There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This has been a very tough start for the Vancouver Canucks. Their 3-15-1 record is the worst in the NHL. If it wasn’t for the crazy 6-5 win over the Ducks on October 27, we might be talking about a 16-game losing streak. They are at the bottom, or near the botton of a every defensive metrics. Including penalty killing (31st), G.AA (32nd), and Save Percentage (32nd).
Even if you are looking for some offence, there isn’t a lot to be excited about. 23rd in goals for. 32nd in expected goals for.19th in power play percentage.
Not a pretty picture. But a picture that was expected. After many fans begging and pleading for it, the Canucks are rebuilding. Designed to ensure they get a high draft pick or picks, this is what to expect as the team grows into a contender.
But is that what we wanted? That is where some of the discussion is going on on Canucks social media
It’s an interesting question.
In some ways, yes
The Canucks have the youngest blue line in the NHL. The “Big Young Three’ defence man of Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, and defenceman Elias Pettersson have combined to play 298 NHL games. Goaltenders Leevi Merilanen and Kevin Lankinen have essentially been backups in their NHL career. And there isn’t a lot of offence up front. Manny Malhotra is a first-time NHL coach with a generally inexperienced NHL staff.
In some ways, no
Where I think some people are frustrated is something Manny Malhotra has spoken about. Effort. The latest conversation was after the 6-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Now, there was a much better effort in the 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Six losses have been by three or more goals. They have also allowed three or more goals in 18 of 19 games. One of the worst was a 5-2 home loss to Detroit on October 22. If the games were closer, maybe this side of the fence would understand.
Either way, we are in uncharted waters. And when you are in uncharted waters, it helps to have some map. For that, we go to the San Jose Sharks.
Now not only is the record similar, but the path they got there was also similar. The season before, the Sharks sold off assets like Brent Burns, Timo Meier, and Erik Karlsson. Last year, the Canucks traded Quinn Hughes. But they traded away Connor Garland, Tyler Myers, and Kiefer Sherwood before the trade deadline. As well as Marcus Pettersson in the offseason. Like that Sharks team, this Canucks team is in the bare bones of the rebuild.
The Sharks finished that season 19-54-9. Their biggest win? June 28, 2023. They picked Macklin Celebrini first overall. That sparked the Sharks franchise.
Where are the Sharks now?
There are other similarities between the Sharks and Canucks: first-time GM Mike Grier, first-time GM Ryan Johnson, first-time NHL Head Coach Manny Malhotra. A few up-and-coming players like William Eklund and Will Smith. Canucks have players like Zeev Buium and Jonathan Lekkermaki.
If you look at the last two seasons of the Sharks. 24-25 they finished 20-50-7-5. 25-26 was the “rise” of the Sharks. 39-35-6-2 for 86 points. They missed the playoffs. But Celebrini became a superstar, and the Sharks came into the season with expectations. Now they have struggled this year at 7-11 and, as of this writing, are on a five-game losing streak. However, rebuilds are not linear. There are challenges in growth. They are dealing with that. The important thing for the Sharks is that they have some high-end prospects. Misa. Kristian Verhoeff. Sam Dickinson.Former Vancouver Giant Ryan Lin., The Canucks are getting there. Caleb Malhotra. Adam Novotony. Braden Cootes. Don’t sleep on Brooks Ragowski.
What should we expect from the Canucks?
Three things. The first is progress. Not only from the players in the NHL. But the players that are not on the ice. Keep an eye on the progress of prospects like Malhora and Novotony. Watch the Abbotsford Canucks and Braeden Cootes. And in the NHL, the growth of the Lekkermaki’s EP25, Wilander, and Buium. Also progress in playing wth structure and poise.
Second, trades. Hope the Canucks can trade a couple of veterans like Jake DeBrusk for some draft capital or prospects. Continue to build the cupboard.
Finally, effort and identity. Remember that Ryan Johnson said wins and losses don’t matter as much as development. If they can establish consistent effort, that Canucks fans will be happy. Identity takes more time. But it would be great if they can start that process going through the season.
Can’t sugar-coat it. It’s a tough watch. But there is lots to keep an eye on.
