Will the Canucks be Canada’s worst NHL team in 2025-26?

It was a disappointing 2024-25 season for the Vancouver Canucks, who finished with a 38-30-14 record and 90 points, falling six points shy of the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Beyond the production of Quinn Hughes, the 25-year-old defender who led the team in both assists (60) and points (76), the Canucks didn’t have much to work with, as only Brock Boeser and Conor Garland were able to hit the 50-point mark, and no one was able to reach 30 goals.

Going into next season, fans are asking themselves a number of questions, like if Elias Pettersson, now entering year two of an eight-year, $92.8 million contract, will ever return to form, or whether Thatcher Demko, who signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension earlier this month, will stay healthy.

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Matt Larkin rank all seven of Canada’s NHL teams and where the Canucks fall on that list, and if Vancouver’s offseason has helped make them good enough to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tyler Yaremchuk: We both agreed that Vancouver is dead last, 7th out of seven. I don’t even think it needs that much explaining, but when you look at center depth: okay, Elias Pettersson, what is he? Even if he takes a big step forward and he is a bonafide top-line center for you, you’re still taking a gamble on Filip Chytil finding a way to be healthy. Even if he’s been healthy, asking him to be a 2C is a pretty big ask.

There’s a lot of hope on that Vancouver roster. I’m not saying they’re guaranteed to miss the playoffs, but it’s pretty easy to put them dead last in this ranking.

Matt Larkin: I agree, and for me, the Canucks are at the top of my “What are you doing?” power rankings. The team really struggled to find its identity. They weren’t good enough to make the playoffs, and what have you added to this roster?

You’re pretty much running back the same core group, and like you said, hoping for a better season from Pettersson, hoping for health from Chytil, and you’re bringing back Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko, which is considered “a win” that they retained both players – but again, all you’re doing is maintaining the core of a team that was not good enough to make the playoffs.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…