Welcome back to the hard-to-watch section of this lousy season. Of the 24 more games remaining, just a baker's dozen home games remain. Is that a good thing?

JETS (22-26-8) at CANUCKS (18-33-6)

10 p.m. ET; SNP, TSN3, Sportynet 650

As of this ranting writing, the brilliant hockey minds that tossed us into the basement while building a Cup contender haven't made a trade. Which means we can seek some satisfaction scuffling around the rumour mill - keep your hands and mind out of the grimy equipment - this is industrial hockey after all.

Here's the happiest maybe on the mill wheel of false hope.

Kane to Dallas!

Please. Please. Please!

It's a rumour... but rumours are the spice of life in the cold, damp dungeon. And no less authoritative source, than the Pro Football League site.

Kane to Dallas for a third with 50% salary retained What do you think #Canucks fans?

— Ralph In The Ridge🇨🇦 (@ralphintheridge.bsky.social) February 23, 2026 at 3:21 PM

As dramatic as the Canucks fall from division champ grace has been, maybe the Jets freefall from the best in the league last season to 10 points out of a wild card spot is worse. Perhaps we can commiserate together post season. Until then, this is must-lose game for the Nucks. Because... draft reasons.

LINEUPS

Potential kinetic lineups:

Jets projected lineup

Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Gabriel Vilardi

Cole Perfetti -- Adam Lowry -- Alex Iafallo

Gustav Nyquist -- Jonathan Toews -- Vladislav Namestnikov

Cole Koepke -- Morgan Barron -- Tanner Pearson

Logan Stanley -- Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg -- Elias Salomonsson

Ville Heinola -- Luke Schenn

Eric Comrie

Domenic DiVincentiis

Scratched: Walker Duehr, Kale Clague, Connor Hellebuyck

Injured: Josh Morrissey (upper body), Nino Niederreiter (undisclosed), Neal Pionk (undisclosed), Haydn Fleury (bruised back), Colin Miller (knee)

Canucks projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk

Drew O’Connor -- Marco Rossi -- Brock Boeser

Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland

Nils Hoglander -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson

Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek

Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers

Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander

Nikita Tolopilo

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Max Sasson, Aatu Raty, P.O Joseph

Injured: Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)

Status report

Hellebuyck will not play after the goalie helped lead Team USA to an Olympic gold medal (and eternal hockey shame). ... Connor, a forward, will play; he also represented Team USA but did not play in the gold medal game. ... Morrissey will not play after being injured playing for Team Canada; the defenseman is not on the Jets' three-game road trip. ... Pionk is week to week after being reinjured in practice; he had been out since Jan. 13 because of a lower-body injury. ... Niederreiter, a forward, is also week to week with an injury he was playing through before joining Team Switzerland at the Olympics. … Fleury remains day to day; the defenseman has missed 15 games. ... Heinola will make his season debut. … Buium will wear a full-face shield in his return after missing five games with a facial fracture. ... Rossi will return after missing 18 games with a lower-body injury. … Boeser is back after missing five games in concussion protocol. … Hoglander returns after missing four games with a lower-body injury. … Chytil could will miss the rest of the season after being hit in the face by a puck during practice Friday.

TRADE NEWISE UPDATE!

Myers isn't suiting up tonight... because... trade rumours!

Okay 👀 #Canucks

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— 🇨🇦 Trent Leith 🏳️‍🌈 (@trentleith.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 4:21 PM

GAME DAY CHATTER

Being a die-hard Vancouver #Canucks fan is rough, but at least we traded away our on-ice MAGA captain, while Ottawa and Toronto still have theirs (Tkachuk and Matthews).

— Edge O. Erin (@edgeoerin.com) February 25, 2026 at 2:08 PM

I hope as the team continues to rebuild, we put some decent people in the locker room as opposed to guys like Miller and Hughes... Sure would be nice to have a captain who was drafted, wanted to play his whole career here, respected by the community, played with Sedins... yes I miss Bo

— Ethan (@sourkumquat.ca) February 25, 2026 at 3:31 PM

Good riddance. Honestly, I'm embarrassed we had this twerp as our captain. #Canucks

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— TheDarkCanuck🇨🇦 (@bigherbs.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 4:35 AM

Given the state of the world, the NHL, and the #Canucks, I'm heading into the rest of this season with a Timbits hockey state of mind because I can only control what I can control and will try to make the best of it. "The first goal is having fun."

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— Ryan avgtraveller (@viewfromtherog.bsky.social) February 25, 2026 at 10:35 AM

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

In the absurd timeline we find ourselves in, more absurdity performed perfectly in a lederhosen cover makes great sense.

Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascism! Go Canucks Tank!