It's fair to say that the 2025-26 season did not go the way the Vancouver Canucks wanted. They finished last in the NHL following a 25-49-8 (58 points) record. On top of that, a minus-100 goal differential and a 9-27-5 home record did not help matters. Granted, the culture around the team needed a reset in the biggest way possible.
Now heading into the 2026-27 season, Ryan Johnson is the general manager, the Sedins are co-presidents, and former player Manny Malhotra is the head coach. They have the recipe to have a much better culture in Vancouver. That said, can we see the Canucks have an 18- to 20-point improvement this upcoming season?
The goal? Not finish last in the NHL
Despite being 14 points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for the second-to-last spot in the NHL last season, the Canucks will be determined to not have a season like last year again. If they can improve their 25 wins last season to 32, that would give them an extra 14 points in the standings. Even if the Canucks had 12 overtime/shootout losses, that would leave them with a 32-40-12 record.
While it's still a losing season overall, at least it'll be a 76-point season, an 18-point improvement from 2025-26. Granted, it'll be interesting to see how the Blackhawks, New York Rangers, the Calgary Flames, and the Toronto Maple Leafs do this season (teams who also finished in the bottom five).
Even if those teams improve, there is a chance a motivated Canucks team could finish between 24th and 28th in the league in 2026-27. Even if it's part of a rebuild process for the next five seasons, it could breathe some confidence into a team that needs it.
The Canucks' leading points-getter was Elias Pettersson (51), a far cry from even his 89-point season in 2023-24. Their leading goal-scorer was Jake DeBrusk (23); even then, he had four 5-on-5 goals throughout the season. A culture shift under Malhotra could be what the team needed to bounce back from the last two seasons of disappointment.
While it might not get them into the playoffs in year one with Malhotra, it'll be a step in the right direction. Even if they finish in the bottom five of the league, improving from 58 points to even 76 could go a long way at the start of a five-year rebuild. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out this season for the Canucks. One thing is for sure: they can only go up from here.
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