It’s not every day you get two last-place teams meeting when one of them is the reigning Stanley Cup champs. The Vancouver Canucks host the Florida Panthers tonight, and if nothing else, both sides should be motivated. Both teams came out of their last games after taking a good old-fashioned beating by the Seattle Kraken.
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Vancouver dropped a 5-2 decision, and Florida was even worse, losing 6-2. The Panthers are missing key players like Sam Reinhart and possibly Sam Bennett, while the Canucks are still trying to find consistency. For Vancouver, this is exactly the kind of game where you either steady yourself or the slide starts to feel permanent.
Item One: Kevin Lankinen Deserves Better Than This Skid
There’s a little bit of unfairness built into Kevin Lankinen’s current run in the crease. On paper, it looks brutal; he has put up no wins in his last 10 games. The numbers themselves make him look like a goalie in free fall. But watch the games, and you see a different story. Even in the latest loss, he gave the Canucks a chance. That’s been the theme.
When Lankinen arrived in Vancouver, he looked exactly like the steadying presence this team needed: composed, reliable, and capable of making the saves you expect. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is what happens in front of him. This is a team that gives up too many clean looks, has too many breakdowns, and plays too many games where one mistake turns into three. That’s a tough life for a goalie, no matter how well he’s playing.
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Now Lankinen gets another shot Tuesday against the Panthers, a team that can score but hasn’t exactly been lighting it up. This would be a nice night to reward their goalie with a strong game. He’s probably been through enough. He just needs a team in front of him that stops high-danger chances.
Item Two: McKenna or Stenberg? A Pretty Good Problem to Have
Given the Canucks’ season, there’s a good chance they will end up picking near the top of the draft. In fact, they could be staring down a choice between Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. That’s not a bad problem to have, even if it says something about how the season has gone.
McKenna is the kind of talent that changes the feel of a team. He’s dynamic, creative, and the type of player you build around. But Stenberg isn’t a consolation prize. He’s had a great season playing against grown men in Sweden, and he has already developed a solid NHL-ready two-way game. Both youngsters have different timelines, and both bring serious upside. Either one could be a cornerstone.
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And imagine how Stenberg could fit into a Canucks defence that just traded away Quinn Hughes. If it’s Stenberg, suddenly the Canucks’ blue line isn’t a weakness anymore. It’s a team you can build around. Either way, this is one of those rare situations with no truly wrong choice — just different paths to getting better.
Item Three: Conor Garland Finds His Game in Columbus
Conor Garland didn’t waste much time making his presence felt when he moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since being traded earlier this month, he’s scored four goals in five games, mostly playing under 13:40 a night. That’s about as good a first impression as you can ask for.
It’s not just the goals. Garland fits well alongside Kent Johnson and Sean Monahan. It’s like he’s been there for years. The analytics back it up. Columbus controls more chances, more expected goals, and better high-danger looks with him on the ice.
Maybe most importantly, the Blue Jackets have gathered points in every game Garland has played, putting them back in playoff contention. From a Canucks perspective, it’s a reminder of what can happen when a player lands in the right spot.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
So, where does this leave Vancouver? Playing a little harder, at least, and trying to stem the bleeding. They’re still last in the Pacific, still searching for consistency, and still staring up at the standings with no easy path forward. But the effort is there, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
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The bigger question is what the roster will look like next season. Will it include one of McKenna or Stenberg? Will Lankinen get the kind of support he deserves? Can Garland have a Canucks-style impact if he were still in town? And yes, there’s the usual sprinkle of “what trades or free-agent moves could finally make this group interesting again?”
For now, though, it’s about these games. About seeing who shows up, who steps up, and who keeps the margin of error from completely disappearing. Keep an eye on the details: breakouts, support on the blue line, and goaltending under pressure. Vancouver might be a mess in the standings, but for those paying attention, there’s still something worth following. I envision a team that, before long, will give fans a little hope to hold on to.
