By: Brayden Fengler / March 19, 2026 A quick check back over my recent articles… Yup, uh huh, just as I thought, all bummers. Right now, it feels like there is a lot to… for lack of a better word, to bitch about, with this team. However, I would like to try my best to put a pin in that for now.
There will always be time for doom and gloom speak. But there must be a few things that can be considered positive about this team right now, as we approach the end of the season. Whether it’s individual players, or specific dates on the horizon. I’m challenging myself and all of you to rummage around for those rose coloured glasses that you left in Spring of 2024, and try them on again, if only for a quick read.
Brock Boeser, the Canuck
As always, Boeser’s name was thrown around heading up to deadline day, but again, as always, he remains a Canuck. Boeser signed a 7-year extension last July, and while the 29-year-old forward hasn’t exceeded expectations when it comes to what’s expected of him after that deal, he also hasn’t dropped the ball either. He currently sits at 0.58 PPG, only down slightly from the 0.66 PPG he recorded at the end of last season.
Unlike the lofty expectations of Elias Pettersson, Boeser is inherently understood as more of a middle-six piece, that can be slotted up or down the line-up. He’s a fan favourite and while it’s likely been tough for him to see familiar faces plucked out of the dressing room all around him, he continues to portray a positive and professional attitude when questioned by the media.
If there is a player I would’ve picked from the 2023-24 Canucks to stay with this team above all others, it probably wouldn’t have been Boeser. But as the dust starts to settle on this season, the idea of Boeser remaining a Canucks even through this rebuild is growing on me. His cap hit of $7.25mil will look great for many more years, possibly all the way through until the end of his term in 2031-32.
His production over the years is nothing if not consistent, remaining largely isolated from outside noise, that comes and goes around this team. With a bumpy road still ahead, the idea of retaining a level-headed veteran who knows both the good and bad of this club and can help build up the next core sounds like a win to me.
Is there a world where Boeser moves? 100%. All the reasons that make sense to keep him are selling features for a prospective buyer. But would the returns be worth what Boeser could do to help this team move forward? I’m not sure they would be.
Notable Games to Finish out the Season
This is a bleak time of the year. Fans are being turned away at the door simply for being prepared for the grocery shopping that they’re going to do after the game. But if you do plan to make it down to Rogers Arena before the end of the season, there are still a few games worth seeing. As a hockey fan at least.
If you simply want the best bang for your buck, the March 24th game against the Anaheim Ducks currently has the lowest ticket options at $56.25 a seat. Still a bit steep for a team with fewer points on the season than there are dollars in that ticket price. But you’ll find other games with the lowest seat prices in their $60 or $70’s, so it is what it is.
Price aside, if you want to simply see the most talented teams you can, the Canucks are playing the Lightning today, March 19th, and the Golden Knights on April 7th. Of their remaining contests at home, those are their two opponents that are best placed to make a real playoff run.
The Canucks are likely not to fare well against Tampa, but by April 7th, Vegas will likely be icing their C team ahead of the playoffs. If that’s the case, the Canucks may be able to sneak out a win.
This could also present the opportunity to reinforce any stage of denial you may be in about how bad this team is. “They just beat a playoff team, they can’t be that bad!” That’s just an example of things you can repeat to yourself as you lie awake after the game.
This Time the Draft Lottery Will Be Different…
Just to recap, the Canucks are 32nd in the league. And if there is any way to twist that into a silver lining, it’s that the one time being in last place is a good thing, is at the draft lottery. In early May, we will finally learn if the Canucks will have some good luck and claim that first overall pick.
The Canucks currently have the best odds for getting the first overall pick at 25.1%. While that’s far from a sure thing, it’s something that the next best odds are Calgary at 13.6%. Calgary is a team that has a 10-point lead on the Canucks in the standings. The Canucks also have a 56.3% chance of getting the 3rd overall pick, which is as far as they can fall should they remain last in the league.
Even with 32nd place, it’s far from guaranteed that the Canucks walk away with picks one or two. Those picks will likely land the teams that do earn them one of the two most notable prospects, either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. But the main takeaway here is that while the lottery will never be a sure thing, the Canucks literally could not be positioned any better for it.
Good Old Schadenfreude
The only other pleasure that comes to mind when I think about the Canucks right now, is when I compare their misfortunes to that of other teams in a similar positions. There is a special kind of glee can arias when looking at those teams who were hot stuff last year and have fallen off the wagon hard.
The Florida Panthers won’t even get a chance to contest for their third straight Stanley Cup. They are missing the playoffs altogether, finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The only other team below the Panthers at this time is the New York Rangers. Depending on how you feel about J.T. Miller, whether that’s the Canucks keeping him over Bo, or the Pettersson/ Miller drama from the other year, there are certainly grounds for schadenfreude here. If you’re the type of fan that would be happy to see he’s not doing well, then congrats, he’s not doing well.
The Maple Leafs misfortunes are worth mentioning as well. In a similar vein as the Panthers, they had great success last season, winning the Atlantic Division, and now they won’t make the playoffs. The Leafs are firmly 6 spots out of the last wildcard spot and 11 points back of the Boston Bruins, who hold that last spot.
Lastly, out west, Connor Bedard’s Blackhawks and Macklin Celebrini’s Sharks will both be missing the playoffs. This news, to me anyways, does not invoke the same feeling of schadenfreude as the other examples.
But are you holding out hope that both teams will languish long enough for the boys to want to come home to Vancouver? If so than there is probably something here for you. The position of these two teams at the very least puts a few more drops of fuel on that fire.
Unfortunately, both franchises seem to be on more of an upswing than the Canucks, so that dream is going to require some serious finger crossing still.
That’s It For Now
While a lot of words in this article may have sounded positive, there is no denying that what there actually is to be happy about when it comes to the Canucks is minimal.
But hockey, like life, happens slowly and then all at once. I think Canucks fans will be surprised by how soon we’ll find ourselves feeling at the start of next season, with hopefully a better picture about the potential for this team.
Right now, it feels like we’re still gathering permits; no ground has been broken yet in this rebuild. But while it won’t be much by the start of next season, we should all at least be able to see the foundations of what’s being built here.