{"id":470144,"date":"2026-02-24T21:12:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T21:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/470144\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T21:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T21:12:40","slug":"vancouver-canucks-news-rumours-tolopilo-koskenvuo-rossi-buium-ohgren-the-hockey-writers-vancouver-canucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/470144\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver Canucks News & Rumours: Tolopilo, Koskenvuo, Rossi, Buium & \u00d6hgren – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vancouver Canucks <\/a>will come out of the Olympic break thinking, \u201cWhere do we go from here?\u201d The first half of the 2025-26 season has been messy, with injuries, young players still learning the ropes, and team stats flirting with historic lows. At times, it\u2019s hard to care about the boxscore.<\/p>\n

Related: NHL Mock Trade Deadline: 8 Win-Win Deals<\/a><\/p>\n

But even in a season that feels like it\u2019s falling apart, there are threads worth watching: prospects making their case, veterans returning to health, and the kind of curious little storylines that make being a fan worth it, even when the standings are ugly.<\/p>\n

None of these alone will turn the season around. But together, they offer a lens through which the Canucks\u2019 future starts to take shape.<\/p>\n

Item One: Canucks Goalies in Flux After Olympic Break<\/p>\n

Vancouver heads into the second half of the season juggling its crease. Kevin Lankinen is still making his way back from Finland<\/a> after the Olympics, Nikita Tolopilo<\/a> was recalled from the team\u2019s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Abbotsford Canucks, under emergency conditions, and Aku Koskenvuo got a brief NHL taste before heading back to the AHL. Every crease decision matters now, especially with the schedule ramping up. The team needs flexibility to navigate the next few weeks without throwing anyone into the fire unprepared.<\/p>\n

Related: Canucks News & Rumours: K\u00e4mpf, McKenna, Blueger & 1st Round Draft Pick<\/a><\/p>\n

Lankinen won\u2019t play against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, opening the door for Tolopilo or Jiri Patera<\/a>. Tolopilo has shown he can handle NHL minutes \u2014 he\u2019s big, calm, and structured, which makes him a plug-and-play option in moments like this. Koskenvuo, meanwhile, remains in the development stage, and his stint with the NHL group was as much about experience and reps as actual game impact. For Vancouver, this shuffle is less panic and more careful timing: getting Lankinen back in form, giving young goalies exposure, and stabilizing the net down the stretch.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not glamorous, and it won\u2019t fix the standings overnight. But watching how the team manages this period says a lot about where the organization is headed and which players might earn a longer look next season.<\/p>\n

Item Two: Marco Rossi Gets a Second First Impression<\/p>\n

Marco Rossi\u2019s first eight games with Vancouver after the Quinn Hughes trade didn\u2019t exactly leave a mark. Injured for much of that span and playing through what he could, he recorded only two points before missing nearly two months. It wasn\u2019t a terrible start; it was a non-start. Fans were left wondering what Rossi could actually contribute when healthy.<\/p>\n

\"MarcoMarco Rossi, Vancouver Canucks (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Now, fully fit, Rossi has a chance to rewrite that narrative<\/a>. He\u2019s shown top-six scoring potential in the past, and at two years younger than Linus Karlsson, there\u2019s plenty of room for growth. As a key piece in the Hughes trade that brought him over from the Minnesota Wild, Rossi is a high-profile test case: if he finally clicks in Vancouver, it\u2019s a glimpse at the kind of player the Canucks hope to build around in the coming years. Every shift, every puck battle, and every goal will be scrutinized. For the fanbase, it won\u2019t be out of cynicism, but curiosity about what the future roster might look like.<\/p>\n

Related: Canucks Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines \u2013 Pettersson to Kings, Lekkerimaki\/Chytil Injuries & More<\/a><\/p>\n

This is Rossi\u2019s second shot at a first impression \u2014 sometimes that\u2019s all it takes to start changing minds. A strong return could be a small spark in an otherwise challenging season.<\/p>\n

Item Three: The Canucks Prospect Pool Holds the Real Story<\/p>\n

The Canucks\u2019 future lies in their prospect pool. Zeev Buium is impressing with his smarts, mobility, and power-play skill. Tom Willander continues to show steady, two-way potential, which makes a top-four NHL spot seem plausible. Liam \u00d6hgren is finding his rhythm, and Karlsson could surprise observers down the line.<\/p>\n

Add Tolopilo\u2019s flashes in net and Aatu R\u00e4ty as depth, and while Vancouver isn\u2019t stockpiled like the Colorado Avalanche or the Boston Bruins, there\u2019s enough here to imagine a competitive roster a few years from now. This \u201clost\u201d season lets fans stop sweating every loss and focus on development instead. Watching these young players isn\u2019t just about patience; it\u2019s about understanding the framework of a rebuild. Every goal, assist, or save is another brick in a foundation that could eventually be solid.<\/p>\n

Related: Canucks News & Rumours: Hronek, Cootes & Remembering Ferland<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2025-26 season may be ugly in the standings, but that\u2019s the point. It gives the Canucks room to see the future without the immediate pressure of contending. If you\u2019re willing to watch, there\u2019s plenty to keep your attention beyond the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for the Canucks?<\/p>\n

In thinking of the future, fans shouldn\u2019t expect Vancouver to sneak up the standings overnight. But the remainder of the season will tell stories worth noting. Rossi\u2019s health and performance, Tolopilo\u2019s emergency availability, and the continued growth of other young players could hint at what\u2019s to come. Fans are getting a front-row seat to the balancing act between youth, development, and avoiding historical lows. <\/p>\n

The Canucks runway might be short, but every game matters \u2014 whether it delivers frustration, progress, or just plain curiosity. The season\u2019s struggles aren\u2019t the end of the story \u2014 they\u2019re just changing chapters. Watching closely now could mean seeing the early sketches of a team ready to emerge stronger in a couple of years. This isn\u2019t the season to expect wins, but it\u2019s one worth watching if you\u2019re curious about the Canucks\u2019 future.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Vancouver Canucks will come out of the Olympic break thinking, \u201cWhere do we go from here?\u201d The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5128],"tags":[894,5,798,1486,4,8662,893,27,5313,1289],"class_list":{"0":"post-470144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-vancouver-canucks","8":"tag-canucks","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-liam-ohgren","11":"tag-marco-rossi","12":"tag-nhl","13":"tag-nikita-tolopilo","14":"tag-vancouver","15":"tag-vancouver-canucks","16":"tag-vancouvercanucks","17":"tag-zeev-buium"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116127676412414492","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}