If figuring out the Vancouver Canucks' goaltending was tricky and their defence was obvious, then surely predicting what they'll do with their forwards this year will be a piece of cake! Right?

The wire-walk they've chosen is a mixed blessing. To fans and followers, just the acknowledgement that rebuilds exist is a breath of fresh air. The downside is now having the privilege of experiencing one firsthand.

Then there's the players themselves. From a player's perspective, the 2026-27 season is an interesting one, and it hasn't even started yet.

Drawing Lines in the Ice

The fun of being an armchair general manager is building your dream team. Trades are a breeze, prospects all pan out, and all you see of the owners is their signature on your paycheque. It's a bit more frustrating in the real world, where every other team is also trying to win, few of your picks see professional games, and the owners want their money - NOW.

But some things are predictable. For instance, the Canucks defence looks pretty good and pretty set for the start of the year. The goaltending has fewer variables than some years, but a few question marks. And attendance is probably going to drop a bit this season, if everything goes according to plan.

As for the rest, well, here's our best guess.

Up and Out

It can be assumed that no forward is safe from being moved this year. If a good enough offer comes in, that player goes out. That being said, some are more obvious targets than others in the forward corps.

Likely Movers

Jake DeBrusk has to lead off the list, despite the five years remaining on his contract. He said outright that a rebuild wasn't what he signed up for, and that's fair enough. But given how little motion there has been this month, it looks like he'll start the year in Vancouver. And that's fine. The Canucks need someone who can score, just so the team is worth watching. They barely broke the 200-goal mark last year, and might not hit it this one.

While it's a bit awkward, at least it's honest. DeBrusk knows the team is shopping him, and also that the better he plays, the more interest there will be. He's going to get plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills early in the year.

Drew O'Connor became a fan favourite in 2024-25, and for good reason. He earned his two-year contract honestly, and backed it up with an excellent 2025-26. His 17 goals were a career high, and he showed his versatility and ability playing both special teams. He also did it by playing with half the team. He had seven different linemates with whom he played between 60 and 85 minutes last year.

That's to be expected of a couple players in an injury-plagued, low-performing year. But O'Connor showed he could play in all sorts of circumstances with relative ease, even if he's not the name you want to see on your first line. His speed and opportunism make him an exciting player to watch, and if he has a decent year, he can get the Canucks a good return. He has a 12-team no-trade clause.

Paul Cotter is a new arrival, and if he shows up well, he can play his way off the team and onto a contender. He's got decent speed and some scoring, but mostly he'll be asked to disrupt opponents. He's a decent faceoff man, and there will be opportunities for it in Vancouver. A solid depth guy with the chance to show he can do more. A team heading to the playoffs will look for players like Cotter.

Brendan Gallagher is here for a reason. First, he wants to be here, which is great. Second, he wants ice time, which he'll get. And third, the team wants to trade him. A loving, harmonious threesome of intent is what that is. More seriously, he puts in the work, and that's a lot of what the Canucks are looking for right now.

Gallagher's a long-time veteran who has never shied away from anything on the ice, and he'll be looked to for leadership. He has a full no-move contract, but that's only to control where he'll go if he plays well enough to get multiple offers. Even with Montreal picking up half his pay, he's still not the cheapest addition, so he needs to earn the interest.

The Replacements

Linus Karlsson spent a lot of last year on the fourth line, but also a bunch with Elias Pettersson the Forward and Jake DeBrusk. This time around, he should get a more clearly defined role in the middle six, though he might start up top. He registered 31 points at even strength in 2025-26, leading the team. Yeah. And that was in 12:30 of average ice time.

Another player ready to take advantage of increased ice time is Max Sasson. I can really see him getting short-handed ice time specifically. His speed is a real threat, even if his hands aren't so much. If he works on breakaway scoring, he can find a niche. He'll get an opportunity, anyway.

I'm a big Liam Öhgren fan and am very curious to see where he settles in this year. Yes, the guy who scored zero points in 18 games with Minnesota before the Quinn Hughes trade. He then came to Vancouver and scored eight goals and 18 points in his 51 Canucks games! Which, okay, still isn't earth-shaking, but he also showed what kind of game he will play: a physical, trustworthy winger who can score some points in the middle six. The most likely guy to take DeBrusk's spot, or at least get first chance at it.

Aatu Räty is probably on his last shot here, and should play like it. While he's a very good faceoff man and solid short-handed centre, every player needs to get into the boxcars if they want to be an NHL regular. He's just 23 years old, so it's not like Räty's washed, but 14 points in 66 games ain't gonna cut it. Coach Malhotra likes him, but he needs to bring some of those Abbotsford numbers to Vancouver.

Putting on a Show

Marco Rossi didn't have a whole lot of opportunity to show what he can do last year. He came over from Minnesota slightly injured, and returned too soon, eager to join the new team. The spirit's there, but chill, big guy. He managed just two points in eight games before sitting down for twenty-ish. He played out the rest of the year when he returned, scoring seven goals and 20 points in the last 25 games - a perfectly good pace the team would love him to match this year.

Terrifyingly, Filip Chytil should start the year healthy and ready to go. The skilled forward played 12 games with the big club last year, and 15 the year before that when he came over from the Rangers mid-season. He has one year left on his $4.4 million deal, and boy, I hope he can spend that money happy and healthy. He has all the talent to be a 45-50 point player this year, but fans will be holding their breath every time he steps onto the ice.

A different kind of health issue is around Elias Pettersson the Forward, and no one's quite sure what it is. He's had nagging injuries for much of his career and has always been reticent to talk about them, but it shows on the ice. While I suspect most of his decline in scoring stats is mental, he's also skating a bit more gingerly and taking fewer shots to go with it. Can his scoring bounce back? Sure, he's still a very smart and skilled player, but he's not going to get a whole lot of help with this lineup.

One player who might help is also under a huge amount of pressure to perform. It's ludicrous to say a 22-year-old is in a make-or-break season, but it's not about whether Jonathan Lekkerimäki makes the NHL. It's about what kind of player he'll be when he gets there. Billed as a scorer, Lekkerimäki has only produced five goals and nine points in 37 NHL games, and a good chunk of that was with the man advantage.

Then again, his total ice has averaged just over 12 minutes per game. No offence to Sasson, but if he's your centre, you probably aren't getting a lot of scoring opportunities. This season, he may well start in the top six alongside either Pettersson or Rossi. After that, it's up to him.

Wild Cards

Now that 19-year-olds can be assigned to the AHL, Braeden Cootes is almost certainly pencilled in there. He could still pick up a few games, but getting 18-20 minutes in a pro league is a better option than 8-10 minutes in the NHL. Other forwards recently signed - Trey Fix-Wolansky and Akil Thomas - are good cover for injuries and will get called up before Cootes.

One guy who might make the team as a defensive specialist is Ilya Safonov. The 25-year-old has never been a big scorer with AK Bars Kazan, but has very good size and is a smart player. If he doesn't make the big club, he has the option to return to Russia. What he'll contribute here, who knows? He's never played in North America, but there's no reason to think he can't learn quickly.

Brock Boeser

Of course there's Brock Boeser. Brock Boeser is eternal. Rejoice in his name - and his 25-ish goals.