The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames weren't favored in the draft lottery, but for what lies ahead for the two rebuilding clubs, it's important they take a page out of the San Jose Sharks and don't cut corners.
For long-suffering fans of NHL teams, it’s hard to hear it, but it’s true: patience is a virtue. This past week, fans of the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks had no choice but to show more patience as those teams attempt to chart a course back to relevancy.
Heading into the NHL draft lottery on Tuesday, the Canucks had the best chance to win the lottery and pick first overall in June. The Flames, meanwhile, had the fourth-best chance to win. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery for the first pick, and the San Jose Sharks won the lottery for the second pick.
That pushed the Canucks down to the third pick, and the Flames dropped down to the sixth overall pick. And while that was a serious letdown for Vancouver and Calgary, part of going through a full rebuild includes this sort of pain. But through it all, these teams must embrace the process and not take any shortcuts.
The Sharks are an instructive example of the payoff that comes with being patient. San Jose hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019, and the 2025-26 season is the first season the Sharks haven’t finished in the bottom three of their division – and even then, San Jose only finished in fifth place in the weak Pacific Division this past year.
But now, after enough years where they picked up top talent like budding stars, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson, they almost don't need to hold on to the second-overall pick.
Whether the Sharks decide to keep the second pick or trade it for proven veteran help, they’ve now suffered long enough to have foundational pieces. All the generational pieces are now there for San Jose, and the Sharks will now be expected to make the playoffs next year.
Regardless, the Sharks’ inability to make the playoffs for the past seven seasons is an indication of what could be ahead for Vancouver and Calgary.
The Flames and Canucks are going to get a very solid young player at this year’s draft, but the truth is, both teams are a few years away from being a few years away as a team that can reasonably be expected to do big things in the post-season.
So while it hurts to hear it if you're a Calgary or Vancouver fan, you have to be patient with the rebuild. And for the organizations, they can't afford to make shortcuts and cut corners in this process.
For the foreseeable future, a playoff berth is going to be a bridge too far for the Canucks and Flames. Vancouver and Calgary still have significant holes in their lineup, and they’re not likely to trade their way out of the competitive crater they created when they decided to go on a full rebuild.
There’s going to be more pain ahead for the Flames and Canucks. But Calgary and Vancouver fans should be heartened by the fact that management has chosen the road most likely to make them a long-term Cup threat. Unfortunately, the emphasis there is on ‘long-term’.
As the Sharks have shown, it’s not easy or quick to find the road back to relevancy. You have to take your lumps, draft well with the top picks you do get, and hope for a touch of luck when it comes to developing players.
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