Canucks Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Losing Streak, Meriläinen vs. Lankinen, Hughes Returns & More

The Vancouver Canucks finished up their six-game Eastern road trip on Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay with another loss. Coming into the week, they had yet to post their first win, dropping games against the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers by a combined score of 17-5. While they still failed to grab that elusive victory in the second leg of the trip, the scores were much closer, with only one being more than a one-goal margin.

Now the Canucks return to the hopefully friendly confines of Rogers Arena for a short three-game homestand, beginning with the team that blew them out to start the road trip – the Stanley Cup champs. Here are the storylines and schedule for the week of Oct. 18-25, 2026.

Canucks’ Losing Streak Stretches to 7, But More Positives Than Negatives

After their 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Canucks are now on a seven-game losing streak. Their last win came against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 3, marking two weeks since they last celebrated a victory. But, unlike last week, when they were coming off blowouts to the Hurricanes, Devils and Rangers, they have some positives to hang their hats on.

Team Defence Improving

First, they didn’t get blown out in any of the last three games of the trip. They even held 2-0 leads over strong teams in the Lightning and Florida Panthers, showing flashes of solid defensive structure. While that structure ultimately crumbled thanks to Brady Tkachuk and Nikita Kucherov, it was a step in the right direction for a team still learning the ins and outs of Manny Malhotra’s system.

Lankinen Redeems Himself & Meriläinen Showcases Starting Potential

Second, the goaltending. Yes, Kevin Lankinen had the worst stretch of his career to begin the trip, but he finished strong with a nearly heroic effort against the Lightning. In the words of John Shorthouse, he made several five- and ten-bell saves throughout the afternoon, showcasing his athleticism, flexibility and cat-like reflexes. He didn’t help his goals-against average (GAA), allowing another four goals, but his save percentage (SV%) got a bump, as he stopped 31 of 35 shots.

Leevi Meriläinen got the other two starts against the Panthers and New York Islanders, and he looked equally as brilliant – maybe even more so. He was 13 seconds away from securing the Canucks’ first win of the road trip before Tkachuk got some luck with a rolling puck, and 48 hours before that, he stopped 35 of 38 in a 3-2 loss to the Islanders. Overall, he only allowed six goals on 77 shots for a .922 SV%, earning back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

Looking at both the stats and on-ice performance, Meriläinen clearly deserves to get the bulk of the starts moving forward. But, at the same time, if Lankinen can deliver what he did against the Lightning more consistently, a 1A/1B time share could work, too. The fact remains, though, Meriläinen has shown that he could be a gem of a find off the waiver wire, possibly becoming Thatcher Demko’s heir apparent in the near future.

Canucks Still Have Work to Do Offensively, Though

While team defence and goaltending improved, the offence still needs some work. The Canucks still struggled to generate shots against the Islanders, Panthers and Lightning, with a mere 58 shots combined toward Ilya Sorokin, Akira Schmid and Dennis Hildeby. Schmid and Hildeby saw only 18 and 14, respectively, which is not nearly enough against goaltenders who were third-strings as recently as last season.

Aatu Raty Traded to Maple Leafs

After playing only four games this season amid healthy scratches, Aatu Raty was placed on waivers and eventually traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr. The main piece of the Bo Horvat trade didn’t seem to have a spot in Malhotra’s lineup, likely because of his lack of footspeed.

Co-president Daniel Sedin said as much in his interview with Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy on Saturday, stating, “Yeah, I mean, the two players we got from Toronto are players that our scouts were really high on,” said Sedin. “So we’re happy we got those two players. But (Räty) is obviously a guy we worked closely with for a lot of years, and he’s a great person. We want him to do well and hopefully get a chance in Toronto to show that.”

He will now join other former Canucks, Teddy Blueger, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, Troy Stecher, Dakota Joshua, and Zach MacEwen in Toronto, as he tries to establish himself as a full-time centre in the NHL.

Big Week at Rogers Arena: Honouring John Garrett & Quinn Hughes Returns

This week features a three-game homestand, with two of them being notable nights. The first is against the Hurricanes on Oct. 20, where the Canucks will honour the late John Garrett, who passed away on April 27, 2026, at the young age of 74. It will be an emotional night for everyone in attendance and watching at home, as he was part of many people’s lives throughout his time as a colour commentator alongside Jim Hughson and John Shorthouse. Not to mention, he was an amazing person who became a friend/family member, even though many fans probably never met him.

The final game of the homestand is also of note, as former captain Quinn Hughes makes his return to Rogers Arena for the first time since being traded to the Minnesota Wild. He has played his old team once already, but it was at Grand Casino Arena. What will the fans’ reaction be for the franchise’s leading point-getter among defencemen? Will he get booed or cheered, or a mix of both?

Canucks’ Schedule for Oct. 18-25