Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #6: A Saturday Matinee Against The New Jersey Devils

The Vancouver Canucks will be looking for a bounce-back effort when they take on the New Jersey Devils later today. In their last game on Thursday, the Canucks lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 7–2 after falling to an early 3–0 deficit halfway through the first period. The Devils will also be looking to come out with a strong effort, as they are coming off a 5–3 loss to the Utah Mammoth and have yet to register their first regulation win this season. 

Both the Canucks and Devils will enter today’s game with something to prove. Vancouver is coming off a hard loss that provided many with a reality-check about the team’s status as a rebuilding club, while New Jersey is looking to record their first regulation win of the season. 

One thing to watch in today’s game will be how Vancouver’s special teams perform. On Thursday, the Canucks put up their worst penalty killing effort of the season, allowing three power-play goals against — two of which came during the first period. Their penalty-killing rate is now down to 57.9%, which currently ranks as the lowest in the league. Their power play hasn’t done them many favours either, as they’re currently operating at 17.6% while also having surrendered three shorthanded goals. 

Vancouver’s decision in net today will impact their decision for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers. Kevin Lankinen started in Thursday’s game against Carolina, but was pulled after two periods and replaced with Leevi Meriläinen. Since the Canucks didn’t hold a practice on Friday and won’t be skating before today’s game due to an early start time, there’s no early indicator of who could be in net today. Whoever doesn’t play today can be expected to start tomorrow. 

Zeev Buium

Buium entered the 2026–27 season armed with a contract extension that can keep him a Canuck until 2035. While he had a strong pre-season, the defenceman hasn’t quite had the start to this regular season that many would have expected him to. He recorded his first point of the year in Thursday’s loss to the Hurricanes, assisting on Jake DeBrusk’s second goal of the night. Notably, New Jersey is also the team that Buium played his first game as a Canuck against back in December of 2025, in which he scored a goal and an assist. 

Luke Evangelista

Currently the Devils’ leading scorer, Evangelista had himself a game in New Jersey’s most recent matchup, scoring two of his team’s three goals against the Mammoth on Tuesday. The Devils’ off-season acquisition has performed well for his new team thus far while averaging nearly two minutes more per night than what he registered last year as a member of the Nashville Predators.  

Vancouver Canucks (2–3–0): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 2–6–8

Paul Cotter: 2–4–6

Filip Hronek: 0–5–5

Marco Rossi: 3–1–4

Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 2–2–4

Goaltenders: 

Kevin Lankinen: 1–3–0

Leevi Meriläinen: 1–0–0

New Jersey Devils (1–2–0): 

Points: 

Luke Evangelista: 2–1–3

Dougie Hamilton: 1–1–2

Jack Hughes: 1–1–2

Jesper Bratt: 0–2–2

Jesper Boqvist: 1–0–1

Goaltenders: 

Jake Allen: 1–1–0

Nico Daws: 0–1–1

Game Information: 

Start time: 12:30 pm PT

Venue: Prudential Center 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast 

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