Vancouver Hockey Daily has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, NHL or NHLPA
NHL Insider Shares How the Vancouver Canucks Can Cement Themselves as a Playoff Team
Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images.
A National Hockey League insider shared recently how he believes the Vancouver Canucks can cement themselves as a playoff team during the 2025-26 season.
The Vancouver Canucks entered the 2025-26 season with one goal in mind - returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing out back in April, as General Manager Patrik Allvin made some big changes in summer including the acquisition of veteran forward Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers.
Outside of Vancouver, there isn't many who believe in the Vancouver Canucks' chances to make it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but one who does is NHL insider Frank Seravalli, but one who does is NHL insider Frank Seravalli, who spoke very highly of the club during a recent interview on Sportsnet radio.
"I'll put a stake in the ground, I have the Canucks making the playoffs. I think everyone's sleeping on how good this team is from goal out. Best tandem in the league and this defense core, 1 through 4, is awesome. If Quinn Hughes is healthy and turns in another Hart Trophy-level season, which he did last year before he got hurt, then I don't see any reason why, with any modicum of combination of goals between Pettersson, DeBrusk, and Brock Boeser, that this team should be in the playoffs." Seravalli said.
NHL insider shares how the Vancouver Canucks can cement themselves as a playoff team
Last season, the Vancouver Canucks finished 24th in the National Hockey League in goals for, with just 236 in 82 games - an average of 2.87 per night and if they want to achieve their goal of making it back to the playoffs, they'll need to be a lot better than that.
Understandably, that starts at the top, as Vancouver's first line of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk combined for just 68 goals last year, 28 percent of the team's season total, which isn't good enough whatsoever.
During a recent appearance on Sekeres and Price, NHL insider Cam Robinson shared that if the Vancouver Canucks can get significant contributions in the goal scoring department from that top line, then they'll have a chance at returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I thought this is what they would start with, is that they would load up the top (line). They will be force fed top defensive matchups, you know, the top shutdown centers when they're on the road and the top pairing against them and they're going to have to fight through that and the real question is, who exactly is going to fight through that? Who is doing the dirty work on that line to get it to your best goal scorers, which you know, all three of them are the team's top goal scorers in all likelihood." Robinson said.
He added, "We're going to need to see some more jam out of DeBrusk, that would be useful. I think you really have to hope that maybe not career years, but that all three are going to be at the top of their game in order for this to be a playoff team."
He added, "We're going to need to see some more jam out of DeBrusk, that would be useful. I think you really have to hope that maybe not career years, but that all three are going to be at the top of their game in order for this to be a playoff team."
If the Vancouver Canucks are able to get 30 goals each from Boeser, DeBrusk and Pettersson, along with some depth scoring from guys like Evander Kane, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Filip Chytil, and once he returns from injury, Nils Hoglander too, then the team will be in good shape to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the time April rolls around.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 12 | 1059 ANSWERS NHL Insider Shares How the Vancouver Canucks Can Cement Themselves as a Playoff Team Do you think Vancouver's top line (Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson & Jake DeBrusk) will combine to contribute at least 40% of the team's goals this season? | ||
| Yes | 487 | 46 % |
| No | 572 | 54 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
