Sedins Searching For Balance Of Veteran And Youth Presence In Vision For Canucks Rebuild

As the Vancouver Canucks stumble their way through the 2026-27 regular season, the organization brought out co-presidents of hockey operations Daniel and Henrik Sedin Thursday to discuss the state of the franchise. 

"Our roster is better than this," Henrik said, sounding more than a little optimistic.

"Our belief is that our players are going to look at every day as an opportunity to get better because they don't want to be in this situation again," Daniel adde. "If they shy away from that, then they shouldn't be here."

Those were strong sentiments from the outwardly-calm former Canucks superstars.

However, one of the more interesting comments from their press conference the most was in regards to their rebuilding plans. If you're of the opinion that Canucks GM Ryan Johnson has to trade each and every veteran to build a cupboard of future draft picks and assets, you'll be disappointed.

"We can't only rely on our prospects to turn this around," Daniel said. "We have to surround them with the right players, too. We can't just get draft picks. We have to make sure we get the right players to support those prospects coming up, and that’s the only way to get through this."

This is certainly fair, but if you accept the premise that the Canucks have to hold on to at least a few veterans to help establish a new culture for Vancouver head coach Manny Malhotra and the new iteration of the team, the question is simple: which veterans are you going to hold onto?

Certainly, there are some candidates worthy of consideration to keep for the long-term. Star center Elias Pettersson has played this season like he wants to be part of the solution in B.C. Before the team's recent downward spiral in the past two years, Pettersson chose to be a Canuck for the long run.

At the other end of the trade-or-keep spectrum is winger Jake DeBrusk. The 30-year-old is in Year 3 of a seven-year contract paying him $5.5 million per season, and he has five goals and 10 points in 18 games – a pace similar to the 23-goal, 42-point season he had for Vancouver last season.

DeBrusk said last season he wouldn't be OK with being a part of a full rebuild, his stance on staying with the Canucks appears to have softened. That said, getting an experienced, cost-controlled scorer capable of putting up 25 goals would undoubtedly be a very attractive option for teams, and Johnson should be able to drum up a great return if they choose to move on from him.

Then there's Thatcher Demko, the often-injured netminder who has played a combined 43 games in the past two seasons. Demko is in the first season of a three-year contract paying him $8.5 million per, and there won't be teams lining up to try and acquire a goaltender who hasn't played since February.

But if Demko can return to full health, there's a chance there would be considerable interest in him in a market where high-end goalies are extremely hard to find.

So, you can see the challenge ahead for Johnson and the Sedins. Nobody disagrees with the Canucks' decision to rebuild from the ground up, as that strategy is the most proven way to build a long-term, year-in, year-out Stanley Cup frontrunner.

But there are no guarantees a rebuild will work well, even when you bring in veterans with which to surround your up-and-coming youngsters. 

All you need to do to see that's true is to look at the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks are doing. The Blackhawks have brought back Patrick Kane and brought in Bowen Byram, and they're still one of the league's most dismal teams.

The Sharks have one of the NHL's best collections of young talents, yet their decision to acquire veterans including Jacob Trouba, Darnell Nurse, Dmitry Orlov and Mason Marchment hasn't put them in a playoff position so far this season.

There's no easy road ahead for the Canucks as they try to build out a new balance of youth and experience. The Sedins appreciate the value veterans can bring, but these same veterans haven't pushed Vancouver into a place where everyone deserves to feel that their job with the Canucks is secure. 

And while time will tell which players ultimately get to stay in Vancouver, there’s little doubt there will be more change ahead for a franchise that can’t, won’t and shouldn’t accept the status quo.

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