The Hockey News - Canucks site writers have put together their predictions for Vancouver's 2026 pre-season and training camp.
The Vancouver Canucks’ training camp is set to begin on Thursday, September 17, leaving the 2026–27 pre-season and regular-season just around the corner. In preparation for Vancouver’s pre-season, The Hockey News - Canucks site writers have put together their predictions for what will happen from training camp up until the start of the regular season.
Who will stand out the most during training camp?
Adam Kierszenblat, Site Editor: Tom Willander
Izzy Cheung, Deputy Site Editor: Adam Novotný
Daniela Carbonell, Abbotsford Canucks Writer: Braeden Cootes
Witton Chau, Canucks Feature Writer: Zeev Buium
Jaden Teja, Canucks Prospects Writer: Marco Rossi
Who will perform best during the pre-season?
AK: Liam Öhgren
IC: Max Sasson
DC: Ty Mueller
WC: Braeden Cootes
JT: Zeev Buium
Who will play in the most pre-season games?
AK: Braeden Cootes
IC: Braeden Cootes
DC: Braeden Cootes
WC: Jonathan Lekkerimäki
JT: Braeden Cootes, Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Which fringe forward(s) will make the Canucks’ opening night lineup?
AK: Jonathan Lekkerimäki
IC: Jonathan Lekkerimäki
DC: Ty Mueller, Adam Novotný
WC: Ilya Safonov
JT: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Ty Mueller
Which U22 skater will impress the most at training camp?
AK: Braeden Cootes
IC: Adam Novotný
DC: Riley Patterson
WC: Adam Novotný
JT: Braeden Cootes, Kirill Kudryavtsev
What will Vancouver’s D-pairings look like at the start of camp?
AK:
Buium – Hronek
Oleksiak – Willander
Pettersson – Schenn
IC:
Buium – Hronek
Pettersson – Oleksiak
Willander – Schenn
DC:
Buium – Hronek
Pettersson – Schenn
Willander – Kudryavtsev
WC:
Buium – Hronek
Oleksiak – Willander
Pettersson – Schenn
JT:
Buium – Hronek
Pettersson – Willander
Oleksiak – Schenn
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Linus Karlsson (94) and defenseman Zeev Buium (24) and forward Jake DeBrusk (74) celebrate a goal scored by forward Elias Pettersson (40) against the Boston Bruins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesWho will Elias Pettersson’s linemates be at the beginning of training camp?
AK: Paul Cooter and Jake DeBrusk
IC: Paul Cotter and Linus Karlsson
DC: Paul Cotter and Brendan Gallagher
WC: Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson
JT: Jake DeBrusk and Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Will the Canucks announce a captain before the season-opener?
AK: No
IC: No
DC: Yes
WC: No
JT: No
What will the Canucks’ opening-night lineup look like?
AK:
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Cotter
Öhgren – Rossi – Boeser
Sasson – Chytil – Karlsson
O’Connor – Räty – Gallagher
Lekkerimäki
Buium – Hronek
Oleksiak – Willander
Pettersson – Schenn
Mancini
Lankinen
Tolopilo
IC:
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
Öhgren – Rossi – Boeser
Cotter – Chytil – Lekkerimäki
O’Connor – Räty – Gallagher
Sasson
Buium – Hronek
Oleksiak – Willander
Pettersson – Schenn
Kudryavtsev
Lankinen
Driedger
DC:
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Boeser
Cotter – Rossi – Gallagher
Öhgren – Sasson – O’Connor
Bains – Karlsson – Lekkerimäki
Buium – Hronek
Pettersson – Schenn
Willander – Oleksiak
Demko
Lankinen
WC:
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
Öhgren – Rossi – Boeser
Cotter – Chytil – O’Connor
Sasson – Räty – Gallagher
Lekkerimäki
Buium – Hronek
Oleksiak – Willander
Pettersson – Schenn
Mancini
Lankinen
Driedger
JT:
DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
Öhgren – Rossi – Boeser
Chytil – Räty – Lekkerimäki
O’Connor – Cotter – Gallagher
Sasson – Mueller
Buium – Hronek
Pettersson – Willander
Oleksiak – Schenn
Kudryavtsev
Lankinen
Tolopilo
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