There’s a lot of pressure sitting on the shoulders of this Vancouver Canucks team heading into the 2025-26 season. A playoff miss the season prior, a nearly brand-new coaching staff, and high-expectations for bounce-backs from star players will do that. That’s not stopping the team from enjoying things as they go.
“This group is ready,” Canucks assistant coach Scott Young said of the group after Sunday’s practice. “It’s not just the work ethic, it’s their attitudes. They’re happy. They’re working hard. We’ve talked about it as a staff. They’re enjoying their time at the rink. They’re showing up to work, and that’s how you can ask them to play.”
Despite the team only having played in six pre-season games, there’s a different look to this Canucks team now with a different crop of coaches. The formerly defence-heavy systems of former head coach Rick Tocchet are now much more aggressive, with players spotted taking more dangerous rush chances and logging a higher volume of shots on goal. The return of speedy players like Filip Chytil and Jake DeBrusk also add to this mobility up-and-down the ice. Not only has this given the team a different look, but it’s also given them something to look forward to.
“You can feel the energy, the excitement of the players on the ice. It’s palpable. The conversations with the players about some of the drills that we’re doing, they’re excited about it. They feel that it translates to the games. We’re putting them in positions where they have to do things very fast, but they can have success. So it makes them play fast, just talking about some of the line rushes we do. It’s basically everything. It’s playing with speed, but they also feel that they have a chance to have success. So we want to build confidence in the drills also, and I think we’re accomplishing that, and the players appreciate it.”
“We’re excited. I think we’ve been going for a couple of weeks now, and once the exhibition games are done, guys kind of want to hit the ground running now,” Arshdeep Bains added on the excitement level within the dressing room.
As it stands, the Canucks officially have 23 players named to their roster, which is the maximum allowed by the NHL for opening night. Players listed include Bains, Aatu Räty, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Linus Karlsson, and 2025 NHL first-round draft pick Braeden Cootes. Many believed the team would send Cootes back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL by the end of the pre-season, but it appears as though the 18-year-old center will be sticking with the team for the time being.
“I try not to worry about it,” Cootes said about how he’s approaching a potential home-opening season start. “It’s not really in my control. Just control what I can control and take everything day by day, just trying to earn another day.”
There’s a different feeling in this Canucks locker room heading into the 2025-26 season, with a mix of fresh faces and core players combining their efforts in hopes of replicating the success they found in the 2023-24 season. It’s hard to predict what will happen heading forward, but one thing is for certain — this team is fired up and ready to go.
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