By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter
December 24, 2025
As the year 2025 gets closer to setting on the Vancouver Canucks, the club finds itself caught between the ghosts of a contending past that never quite materialized and the spectral promise of a rebuilt future.
Sitting at 15-18-3 with 33 points through 36 games, good for 8th in the Pacific Division, the team is mathematically alive but adrift, doing what it can to remain relevant in the postseason chase.
The defining event of the season—and arguably the most significant transactional moment in the franchise’s modern history—occurred on December 12, 2025: the trade of captain and Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
The move was a cataclysmic shift that signaled the end of the “Core Four” era.
Yet, in a twist that defies statistical probability and logical tanking incentives, the team responded to the departure of their best player by winning four consecutive games, including a shootout thriller against the Boston Bruins and dominant showings against New York-based clubs.
They then hit a roadblock against Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers that grounded the team to a full stop in the last game of their 5-game Eastern Conference road trip, going home for the Christmas holidays with a 4-1-0 record.
Christmas 2025 Wish List
Wish #1 – Return of Healthy Forward Elias Pettersson
- Elias Pettersson is the highest-paid player on the roster ($11.6M AAV). His production has been underwhelming (on pace for 18 goals over an 82-game average) and his injury status is shrouded in mystery.
- The Wish: The organization must provide clarity on Pettersson’s status to stabilize the market and the locker room.
- Medical Diagnosis: The shifting timelines provided by Adam Foote—from “day-to-day” to “week-to-week” to “mystery”—have eroded trust. If Pettersson requires surgery or extended rest, the team should utilize Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) to open cap space and roster spots for prospect evaluation.
- Cultural Audit: Management must privately assess the validity of the “locker room cancer” rumors.
- If Pettersson is indeed alienated from the leadership group (Boeser, Miller prior to trade), the team must explore the trade market in the summer of 2026, despite his NMC.
- The wish is for Pettersson to return, dominate, and silence these whispers—or for the organization to make the hard decision to move on.
Wish #2: Strategic Clarity – The “Tank” vs. The “Push”
- The Context: The Canucks sit 8th in the Pacific, in “No Man’s Land.” They are too good to guarantee a top-5 pick but likely too flawed to make a deep playoff run.
- The Wish: Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin must choose a lane before the All-Star break.
- The “Tank” Path: The 2026 Draft features Gavin McKenna, a Yukon native and cousin of Connor Bedard, who is destroying records in the NCAA/WHL.
- Securing a top-3 pick could pair McKenna with Buium and Rossi, creating a dynasty core.
- This requires trading pending UFAs (Kane, Sherwood, Lankinen) immediately to weaken the roster.
- The “Retool” Path: Continue to push for a Wild Card spot to give Rossi and Buium playoff experience.
- The Verdict: The “Christmas Wish” of the analytical fan is the former.
- The team should leverage the current win streak to sell assets at peak value, not to delude themselves into buying at the deadline.
Wish #3: Maximizing the Value of the “Mercenary Corps”
- The Context: The roster contains several players on expiring contracts who are performing exceptionally well.
- The Wish:
- Kiefer Sherwood: The winger is having a career year, leading the league in hits (on pace for a record-breaking 462) and scoring at a 16-goal pace. Rumors suggest a “1st round pick plus” asking price. The wish is to trade him to a contender (Boston, Dallas, NY Islanders) before he regresses or gets injured.
- Evander Kane: Acquired for a 4th round pick, Kane has 18 points in 35 games. If he can hit the 20-goal mark by the deadline, he becomes a valuable asset for a playoff team needing grit. The wish is to flip him for a 2nd or 3rd round pick, essentially laundering a 4th rounder into a higher pick via cap space utilization.
- Kevin Lankinen: With Demko back, Lankinen is a luxury. If a contender suffers a goalie injury, Lankinen should be moved for draft capital.
Wish #4: Stabilization of the Defensive Structure
- The Context: The team gives up too many high-danger chances, relying on Demko/Lankinen to bail them out.
- The Wish: Adam Foote must implement a more conservative defensive structure that protects the young blue liners.
- Sheltering Buium: Zeev Buium has started well (4 points in 4 games) , but exposing him to top opposition lines is a recipe for confidence destruction. The wish is for Tyler Myers and Derek Forbort (upon return) to eat the heavy defensive zone starts, freeing Buium for offensive zone deployment.
- Fixing the PK: The team must abandon the passive box for a pressure wedge or diamond formation to disrupt seam passes. A 66% PK is unacceptable for a professional team.
Until next time, hockey fans
