The Vancouver Canucks have fallen back to earth after a four-game winning streak and now sit in the basement of the NHL standings again. They have dropped their last two games to the Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks – outscored 11-5 in the process – and have the best odds of selecting first overall in the 2026 Draft. Here are the storylines and schedule heading into the final week of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 (Dec. 29 – Jan. 5).
Canucks Reportedly Interested in Jordan Kyrou
After trading Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild two weeks ago, the assumption was that the Canucks would be selling more assets for young players and draft picks. Well, according to Chris Johnston and Jeremy Rutherford, they may be looking to buy as well. In their latest column for The Athletic, they mentioned the Canucks as a suitor for 27-year-old Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues (from ‘Which big-name Blues could be traded after team declares ‘no untouchables’ – and for what return?,’ The Athletic, 12/19/25).
Kyrou has been in the rumour mill going back to the offseason, and while he would have made sense as a target then, he doesn’t appear to be now, considering the position the Canucks are in. However, after general manager Patrik Allvin’s comments about going into a “hybrid rebuild”, the front office might think otherwise. Kyrou is in the middle of his prime and has scored over 30 goals in three straight seasons. He could add a lot of offence to the top of the lineup that is struggling to find the back of the net lately.
The only issue is the cost; I don’t think the Canucks should entertain trading any high draft picks or prospects, which is what the Blues probably want for him.
Canucks Continue to Struggle at Rogers Arena
After dropping another game at home on Saturday – their 11th already in 2025-26 – the Canucks have an abysmal 14-20-3 record at Rogers Arena since the calendar turned to 2025. This season, fans have walked away happy only four times, and have seen their team get outscored 61-41. In other words, Vancouver is not a place opponents are scared to travel to, and is one of the big reasons why they sit 32nd in the standings.
Filip Chytil Joins Morning Skate in a Non-Contact Jersey
The Canucks have been missing Filip Chytil‘s speed and transition game since he was injured on Oct. 19 against the Washington Capitals. The 26-year-old centre has missed all but five games this season with a concussion, and is slowly inching his way back to the lineup.
While there has been no definite timeline on Chytil’s return, everyone got some good news on Saturday when he donned a red non-contact jersey and participated in morning skate ahead of their game against the Sharks. He also participated as an extra in practice on Sunday. Up until Saturday, he was just skating on his own, and the only update we got was that he was progressing in his recovery. All in all, this is a good sign that he could conceivably return – barring setbacks – before the Olympic break in February.
Elias Pettersson Finally Returns to the Lineup
While Chytil continues to recover, Elias Pettersson finally made his return to the lineup on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. He looked rusty in his 20:47 of ice time, but won 55 percent of his faceoffs and had three shots on goal. He was on the ice for three goals against, however, notching a minus-3 in the plus/minus column. With Chytil on his way back and Marco Rossi being added, perhaps we will finally see a solid stable of NHL centres in the near future – barring any more trades, that is.
Jake DeBrusk Will Be a Healthy Scratch vs. Kraken
In a surprising development, the Canucks will be making Jake DeBrusk a healthy scratch for their game against the Seattle Kraken on Monday. He has only one goal in his last 16 games, and head coach Adam Foote says that it will be a good reset for him. “We had a good talk with Jake,” Foote said after practice on Sunday. “He had a lot going well for him, just couldn’t get it in, and then he’s been a little bit stale as far as chances 5v5. I think it’s going to be a good reset for him.”
DeBrusk called it “embarrassing” when asked about it. “I mean, anytime you miss a game, it’s, yeah, it’s embarrassing. I’d be wrong if I wasn’t saying I’d be pissed off right now, but I understand. And I need a jolt too, I obviously haven’t been good enough…”
2026 WJC: Sansonnens Scores Against USA, Nothing Yet From Cootes & Bjorck
The 2026 World Juniors continues in Minnesota, and only defenceman Basile Sansonnens has gotten on the scoresheet so far. He scored the only goal in Switzerland’s 2-1 loss to the Americans on Saturday and logged 17:12 of ice time. He was also in the lineup in their 4-2 loss to the Swedes on Sunday, logging 12:50 of ice time.
Related: 3 Positives and 3 Negatives in the Canucks’ 6–3 Loss to the Sharks
As for Braeden Cootes and Wilson Bjorck, Cootes has been relegated to the fourth line on Team Canada, logging 9:21 against Czechia and 6:39 against Latvia, and Bjorck has yet to suit up for Team Sweden. It’s a little disappointing to see Cootes in such a limited role after his dominance at the U18s, where he led the team in scoring, but it’s still early in the tournament. He might see more responsibility as the games move along.
Canucks Schedule Dec. 29 – Jan. 4
| Date | Opponent | Time (PT) | Location | Notes |
| Mon, Dec. 29 | Seattle Kraken | 7:00 PM | Climate Pledge Arena | Another edition of the I-5 Rivalry |
| Tues, Dec. 30 | Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00 PM | Rogers Arena | Former coach Rick Tocchet returns to Vancouver |
| Fri, Jan. 2 | Seattle Kraken | 7:30 PM | Rogers Arena | Second meeting in less than a week |
| Sat, Jan. 3 | Boston Bruins | 7:00 PM | Rogers Arena | Lindholm & Zadorov return to Vancouver for the second time |
