The Vancouver Canucks suffered a 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Vancouver Canucks remain without a win during the 2026 pre-season after their 2–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. While they did face a young Oilers team that was missing the majority of their projected NHL roster, for Vancouver, 14 of the 18 skaters in their lineup were playing in their first pre-season game. Here are three Canucks standouts from Thursday night.
Zeev Buium
In a game that saw Vancouver attempt to shake off some of the off-season rust, Zeev Buium was one of the players that made an impact both offensively and defensively. The defenceman’s shot on Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry was just what Linus Karlsson needed to tap home the Canucks’ lone goal of the game. He also helped negate a potential breakaway goal for Aku Räty by tying the forward up while tearing through the D-zone.
Buium also stood out on the scoresheet in one specific category. Aside from his assist on Karlsson’s goal, the defenceman also recorded the highest TOI on his team with a total of 25:05 minutes played on Thursday night. He also made his way onto Vancouver’s first-unit power-play after starting the game on the second.
Linus Karlsson
Karlsson was the lone Canuck to find the back of the net in Thursday’s loss, with the forward scoring from a spot that’s become all-too-familiar to him — around the opponent’s crease. The forward was parked in front of Jarry for the duration of Vancouver’s second-unit power-play time whenever the group was stationary in the O-zone. Even when not on the man-advantage, Karlsson made his presence known by winning board battles and being strong on the forecheck.
As well as scoring Vancouver’s only goal of the game, Karlsson also recorded the second-highest shot-total on his team with four. His 18 minutes played throughout the game ranked fifth among all Canucks forwards and seventh of all skaters.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Linus Karlsson (94) shoots in warm up prior to a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesLuke Schenn
Back for his third stint with the Canucks, Thursday night saw Schenn put Vancouver’s uniform back on in front of the home crowd for the first time since February 18, 2023. In his 2026 Canucks pre-season debut, the defenceman played alongside Jamie Oleksiak, registering three hits and blocking one shot.
There was also a particular sequence that saw Schenn jump up into the play, finding himself all the way down by the Oilers’ crease while Vancouver had possession of the puck. While that’s not a typical part of the veteran’s game, the effort-level from the defenceman was clear in last night’s game.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News