The Canucks’ Eastern road trip has come to an end, with expected but still rough results: a 0-5-1 record. As they head back home on Tuesday, let us look at five main points to take away from this brutal six-game trip.
5 Takeaways From Canucks Eastern Road Trip Include Solid Individual Efforts
1. Rebuilds Take Time, So Let’s Be Patient
The Canucks’ Eastern road trip included games against six tough teams (Carolina, New Jersey, New York Rangers/Islanders, Florida, Tampa Bay) and went winless. They were also outscored 27-11 in the process. Considering that the Canucks are starved for talent and are rebuilding, those results do not come as much of a surprise. The decent start the Canucks got off to was definitely an anomaly, and now they are struggling to generate offensive opportunities and goals, which is what was expected coming into the season.
The team is giving up a lot, and there is a lack of structure as well, meaning that there is still a lot to learn under new Head Coach Manny Malhotra. Malhotra has emphasized that they can lose games, but they cannot play “losing hockey”. That means coming to the rink every day ready to learn, improve, and play every game with grit and tenacity. The losses are piling up, but Canucks fans should have nothing to worry about as the rebuilding process takes time. What matters is the development of the players.
2. The Swedes are Impressive Early On, Especially the Petterssons
While the results on the ice have been poor, the Swedish players have been impressive. The hot topic coming into the season was forward Elias Pettersson, and he leads the team in many metrics, but most importantly, in points, with ten points in ten games. He has also been very involved physically, as he ranks in the top 20 in the NHL in hits with 29. It is clear that his confidence is much improved, and he is more engaged.
#Canucks leaders after 9 games:
Goals- Elias Pettersson
Assists- Elias Pettersson
Points- Elias Pettersson
Faceoffs Won- Elias Pettersson
Game-Winning Goals-Elias Pettersson (tie)
Takeaways- Elias Pettersson (tie)
On-Ice Even Strength Goal Differential- Elias Pettersson— Adam Kierszenblat (@Adamkblat) October 16, 2026
Arguably, the bigger surprise might be defenceman Elias Pettersson, who has scored three goals and has looked comfortable in the defensive zone, even performing better than the likes of Tom Willander and Zeev Buium. His offensive awareness could also be underrated, as in all three goals, he activated in the offensive zone at the right time and pounced on opportunities. Pettersson has also been given a bigger role in the lineup, as he has been elevated to the top defensive pairing alongside Filip Hronek.
ON A PLATTER. 🍽️
Perfect pass from Chytil to D-Petey! pic.twitter.com/2PQ42D2Dik
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 15, 2026
Jonathan Lekkerimäki has been another bright spot of the lineup so far, as he has recorded six points so far. His biggest weakness coming into the season was his strength along the boards and giving the puck away too quickly. His puck retrievals and his strength in puck battles have been much improved, which means that he has carved out a roster spot on the NHL team, even though there were many doubts about whether he could play an all-around game and not only have a good shot.
It's plays like this that are making me increasingly optimistic about Jonathan Lekkerimäki. That's some clever work to steal the puck twice on the forecheck. #Canuckspic.twitter.com/xkGoGXRxO8
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) October 16, 2026
Linus Karlsson and Liam Ohgren have also been prominent in the offence so far, with seven points and five points respectively through ten games. Karlsson, given that he is turning 27, could be a trade piece for the Canucks this season, especially if he continues to produce. Ohgren is younger, so the Canucks can opt to keep him for now.
3. Young Defenders Will Make Mistakes, and It Is Part of Their Growth
While Pettersson has had a good start to the season, and Willander has settled in after a tough start, Zeev Buium’s struggles through the first ten games have been seen as an area of concern by fans. While he has turned over the puck a lot and has been in poor defensive position, it is important to understand that he is also only 20 years old. Not many defencemen get into the NHL at age 20. He is one of five defenders in the NHL this season who are 20 or under. He is no Schaefer, Hughes, or Makar in terms of talent, but from his puck-handling, you can still tell that the potential is there. It’ll just take time.
4. Meriläinen Could Effectively Take the “Starter” Role in Net
With Lankinen’s struggles early on, Leevi Meriläinen could have a shot at being the temporary starter, or at least the 1A in tandem with Lankinen as Thatcher Demko is out until at least Christmas. Meriläinen has a .925 save percentage through six games, which include two appearances in relief of Lankinen. His lateral movement has been impressive, and his aggressive style of goaltending has worked so far. He has faced a lot of rubber, with 161 shots faced in 287 minutes in goal.
While Lankinen should regress back to the mean at some point in terms of his numbers, we do wonder if Meriläinen, who is 24 years old, could be part of the Canucks’ future. Lankinen still has a no-movement clause, which will turn into a modified no-trade clause next season. While a trade may not happen now, it does seem like an inevitability as the Canucks will likely transition to some younger goaltenders in years to come.
5. Performances From the Veterans Have Been a Mixed Bag
While veteran leadership is important on a rebuilding team like the Canucks, their performance has been a mixed bag. Brock Boeser does have six points on the season, but his skating speed has still been an issue, which has slowed down the power play and the general pace of the top six. He is also second on the team in giveaways, with 15. Filip Hronek, who leads the team with 16 giveaways, has also been severely underperforming. He is supposed to be the top defenceman on the team, but he has looked shaky at times, not getting in passing lanes and turning the puck over on innocent-looking plays.
As for Brendan Gallagher and Luke Schenn, they have been valuable for team culture, but they have struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, as expected.
The Last Word
While they are 2-7-1 on the season, there are still positives to take away from a winless Canucks Eastern road trip. Yes, they may be moral victories, but when the team is being outplayed most nights, that is what the team has to work with to improve and keep morale high. One thing is for sure: the players are still giving an honest effort most nights, which is all the fans can ask for at this stage. As the team returns home on Tuesday, they will hope the tide turns a little bit more in their favour.
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