How Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and Liam Öhgren have all performed throughout their first five games as part of the Canucks.
Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and Liam Öhgren have all been with the Vancouver Canucks for five games. In this span of time, the Canucks did the near-unthinkable, winning four straight and only dropping their final game of their road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers. While this surprising record has been the result of an overall team effort, the performances of all three of Vancouver’s new players have definitely contributed to their wins. Let’s take a look at how all three of Rossi, Buium, and Öhgren have contributed to their team’s recent successes.
Zeev Buium
When acquired, it felt like Buium would be the biggest piece in this trade package. An offensive defenceman who would very likely fill in for the departing Quinn Hughes, Buium made his mark on the lineup immediately. He put up a goal and an assist against the New Jersey Devils during the Canucks’ first game post-Hughes, automatically taking the spot on Vancouver’s first-unit power play.
Something that many were concerned about regarding Buium was the defensive side of his game. Even so, during his first five games with Vancouver, this hasn’t seemed to be as big of an issue as what was initially advertised — especially considering that he’s still learning the league. Buium has performed well on a pairing with Tyler Myers and, despite only being a rookie, has given Canucks fans a positive showing. As one of the highest-touted young defencemen in the NHL right now, Buium is already showing off his potential both offensively and defensively.
Marco Rossi
Rossi is a player the Canucks have been eyeing for what feels like awhile now, having inquired about him towards the end of the 2024–25 season. While he wasn’t initially acquired with the first-line center role in mind, Rossi hasn’t looked out of place on the team. In terms of his actual performance, he hasn’t been as noticeable as someone like Öhgren, who’s been prominent on the ice and on the scoresheet — but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Despite being so new to the team, Rossi is already being heavily relied on by Vancouver. He currently leads all Canucks forwards in 5-on-5 TOI with 74:54 minutes played. Rossi has also registered the second-most blocked shots on the team throughout the past five games with a total of seven — only Marcus Pettersson ranks higher than him with 10. While Rossi’s offensive game hasn’t quite showcased itself on the scoresheet, defensively, he’s shown up well for Vancouver.
Liam Öhgren
When Vancouver first made their trade, Öhgren was likely the player that many didn’t know what to expect from. However, Öhgren has arguably been the biggest standout of the Canucks’ three new acquisitions. A fast, strong winger who hadn’t found much luck on the scoresheet this season with the Wild, Öhgren was noticeable right off the bat on the Canucks.
Since joining Vancouver, Öhgren has fit in well with his current linemates in Linus Karlsson and Max Sasson. His high motor has provided the Canucks with two goals and an assist throughout these five road games, as well as a shootout winner scored on Saturday night. Öhgren has also performed well statistically throughout these first five games, consistently ranking near the top of the team in CF%.
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