What should Canucks fans expect from Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren for the rest of the season?
With the Quinn Hughes trade complete, all eyes have turned to the assets the Vancouver Canucks acquired in the deal. The three players who came back in the deal are center Marco Rossi, defenceman Zeev Buium and winger Liam Öhgren. Vancouver also received a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
From a value standpoint, the Canucks did a good job adding key pieces to their future. Buium and Öhgren are both under 22 years old, while Rossi is a former top-10 pick who just turned 24. As for the draft pick, it is projected to be a late first-round pick as the Minnesota Wild are now one of the favourites in the Western Conference.
When it comes to the three players acquired, the big question is, what are reasonable expectations for the rest of the season? While the playoffs are a long shot, the focus turns to development and seeing how impactful these three players may be in the future. Here are some reasonable expectations for Rossi, Buium and Öhgren during the 2025-26 season.
Marco Rossi
The key question Rossi needs to answer is whether he can be Vancouver's long-term second-line center. His last two seasons have been impressive as he has 100 points in 164 games. As for this year, while he has missed time with an injury, he still has 13 points in 18 games, which equals out to a points percentage of 0.72.
Rossi has also shown that he can be responsible in his own zone. This is key as the Canucks need to find a center who can take on some matchup roles without spending the entire time in the defensive zone. If Rossi can start winning matchups against the opposition frequently, it will go a long way in helping Vancouver establish a stronger top six.
For Rossi, a reasonable expectation would be for him to show that he can be a second-line center who can win his matchup. He also needs to get his wingers going offensively while contributing on the power play. If Rossi can provide solid two-way play while contributing 30 points over the final 49 games, the Austrian center will have shown that he has the potential to be the Canucks second-line center moving forward.
Zeev Buium
Buium is an exciting prospect who already has a multi-point game with Vancouver. The 20-year-old has a realistic shot of being a Calder finalist this year, as, based on Sunday, he could see extended time on the first power play unit this year. Adam Foote also has some experience working with him, which could help build the trust level between coach and player faster than most prospects.
As the season continues, the focus for Buium needs to be on the defensive side of the game. This is not a criticism of his defensive work, but a fact about young defensemen, as it takes time to learn how to defend at the NHL level. This also includes his ability to defend against the rush, as Buium should be able to use his skating to at least slow down his opponent.
While Buium is a high-end prospect, it is also important to remember that he is a rookie. Just like all rookies, he is going to make mistakes, but that is all part of the learning process. As for reasonable expectations, if Buium can continue to develop his defensive game while being able to facilitate offence on the power play, it will go a long way in showing that he can be a top-pair defender at the NHL level.
Liam Öhgren
Öhgren is arguably the most intriguing piece in this deal. While Rossi and Buium will get the most attention, the 21-year-old winger could end up being a good surprise for Canucks fans. A solid combination of speed and strength, Öhgren already has built-in chemistry with Jonathan Lekkerimäki, as the two grew up together playing in Sweden.
For Öhgren, the next step of his development is putting all his tools together at the NHL level. He has shown he can produce in the AHL, but that same scoring hasn't yet translated to the NHL. The good news is that he is trending upwards and, in recent games, has shown a willingness to get as many pucks towards the net as possible.
How Vancouver manages Öhgren the rest of the season will be interesting. He may spend some time with the Abbotsford Canucks as he is waiver-exempt, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. When it comes to reasonable expectations, Öhgren needs to show that he can not only play in the system but also be difficult to play against on a nightly basis.
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