The Vancouver Canucks are hanging tough through one of the more trying stretches of the young season. With injuries stacking up, head coach Adam Foote and his staff have had to juggle lines, shuffle roles, and trust that their core players can hold things together. So far, they’ve managed — thanks largely to the steady re-emergence of Elias Pettersson and the solid start of Kiefer Sherwood.
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While Vancouver fans are rightly anxious about the health of this lineup, there’s also reason for optimism. Pettersson is evolving into the kind of player who has, in the past, carried not just a line but an entire team identity. In fact, it’s fair to say that he and captain Quinn Hughes are the two straws that stir the Canucks drink.
And as much as the present-day Canucks are grinding through adversity, their future might be taking shape, too. In this edition of Canucks News & Rumours, I look more at Pettersson as well as some echoes of a departed coach to the promise of a young junior goaltender in London.
Here’s what’s making waves in Canucks country on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Item One: Pettersson Is Starting to Carry More of the Load as Injuries Pile Up
In the team’s last game of a three-game road trip, Pettersson didn’t score a goal against the Nashville Predators in Monday’s 5-4 overtime win. But make no mistake, he was a huge reason the Canucks walked away with the win. With so many players sidelined, the team’s star centre has been asked to carry a heavier load, and he’s responding in exactly the way a leader should. He’s done more of the things that don’t show up in highlight reels.
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Assistant coach Adam Foote put it perfectly before the game. “There’s such a hard matchup on Petey right now,” he said. “He’s playing in the mud, he’s playing in the dirt — it’s not easy.” That’s not just a figure of speech. Pettersson is logging top defensive assignments night after night, facing the other team’s best while still finding a way to drive offence. Against the Predators, he played over 22 minutes — most among all forwards — and picked up two assists.
One solid play came with the man advantage, when he slipped a pass through Ryan O’Reilly’s legs to set up Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk for the 2-1 goal. The second was pure persistence: a won board battle, a clever decoy move that pulled two defenders away, and a perfect feed back to Boeser for the overtime winner (with less than two seconds left in the extra period, no less). It was leadership by example — the kind that builds trust in a locker room and wins games the hard way.
Item Two: Former Canucks Coach Rick Tocchet Faces Familiar Criticism in Philadelphia
It didn’t take long for Philadelphia Flyers fans to learn what Canucks supporters already knew. Rick Tocchet’s defensive, grind-first system can be tough to watch when the offence dries up. The Flyers, who sit dead last in the NHL in shots per game, managed just 18 in Sunday’s loss to the Calgary Flames. Guess what? The Flyers fan base was quick to turn on its new bench boss. In a city famous for its passion and impatience, chants of “Shoot the puck!” are already echoing through the Wells Fargo Center.
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For Vancouver fans, this script feels familiar. Tocchet’s Canucks were near the bottom of the league in shot totals during both of his full seasons behind the bench, often relying on opportunistic scoring and elite goaltending rather than sustained offensive pressure. The strategy can work in spurts — even during a playoff run. However, it also puts enormous pressure on the goalie and special teams.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
If anything, Philadelphia’s early frustration serves as a reminder of just how well Vancouver’s roster adapted to Tocchet’s structure before he moved on. What felt rigid and low-event elsewhere seemed to click in Vancouver, largely because players like Pettersson, Hughes, and Boeser learned how to make it work. It’s a subtle compliment to the Canucks’ core that they turned that system into a winner.
Item Three: Canucks Prospect Alexei Medvedev Earns OHL Goaltender of the Week Honours
The Canucks’ future in goal looks bright. Eighteen-year-old prospect Alexei Medvedev was named the Ontario Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Week after back-to-back stellar performances for the London Knights, stopping 65 of 67 shots and posting a .970 save percentage. Vancouver picked him 47th overall in the 2025 Draft, and he’s already looking like a steal.
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Medvedev has been nothing short of dominant early in his OHL season, with a 1.86 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage through eight starts. The organization signed him to an entry-level deal in July, and though he’ll likely stay in junior through 2026-27, he’s already showing the calm, technical foundation of a professional. With Thatcher Demko established in Vancouver, the Canucks’ goaltending pipeline suddenly feels more secure for the long haul.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
The Canucks’ immediate challenge is survival — finding ways to win without a full lineup. But there’s a deeper story developing, too. Pettersson’s re-emergence as a two-way force after last season’s swoon is becoming one of the most important threads of the season. Every tough game, every heavy shift, and every late assist adds another layer to his identity as a leader who refuses to fold when things get messy.
Meanwhile, past the short-term angst caused by injuries, the organization’s broader picture looks surprisingly stable. Vancouver has its core signed, its next wave developing, and its prospect pool — long a weak spot — beginning to fill with genuine NHL potential.
It’s not flashy right now. It’s not easy. But as the Canucks grind through this stretch, they’re building something more valuable than momentum. They are building patience.
