Lineup Notes: Meriläinen Projected To Start, Öhgren Draws Back In As Canucks Take On The Wild

The Vancouver Canucks are looking to end their current nine-game losing streak with a win against the Minnesota Wild tonight. They’ll also welcome back former captain Quinn Hughes with tonight’s matchup, as today is the defenceman’s first time playing in Vancouver since being traded last December. Here are the lineup notes for October 25, 2026. 

Once again, the Canucks have decided to switch up their forward lines, as per their practice at UBC on Saturday (Sunday's morning skate was optional). These changes have resulted in Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser being reunited, Brendan Gallagher claiming a spot in the team’s top-six alongside Jake DeBrusk and Marco Rossi, and Liam Öhgren and Jonathan Lekkerimäki skating with Filip Chytil. Paul Cotter, Victor Mancini, and Jamie Oleksiak were the three players who remained on the ice after morning skate ended, indicating that they are likely the team's three healthy scratches tonight. 

Another interesting change to Vancouver’s skaters is the shifting of defence pairings aside from the first duo of defenceman Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek. Zeev Buium and Tom Willander are slated to skate together after spending 13 minutes on the same pairing during Thursday’s game. Third pair. 

Leevi Meriläinen is projected to start in net for the Canucks tonight, as Kevin Lankinen played in Vancouver’s last game on Thursday. Meriläinen’s last start came on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, during which he stopped 38 shots on 43 faced. Tonight would be his eighth game played in and his sixth start through 2026–27. 

Projected Lineup: 

O’Connor – Pettersson – Boeser

DeBrusk – Rossi – Gallagher 

Öhgren – Chytil – Lekkerimäki

Bains – Sasson – Karlsson 

Pettersson – Hronek 

Buium – Willander 

Brisebois – Schenn 

Meriläinen 

Lankinen 

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast

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