logo
OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA
Canucks banking on rebounds from core players: Off-Season Recap
alt
Photo credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
Aug 8, 2025, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 8, 2025, 10:35 EDT
Comments
This is Off-Season Recap, a summer series where we’ll look at what the other 15 teams in the Western Conference have done ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. Last time, we looked at the Calgary Flames, and we’ll stay in Canada to preview the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 Season in a Nutshell

After a few years of mediocrity, it finally looked like the Canucks’ core was ready to contend. They finished with 109 points, tops in the Pacific Division, won a playoff round, and pushed the Oilers to Game 7 in the second round.
But like the Flames, the Canucks found themselves fighting for a wild-card spot for most of the 2024-25 season. As of March 19, they held the eighth seed by a thread, playing one fewer game than the St. Louis Blues. The next night, they lost 4-3 in overtime, kicking off what could best be described as a stretch of “average” hockey to close out the year. They finished 6-5-3 down the stretch.
Their final record of 38-30-14 for 90 points was solid on paper, but not nearly enough. The Blues went on a massive run and finished six points ahead, leaving the Canucks on the outside looking in.
And that’s only part of the story.

Internal Chaos and a Stunning Trade

Behind the scenes, the Canucks appeared to be in disarray.
J.T. Miller (who had a monster 2023-24 season with 37 goals and 103 points in 81 games, plus 12 points in 13 playoff games) was traded by the end of January. Vancouver dealt its top scorer to the New York Rangers for a package that included Filip Chytil and a protected 2025 first-round pick.
That pick didn’t stay long. It was later flipped, along with former Oiler Vincent Desharnais, to the Penguins for defenceman Marcus Pettersson. Did it make the team better down the stretch? Not really.
Many of Vancouver’s top players also regressed or dealt with injuries.
  • Elias Pettersson had another down year, scoring 15 goals and 45 points in 64 games, on pace for just 19 goals over a full season.
  • Quinn Hughes was still excellent, putting up 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games despite missing time.
  • Brock Boeser was a major driver in their 2023-24 success with 40 goals and 73 points. He fell back to 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games, closer to his career average.
  • Thatcher Demko struggled to stay healthy, appearing in just 23 games and finishing with an .889 save percentage and 2.90 GAA.
  • Kevin Lankinen filled in, performing respectably with a .902 save percentage and 2.62 GAA in 51 games.
So, how should we assess the Canucks’ 2024-25 season? On one hand, they were only three wins shy of a playoff berth. On the other hand, it’s hard to call that “underachieving.” The truth is, Vancouver has been a middling team ever since their 2011 Cup window slammed shut.
The core of Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko made a surprise run to the second round in the 2020 playoff bubble, but that was more a product of the pandemic than true contention. They missed the postseason in the next three seasons before shocking everyone with a division title in 2023-24.
In hindsight, that looks like one of the most overachieving seasons in recent memory. Last year, they came back down to earth, fighting for a wild-card spot and hoping for playoff magic.

Off-Season Transactions

The biggest splash of the summer came on June 25, when the Canucks did the Oilers a favour by taking on Evander Kane (and his full salary) in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick, the same one that Edmonton had sent to Vancouver earlier for Vasily Podkolzin.
Aside from that, Vancouver focused on re-signing key players:
  • Brock Boeser inked a seven-year, $50.75 million deal.
  • Thatcher Demko agreed to a three-year extension.
  • Conor Garland signed a six-year contract worth $6 million annually.
Their most notable free-agent addition was Pierre-Olivier Joseph, while they lost Pius Suter (25 goals in 2024-25) to free agency. The Canucks also traded Artūrs Šilovs to Pittsburgh and Dakota Joshua to Toronto.

What’s Next for Vancouver?

Are the Canucks better than they were last season? That depends.
A bounce-back year from Pettersson is crucial. He needs to play up to his contract and return to the 100-point form he showed in 2023-24. Hughes remains one of the league’s top defencemen and Demko can be an elite goalie, but the team will need better health and consistency across the board.
It’s hard to predict how they’ll perform in 2025-26, but one thing seems clear: a repeat of their 109-point 2023-24 season is unlikely. Another battle for a wild card spot seems far more realistic.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

News

Featured

Breaking News