Vancouver Canucks forward Drew O'Connor has set a new career high in goals this season.
The 2025-26 season has been a difficult one for the Vancouver Canucks. Not only has the team secured 32nd overall by a wide margin, but the organization's plan has changed significantly over the past few months. Ultimately, this season has taken a toll not just on the team but also on the fanbase.
From a player's perspective, playing out the final few weeks on an already eliminated team can be frustrating. Outside of individual stats, there is often not much to play for from a standings perspective, especially for teams in the Canucks current situation. While Drew O'Connor is well aware of where Vancouver sits in the standings, his focus remains on competing hard until the season is complete.
"Same way you approach any game, said O'Connor. I mean, I think as the year goes on, you can look and say six games left, whatever season's almost over, but I think at the end of the day, you have to approach it as it's an NHL game. You have to approach it the same as you would approach game one of the season. Like we're playing for something here. So I don't think our approach should change at all really."
From an individual perspective, O'Connor has been a bright spot for the Canucks. He has set a new career high with 17 goals and is one point away from 30 on the campaign. As O'Connor explained, hitting new career highs is something that every forward should strive for at the beginning of the year.
"As forwards, you're primarily judged on your production more than anything. Like, there's other aspects of your game that matter, but the end of the day, production is an important part of it. So you come in every season, and you want to break those numbers and reach new heights. So yeah, it's something that I think everyone always strives for."
While most of the focus is on point totals, playing the right way is key for a young team like Vancouver. If the team is not strong in the defensive or neutral zone, it will impact how much offensive zone time the Canucks can generate in a game. According to O'Connor, if Vancouver can fix their overall structure, it should help better prepare the team in the future.
"I think obviously scoring and things like that are great, but I think that all comes from playing the right way. And I think first and foremost, we have to kind of focus on defending more than anything, and being really good in our D zone. I think we can kind of build offence off of that."
Over the last few weeks, almost every player has been asked about the current vibe of the locker room. While no one is happy with the record, ensuring that the locker room does not become a negative space is important. As O'Connor explained, ensuring the locker room is a positive place is important as the organization focuses on building a strong culture within the group.
Mar 9, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Drew O'Connor (18) handles the puck against the Ottawa Senators in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images"I mean, it's difficult at times. It's not fun losing, so it can be tough at times, but I think we've been pretty resilient as a group. And, you know, realize that we're kind of building towards something bigger. So hopefully this is just a small blip on the radar, and we can keep building a winning culture and be a winning team in the future. So I think that's kind of been our mentality, and that's how we've been able to avoid getting too down about losing as much as we have."
Since arriving last season, O'Connor has shown the ability to lead by example. Regardless of the score, he is looking for ways to get involved in the play and is now being rewarded with a potential 20-goal, 30+ point season. O'Connor is also a frontrunner for some fan-voted team awards at the end of the year, as he has been one of the bright spots for the Canucks this season.
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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.
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