Canucks miss playoffs for 2nd straight season, offensive struggles among factors

The Vancouver Canucks failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Vancouver was eliminated from playoff contention when the Nashville Predators won 3-2 in overtime at the Chicago Blackhawks, the Vegas Golden Knights won 3-2 at the Dallas Stars, and the Los Angeles Kings earned a point in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Utah Mammoth on Sunday.

The idle Canucks fell 25 points behind the Predators for the second wild card in the Western Conference and 27 points behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place in the Pacific Division with 13 games to play.

Vancouver has missed the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. The Canucks qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and made it to the second round, where they lost in seven games to the Oilers. Vancouver defeated Nashville in the first round in six games that season.

Here’s a look at what happened in the 2025-26 season for the Canucks and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Evander Kane, F; Teddy Blueger, F; Derek Forbort D

Potential restricted free agents: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D

Potential 2026 Draft picks: 10

What went wrong

Scores issues: The Canucks were the second-lowest scoring team in the League this season, averaging 2.52 goals per game entering play Monday. They have a League worst minus-78 goal differential. Some of those offensive issues came from a lack of production from their top-six forwards. Elias Pettersson has 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 61 games and is the highest-scoring player on the roster, but his production has declined since he had 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in 80 games in 2022-23. The 27-year-old is in the second of an eight-year $92.8 million contract ($11.6 million average annual salary). He was expected to be one of the League’s elite offensive players, but things have not worked out that way. Forward Brock Boeser also struggled this season with 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games. He had an NHL career-best 73 points (40 goals, 33 assists) in 81 games in 2023-24. The 29-year-old signed a seven-year, $50.75 million contract ($7.25 million AAV) to stay in Vancouver on July 1, but struggled to get on track offensively this season.

Hughes departure: The Canucks felt they had to trade star defenseman Quinn Hughes when it became apparent that he was unlikely to sign a new contract with them once his current deal expired at the end of the 2026-27 season. The 26-year-old is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season and instead of letting him walk for nothing, Vancouver traded him to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 12 for forwards Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The trade altered the trajectory of the season for the Canucks, with the focus geared toward the future. The Canucks had an 11-17-3 record with Hughes on the roster and are 10-23-5 since the trade. Vancouver went on to trade forwards Kiefer Sherwood (San Jose Sharks) and Conor Garland (Columbus Blue Jackets), and defenseman Tyler Myers (Dallas Stars), for draft picks and prospects prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.

Goaltending issues: Starting goalie Thatcher Demko was bothered by injuries this season to the point he needed to be shut down Jan. 27 to undergo hip surgery. He last played Jan. 10 and finished 8-10-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 20 games. Kevin Lankinen took over the starting role but is 8-23-5 with a 3.62 GAA and .876 save percentage in 39 games (36 starts). Nikita Tolopilo, who began the season as Vancouver’s third option in goal, is 5-6-2 with a 3.34 GAA and .892 save percentage in 15 games (12 starts). The Canucks have given up the most goals in the League this season (255), which is a big reason they are at the bottom of the League standings.

Reason for optimism 

Young talent: The Canucks were able to acquire three young, talented players from Minnesota in exchange for Hughes, all of whom could pay dividends in the near future. Buium was selected by the Wild with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 31 games for Minnesota and has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 32 games with Vancouver. The Canucks are hoping the 20-year-old develops into a solid top-four defenseman. Rossi was selected by Minnesota with the No. 9 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 20 games with Vancouver. The 24-year-old had 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games for the Wild last season and 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 17 games this season before he was traded. Ohgren was selected by Minnesota with the No. 19 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 38 games with the Canucks. All three players have the potential to become part of the new core group in Vancouver.

Draft capital: Among Vancouver’s 10 picks in the 2026 draft are two picks each in the first and second round. The Canucks also have nine selections each in the 2027 NHL Draft and the 2028 NHL Draft, which is a good place to start a rebuild. Vancouver will take part in the NHL Draft lottery and likely will have the best odds to select No. 1. If they can select some high-end prospects, it will expedite their rebuild. The key for the Canucks will be to make the most of their selections, whether they are used as assets in trades or by making good selections. The pressure will be on Vancouver’s amateur scouting department, led by director Todd Harvey, to make the most of their draft windfall. A strong draft could have the Canucks back in the playoff race in the Pacific Division in short order, while a poor draft could set them back even further.

Quality starting goalie: When healthy, Thatcher Demko is capable of being one of the best in the NHL. But the key for him is staying healthy. He battled through a knee injury sustained in April 2024, which bled into the 2024-25 season, limiting him to 23 games. Then he was shut down for the remainder of this season in January. The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) on July 1 that begins next season, and the Canucks are hoping he can regain the form that made him a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2023-24, when he was 35-14-2 with a 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage and five shutouts in 51 games to help Vancouver (50-23-9) win a division title for the first time in a decade. Demko has won 18 games in two seasons since then, but if he can stay healthy next season and return to being one of the top goalies in the League, it will give Vancouver a sound foundation defensively in a rebuild.