How the Canucks went from best in the Pacific to missing the playoffs
The Canucks’ 2025 campaign was one to forget, but there’s still a lot to look forward to
Team captain and Norris Trophy recipient Quinn Hughes recorded less points this season compared to last year but remained a valued member of the Canucks. (Claudia Culley)
After a season dominated by off-ice drama, the Vancouver Canucks will not be in the running to hoist the Stanley Cup in June.
The Canucks failed to qualify for the post-season for the fourth time in the past five seasons, despite finishing first in the Pacific division last year.
Injuries to Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko, along with the disconnect between players, created a season where the team could never gain any real momentum.
A reported rift throughout the season cast doubts about the relationship between two of the team’s best players: Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
When asked about his relationship with Miller in December in the midst of a three-game losing streak, Pettersson said, “It’s good. I don’t know why people still try and make shit up.”
Miller and Pettersson enjoyed their best hockey together, both eclipsing the 100-point plateau. Pettersson recorded 39 goals and 63 assists in 2022-23, and Miller recorded 37 goals and 66 assists the following season in 2023-24.
Miller posted nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games for the Canucks this season. After a mid-season trade sent him to the New York Rangers, Miller said he was “excited” and “numb” regarding the trade after scoring a goal in his Ranger debut, adding he had respect for the Canucks organization.
As for Pettersson, the four-time all-star dealt with an oblique injury, appearing in only 64 games, the second lowest tally of his career, while Brock Boeser managed just 50 points in 75 games this season, compared to 73 points last season.
However, it isn’t all bad for the future of the Canucks, although it may still be hanging by a thread.
Captain Quinn Hughes, who won the Norris Trophy last season as the league’s best defensemen, recorded 76 points in 68 games this season. He was down this year compared to his 92 points in all 82 games in 2023-24, but Hughes’s play was one of the few bright spots of the season for a desperate Canucks fanbase.
Despite subpar play from Pettersson and Boeser, secondary forwards such as Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, and Pius Suter stepped up and produced some of the best hockey of their career.
But clearly producing offense wasn’t the only problem for the Canucks this season.
The team is ranked 23rd in the NHL in goals, scoring at 2.95 goals per game. The Canucks also ranked as the 12th best defensive team, allowing 3.06 goals per game.
The four goalies who appeared for the Canucks, Kevin Lankinen (51 games), Demko (23 games), Arturs Silovs (10 games) and Nikita Tolopilo (two games), combined for the league’s 13th best save percentage of .886.
For next season, the fate of the team rests on health and a new attitude … and a new head coach in light of Rick Tocchet stepping away from the Canucks.
The silver lining for a team who have endured as much physical and emotional damage as the Canucks is they only missed the post-season by six points in the league’s strongest division, which is something to build on.
As for any team, the main key for next season is a healthy off-season and a new commitment to winning games as a unit.
When healthy, Demko serves as one of the league’s most reliable goaltenders, and Pettersson is a goal-scoring machine, especially when he gets along with his linemates.
Despite what Pettersson said, it’s clear to the fanbase there was, or potentially still is, a disconnect between the players.
Trade rumours won’t disappear heading into next season, but neither will the thousands of screaming fans cheering for the team inside Rogers Arena.
