Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #2: A Home-Opener Rematch Against The Edmonton Oilers

Against all odds, the Vancouver Canucks stunned fans on Tuesday night when they took a 6–5 overtime win against none-other than the Edmonton Oilers to open their 2026–27 season. Tonight, it will be the Canucks’ turn to welcome their opponent to home-ice for the first time this season. 

The biggest shock from Vancouver’s win on Tuesday night was the fact that the Canucks managed to take a 5–2 lead against Edmonton, with this coming off goal efforts from Paul Cotter, Marco Rossi, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Max Sasson, and Elias Pettersson. Not only was Vancouver able to score, the team as a whole also looked engaged throughout the game. While it wasn’t a perfect win, it was one that kept fans entertained — something they’ll look to do throughout their rebuild. 

Vancouver’s aim for Thursday’s matchup will not necessarily be to beat Edmonton outright; rather, they’ll want to maintain — and even build on — their commitment to the systems put in place by Manny Malhotra and the coaching staff. Given how Tuesday’s game went, the Oilers will be a hungry team coming into Thursday’s game and will likely be looking to prove themselves. 

Max Sasson

Aside from the skillful goal he scored in Tuesday’s game, Max Sasson put up a very strong effort for a Canucks team that looked like they had the time of their lives. The forward, along with his linemates Drew O’Connor and Linus Karlsson, were given the difficult matchup against none-other than Connor McDavid, with the trio thriving in suppressing the Oilers superstar. Given their success on Tuesday, expect this line to be assigned to McDavid’s group once again.  

Evan Bouchard

Evan Bouchard comes into Thursday’s rematch with a hat trick and a grand total of five points already credited to him in 2026–27. The defenceman was named the first star of Tuesday’s game for his dynamic offensive effort. While it’s unlikely he’ll register another five-point night, the defenceman will be an integral piece in Edmonton’s potential success tonight. 

Vancouver Canucks (1–0–0): 

Points: 

Paul Cotter: 2–0–2

Max Sasson: 1–1–2

Filip Hronek: 0–2–2

Elias Pettersson: 1–0–1

Marco Rossi: 1–0–1

Goaltenders: 

Kevin Lankinen: 1–0–0

Leevi Meriläinen: 0–0–0

Edmonton Oilers (0–0–1): 

Points: 

Evan Bouchard: 3–2–5

Vasily Podkolzin: 2–0–2

Connor McDavid: 0–2–2

Leon Draisaitl: 0–1–1

Ryan Shea: 0–1–1

Goaltenders: 

Tristan Jarry: 0–0–1

Devon Levi: 0–0–0

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast 

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