The Vancouver Canucks head into the upcoming season at a crossroads. Following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which they finished fifth in the Pacific Division with a 38-30-14 record, twelve games and 19 points worse than the previous season, things had to change in Vancouver.
Within the past decade, the Canucks have advanced to the playoffs just twice despite several years of high expectations and potential, and are now on their fifth coach, as they look to recalibrate their game plan. With numerous roster moves, for better or worse, here are five burning questions that will define the upcoming NHL season on the West Coast.
Key Storylines for the New-Look Canucks
1. Can Adam Foote Successfully Replace Rich Tocchet Behind The Bench?
In the middle of the 2022-23 season, Tocchet replaced popular bench boss Bruce Boudreau, and a season later took the Canucks to the second round of the playoffs. After deciding not to return following a 108-65-27 record over two and a half seasons, taking up a job with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Canucks now turn to Tocchet’s assistant, former defenseman Adam Foote.
Whereas Tocchet brought an aggressive, high-tempo system to the team, the question remains what strategy Foote will use. While it isn’t completely about the X’s and O’s, it’s about how Foote can get the core group of Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser to buy into a new system after the last one seemed to flame out amongst the drama of last season.
2. What Kind Of Impact Will Evander Kane Have On The Team’s Chemistry?
For the last ten years, Evander Kane has found himself dealing with issues both on and off the ice. However, he has also found himself being sought after by a number of teams either during free agency or on the trade market, as his playoff experience and goal-scoring ability have proven to be valuable.
At 34 years old, Kane is both a risk and reward type acquisition for a team that is trying to establish a winning mentality and culture after years of inconsistency. If Kane buys into the Canucks team concept and provides the leadership the organization is looking for, he could be exactly what Vancouver needs to push their young core to the next level.
3. Is This The Season Thatcher Demko Establishes Himself As A True #1 Goalie?
The Canucks’ history with goaltenders is both a strength and a question mark. At times, they have been amongst the best in the league and then also the worst. A two-time All-Star, Thatcher Demko has the talent and ability to be one of the NHL’s elite goalies, but injuries seem to hold him back from breaking through to that next level.
With the team making significant roster changes and bringing in a new coaching philosophy, Demko will be asked to be the steady presence on the ice while everything else hopefully falls into place. Last season, Kevin Lankinen stepped up into the number one goaltender position, playing 51 games, and has made a case for a 1A and 1B situation. However, the Canucks inked Demko to an extension this offseason that leans the position in his favor. If Demko can revert to the player he was in 2021-22 and 2023-24, the Canucks have a great chance at returning to the postseason. Demko’s performance this season will undoubtedly be a key factor in NHL betting picks analysts when discussing Vancouver’s playoff potential.
4. How Will The Trade Of Dakota Joshua Impact The Team?
His career high in points is 32, and last year, over the course of 57 games, Dakota Joshua tallied only 7 goals and 7 assists. But the fan favorite provided the team with much more than what showed up on the box scores. Trading Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick moved a gritty, versatile fan favorite as part of a cost-saving move. The trade also leaves the team short of a physical, blue-collar player who helped their 2023-24 playoff run.
So the question remains, what exactly is the team’s direction? Are they looking for more skill and speed, or are they going to regret not having a player willing to mix it up on the boards when the puck slows down? As for who steps in to fill Joshua’s role, both in terms of presence on the ice and as a fan favorite, remains to be seen, but regardless, they will have some big skates to fill.
5. Is This The Season Brock Boeser Becomes The Constant Offensive Star Vancouver Needs?
With J.T. Miller doing his thing in New York and Elias Pettersson trying to figure out what happened last season, Brock Boeser finds himself in a make-or-break position heading into the season. At 28 years old, Boeser has consistently demonstrated elite scoring ability and offensive instincts, but aside from the 2023-24 season, when he recorded a career high 73 points, he hasn’t fully realized his potential as much as the team and fans had hoped.
Boeser’s career has been a roller coaster of success. One month, he looks like a legitimate all-star, and the next, he disappears for a long stretch of games, leaving fans and likely coaches scratching their heads. In the early years of what should be his prime, and now with the departure of Miller, Boeser has the opportunity to be one of the pillars that the team builds its offense around. The question is, which version does the team and fans get this season?
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