3 Canucks facing the most pressure in 2026-27
The expectations for wins and losses are different for the Vancouver Canucks entering 2026-27. That doesn’t mean there isn’t significant pressure on individual players.
In fact, the beginning of a rebuild may put more pressure on certain members of the roster than the previous few seasons did. With opportunities opening up throughout the lineup, players now have a chance to prove they belong in Vancouver’s long-term plans — or risk being passed by someone younger. For some, that means earning a bigger role. For others, it could mean securing their next contract or proving they can become more than a one-dimensional player. So, which Canucks are entering 2026-27 with the most to prove?
3. Max Sasson
At 26-years-old, Max Sasson is past the time when he would be considered a true prospect, but he has always been a late bloomer throughout his career. This year, though, it may be bloom-or-bust time for the speedy centreman as a Canuck. Sasson isn’t necessarily fighting for a roster spot this season. He’s fighting to prove he deserves a roster spot three years from now.
Sasson had his first full-time season in the NHL last year, and he showed fans quickly why he was a primary play driver behind a Calder Cup-winning team in Abbotsford the year before. His skating is elite even by NHL standards. According to NHL Edge, he ranked in the 97th percentile in maximum skating speed while also placing in the 95th percentile in bursts of 35 km/h or faster. That’s despite having fewer opportunities than most players to showcase his speed because of his limited role on the team. Although his raw numbers weren’t eye-popping, Sasson showed he can provide a consistent level of depth scoring. But he hasn’t yet shown he can consistently be an all-around contributor in the bottom six, particularly down the middle.
The former college free agent played the majority of his minutes at centre last year, and his skating ability makes that a justifiable position. His faceoff ability, however, makes it difficult to play him down the middle during critical minutes of a game. Among all players who took at least 200 faceoffs last season, Sasson ranked 15th worst at 42.1 per cent. This also makes it difficult for him to earn penalty-killing minutes even though his skating ability allows him to close gaps faster than most.
Sasson’s future is unclear in Vancouver as he doesn’t have an established role moving forward, and he’s old enough that the Canucks need to see significant development fairly soon. It’s unlikely the team would take away top-six minutes from their younger players to give to Sasson. And right now he doesn’t provide the checking, defensive ability, or penalty-killing prowess that a conventional veteran depth piece typically would.
Over the offseason, Sasson has mentioned that he wants to prove he can play up and down the lineup while sharpening his penalty-killing ability. With his former head coach Manny Malhotra behind the bench, he should be put in positions to succeed right from the start of the year. Malhotra has spoken at length about his belief in Sasson’s work rate and potential as a player. This is the year for him to put that potential into practice. If Sasson can progress into a Carl Hagelin-type player, a plus defensive depth piece with offensive upside, then Sasson should be in the Canuck’s plans for the foreseeable future. If his game remains where it is, his spot may be up for grabs for a younger forward to take his place.
Although Sasson is only in year one of a two-year deal, his place in the Canucks’ organization long-term will have a lot to do with how he develops his all-around two-way game this season.
2. Tom Willander
While Zeev Buium has dominated the headlines since signing his extension, Tom Willander may have the more important season ahead of him.
Willander was thrown straight into the fire during his first season with the Canucks, playing the seventh most minutes on the team against some of the toughest matchups the NHL had to offer. The results were a mixed bag, with Willander showing legitimate flashes of the top-four, two-way defenceman Canucks fans hoped he would be. His mobility in particular was impressive, with his pivots and ability to close gaps in the neutral zone being ahead of schedule for a player of his age. Willander’s underlying numbers were not particularly flattering, though, as he was forced to play the majority of shifts on his heels in the defensive zone.
This season will be particularly important for Willander as next offseason he will be eligible for a contract extension. Although the Canucks won’t be able to sign him for eight years as they did with Buium, it’s likely the Canucks are planning to begin negotiations with Willander’s camp for a long-term deal within the next 12 months. How Willander performs for the team in 2026-27 will have an effect on what that contract may look like. The market for young defencemen has skyrocketed, with the Canucks signing Buium to a $9.38 million-a-year contract after only 76 NHL games. The pressure is on Willander to earn a lucrative deal for himself next July.
He can do this by continuing the progress he made last year as a puck mover. It seemed that, as the year went on, he became more confident in his decision-making on breakout passes and carrying the puck through the neutral zone. His two-way game could also take a big step with the removal of Adam Foote’s highly criticized defensive-zone system from last year, which left nearly every defenceman other than Filip Hronek scratching their heads from shift to shift. If Willander can sharpen his all-around game with added experience while potentially showing more flashes on the offensive end with his skating, he could make himself a good chunk of change this season. If his progress stalls, the Canucks may have to make Willander “prove it” for another year.
1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Since he was drafted back in 2022, the offensive upside for Jonathan Lekkerimäki has been obvious, but so far, those talents have not yet been balanced by a complete NHL game.
Lekkerimäki’s shot is a clear NHL-level ability; his release is deceptive, and he can pick corners that only the elite shooters in the game can. His puck skills are also above average, with his hands in tight areas allowing him to get a shot off in spaces where most players would have it blocked. The issue for Lekkerimäki is that, when he isn’t scoring, he doesn’t bring much else that consistently allows him to make an impact on the ice.
The former first-round pick has struggled to consistently win puck battles along the boards and retain possession of the puck in the corners. Lekkerimäki’s thin frame has made him easier than most to knock off the puck, and it also hinders his ability to hold his ground in high-danger areas in front of the net. His defensive game also remains a work-in-progress, in part due to his lack of physical presence and in part to his foot speed not developing the way some fans hoped it might, making it difficult for him to recover if he gets beat.
The Swedish winger doesn’t necessarily need to score 20-plus goals in order for him to have a successful season; he needs to show he has developed another element of his game that can be impactful on a night-to-night basis when he isn’t scoring. Last year, Lekkerimäki had the worst Corsi for percentage among Canucks players who appeared in at least 10 games. If he wants to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, Lekkerimäki needs to show that he has taken strides in his skating ability *no pun intended*, added physical strength, and will commit to being disruptive on the defensive side of the ice.
If he can find a reason for the Canucks to have him in the lineup every night, the goals will come; he’s too good a shooter for them not to. But right now Lekkerimäki doesn’t fit into the conventional mould of a bottom-six player, where checking and general reliability are valued highly. And he hasn’t proven yet that he can consistently win his minutes when facing the toughest competition in the top-six. This feels like close to a make-or-break season for the 22-year-old. If he floats between the AHL and NHL again this year, it will be difficult for the Canucks to envision him being a part of the long-term solution in Vancouver.
