trending in the right direction.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will want to put three seasons’ worth of injury issues behind him. Photo by LM Otero /AP

But even then, they may just be the fourth-placed team in the division.

Prognosticators like JFresh Hockey are starting to home in on what this season could look like. In JFresh’s projection, the Canucks will get to 98 points, but only finish fourth in the division. Even so, JFresh predicts, that will be the sixth-most points in the Western Conference.

If you’re the Canucks, given last year’s disaster, you will like this as a baseline. Of course, every team wants to be seen at the top of the standings and then fighting for the Stanley Cup. The Canucks were none of those last year.

Advertisement 4

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

They came into the season with those ambitions, but it all blew up.

This is a tough division. There’s the back-to-back Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers, the always-going-for-it Vegas Golden Knights, and the upstart Los Angeles Kings.

JFresh’s projection has the Oilers and Knights neck-and-neck in first place on 108 points. The Kings are projected to finish one point ahead of the Canucks.

Given everything we have seen from the Canucks in 2025, this seems a fair estimate of where they’re at.

If guys likeFilip Chytil really do perform as hoped, that will make for a pretty nice baseline to build from. Photo by Sean M. Haffey /Getty ImagesThe half-full take

The optimist will look at where the Canucks sit and say, Hey, not so bad. Add a couple players and all of a sudden this team is truly back on course.

That’s fair enough. If Elias Pettersson regains dominant No. 1 centre form, if Demko resumes the kind of play he put down in 2023-24 when he was a Vezina finalist as league’s best goalie, that will make a huge impact. And if guys like Chytil really do perform as hoped, that will make for a pretty nice baseline to build from.

Advertisement 5

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

The Canucks could be back where they thought they were a year ago, in a position to make a couple of big moves to improve the lineup ahead of a playoff push.

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Elias N. Pettersson in Dallas in April. Photo by LM Otero AP Photo /APThe half-empty take

The pessimist will look at last year’s disaster, at the overall lack of team success brought about by what’s left of this core, and say: Why should we think 2024 was anything more than a one-off?

And that’s also fair enough. There has been internal frustration about the lack of winning attitudes in the dressing room. The talent is there, but is the desire, management has lamented to many.

When you’re under pressure, as this team surely is, that is when your character, your will to win, comes under the ultimate test.

And too often, that hasn’t happened for this group. The pessimist will look at a fourth-place projection and wonder if that’s still high.

So, which are you? Half-full or half-empty?

pjohnston@postmedia.com

Canucks: Jake DeBrusk was like ‘the middle man’ between Pettersson and Miller

Canucks: OHL trade puts prospect Riley Patterson with projected early NHL Draft pick

Article content

Share this article in your social network

Canucks: Is this a fourth-placed team?

Tags: