Canucks season preview: Gallagher, Schenn added to help Malhotra build positive culture

The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins Sept. 29. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Vancouver Canucks.

Last season: 25-49-8, eighth in Pacific Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Coach: Manny Malhotra (first season)

Biggest challenge

Trying to establish a winning culture during a season when victories may be hard to come by could be perhaps the biggest of several challenges facing Malhotra, who has since noted, "There's a very big difference between losing games, which is inevitable, every team is going to do it, and playing losing hockey." A renewed focus on defensive details and the free agent additions of defensemen Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak (the latter started on a top pair with Filip Hronek), could help improve on last season's last-place finish in goals allowed (314) and last-ranked penalty kill (71.5 percent). Forward additions Brendan Gallagher and Paul Cotter improve the depth and physicality, but there still is a long way to go offensively after Vancouver finished tied for 30th in goals scored (210) last season. The Canucks will need incumbents Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser to bounce back, and the belief is a better environment will help.

How they make playoffs

Vancouver isn't rebuilding with the stated goal of making the playoffs this season, but a return to form for Pettersson as a top-line center, and a return to health for No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko would seem mandatory to stay in the race. Demko finished second in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the League's best goalie in 2023-24 but missed the end of that season and all but one game of the playoffs because of knee injuries and has played 43 games in two seasons since. The 30-year-old is working his way back from January hip surgery and has not yet practiced with the team during training camp, but is skating with goaltending coach Marko Torenius and expressed optimism after last season. His latest surgery could help end the lower-body injuries that have plagued him. Pettersson set NHL career highs in goals (39), assists (63) and points (102) in 2022-23, but the 27-year-old has fewer goals (30) and points (96) in the past two seasons combined. While his defensive play has remained high, the Canucks need him to find at least some of that old scoring touch.

Most intriguing addition

Gallagher was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on June 29 after a disappointing end to the season in which the 34-year-old played three of 19 games during the Canadiens' run to the Eastern Conference Final. There is little doubt about the work ethic and leadership Gallagher, who has talked excitedly about coming back to his hometown, brings to Vancouver, and his experience with Montreal's rebuild should help. He had 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 77 regular-season games last season, so it will be interesting to see if Gallagher can play his way up the lineup and get a chance to show off the work around the net that helped him score 246 goals in 911 regular-season games in 14 seasons for the Canadiens.

Biggest potential surprise

Linus Karlsson led the Canucks in even-strength points (31) last season -- the first full NHL season for the 26-year-old forward -- and 13 of his 15 goals also came at even strength, third behind Boeser and Drew O'Connor (15 each). All of which might make his inclusion as a "surprise" seem odd, but Karlsson did most of that work playing limited minutes on the third and fourth lines last season. But so far during training camp he has been part of the top line with Pettersson and DeBrusk, a combination that should provide increased offensive opportunity at even strength.

Ready to contribute

Jonathan Lekkerimaki has proven he can score in the American Hockey League, with 33 goals in 63 games despite a variety of injuries and illness the past two seasons, and the Canucks appear eager to give the 22-year-old forward every opportunity to show his elite shot can translate to the NHL. Selected in the first round (No. 15) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Lekkerimaki opened training camp on a line with Marco Rossi and former Swedish Hockey League teammate and good friend Liam Ohgren. There are few doubts about Lekkerimaki's offensive ability in open space, but after season-ending shoulder surgery in February delayed his offseason workouts, the 5-foot-11, 172-pound right wing still has to prove he can win puck battles at each end and get to scoring areas around the net in the NHL. 

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Zeev Buium, D: Buium had 26 points (six goals, 20 assists), 13 power-play points and 73 shots on goal while averaging 19:35 of ice time in 76 games for the Canucks and Minnesota Wild as a rookie last season. The 20-year-old was acquired from Minnesota as part of the Quinn Hughes trade last season and has the highest offensive upside of any young defenseman on the Canucks roster. Buium, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, could play on the top pair with Hronek and on the first power-play unit this season; Vancouver's man-advantage ranked second in the NHL after play resumed following the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics (32.8 percent), with defensemen Hronek (2:27 power-play ice time per game), Buium (1:06) and Tom Willander (0:55) each playing a significant role during that span. Per NHL EDGE stats, Buium was tied for ninth among NHL defensemen in high-danger goals (three) last season and ranked in the 88th percentile at the position in max skating speed (22.72 mph) and offensive zone time percentage (44.5 percent). He is a full-fledged breakout candidate available in the later rounds (fantasy average draft position: 132.4). -- Troy Perlowitz

Projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson

Liam Ohgren -- Marco Rossi -- Brock Boeser

Drew O'Connor -- Filip Chytil -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Paul Cotter -- Max Sasson -- Brendan Gallagher

Jamie Oleksiak -- Filip Hronek

Zeev Buium -- Luke Schenn

Elias Nils Pettersson -- Tom Willander

Kevin Lankinen

Nikita Tolopilo

Injured: Thatcher Demko (hip)