Canucks News & Rumours: A New Beginning Starts Against Edmonton Tonight

The regular season finally arrives tonight, and for the Vancouver Canucks, it feels like a new beginning rather than a continuation. That’s an important distinction after a season when almost nothing seemed to go right.

The Canucks finished eighth in the Pacific Division at 25-49-8, and the changes since then go well beyond a few player swaps. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are now running hockey operations, Ryan Johnson is the general manager, and Manny Malhotra is behind the bench. Vancouver has also added veterans such as Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn, and Jamie Oleksiak to bring experience to a lineup that needs to make room for younger players.

So tonight, when Vancouver opens the season in Edmonton against the Oilers, the score almost feels like only part of the story. This is the first real look at whether all those changes can produce something the Canucks haven’t had enough of lately: stability.

The Canucks Are Trying to Build Something Before They Try to Win

There is no point pretending this is a finished hockey team. The Canucks have holes, and Thatcher Demko won’t start the season. He remains on injured reserve after hip surgery, and the organization has not set a timetable for his return. Kevin Lankinen gets the starting job for now.

But Vancouver still has plenty to work with. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk give Vancouver established NHL offensive talent, while Zeev Buium and Jonathan Lekkerimäki represent part of the younger group that needs to take another step. The opening-night roster also includes Tom Willander, Aatu Räty, Marco Rossi and Max Sasson.

And that’s where Malhotra’s job becomes interesting. The objective isn’t simply to tell young players to go out and win games. It’s to establish standards, habits and an identity that can eventually support a winning team. As Malhotra has put it, there is a difference between losing games and playing losing hockey. That’s where this Canucks team has to start.

Adam Novotny Gives Canucks Fans Something to Watch

While the NHL club gets ready for Edmonton, one of Vancouver’s most interesting young players is back in Peterborough. He wasted absolutely no time reminding everybody why the Canucks drafted him 24th overall.

Adam Novotny returned from Vancouver’s training camp and immediately exploded. He scored twice and added two assists in his first game against Sarnia, then added another goal and an assist against Ottawa. Six points in three games, all three assists primary, and 18 shots on goal. He did enough to earn him OHL Player of the Week honours.

That’s the sort of start that gets a prospect’s name moving around the fan base, but the best thing about Novotny’s situation is that Vancouver doesn’t have to rush him. He’s only 18. He can play big minutes in Peterborough, have the puck on his stick, make mistakes and learn from them. He already has international experience, too, with a bronze medal at the 2025 World Juniors and a silver in 2026. Vancouver can let Novotny develop as a player rather than asking him to be a saviour.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

Tonight’s game in Edmonton will be a good test of what Vancouver is trying to build. The Oilers are a tough opening-night opponent, and the Canucks aren’t going into this season expecting to suddenly become a Stanley Cup contender. The more interesting question is whether they look organized, competitive and connected.

That’s where the new veterans matter. Gallagher, Schenn and Oleksiak are there to help establish what professional habits look like while the younger players develop. If that works, the Canucks can spend this season building something that isn’t measured entirely by the standings.

Fans have reasons to watch beyond tonight’s result. Buium, Lekkerimäki, Willander and the other young players have room to grow, while Novotny is putting up numbers in Peterborough. Demko will eventually return, and the Sedins and Johnson have time to build the organization properly.

For now, it’s enough to know that last season is over. This is a new Canucks team, and tonight in Edmonton we finally get to see what it looks like.