A preview of Canucks forward Drew O'Connor's 2026-27 season.
Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for the Canucks during the 2026–27 season. Today’s player is Canucks forward Drew O’Connor.
O’Connor’s 2025–26 Season
The Canucks’ 2025–26 unsung hero fully deserved the title he was awarded at the end of the season. In his first full season as a member of the Canucks, having been acquired in January of 2025, O’Connor scored a career-high of 17 goals, as well as 12 assists, in 82 games for Vancouver. He finished with the seventh-highest point total on Vancouver for 2025–26, also registering the fourth-most even-strength points with 26 (tied with Filip Hronek).
Offensively, O’Connor was able to make an impact from a middle to bottom-six role depending on the night. Defensively, he was also able to contribute effectively. The forward became one of the Canucks most relied-upon forwards on the penalty kill, racking up a total of 85:13 minutes played on the season (third of all forwards behind Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood).
That said, the bulk of O’Connor’s time was spent at even-strength. Aside from Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, no other forward played more even-strength minutes than O’Connor, who finished the year with 1078:37.
The most notable part of O’Connor’s game, however, was the effort he put in during each game. Whether offensively or defensively, the forward tried his best to be the first to the puck, created offence when he could, and put in the effort to make it as hard for opposition to break into the O-zone as possible.
O’Connor’s 2025–26 Letter Grade
The Hockey News - Canucks site gave O’Connor an A for his performance during the 2025–26 season. The team’s unsung hero managed to set a new career-high in goals scored in a single season despite Vancouver’s offence severely lacking during 2025–26. He was also one of only three players to play in all 82 games for the Canucks.
Mar 28, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Drew O'Connor (18) against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn ImagesO’Connor’s 2026–27 Predictions
O’Connor may be one of the biggest trade chips the Canucks hold come the 2027 NHL Trade Deadline. The forward would be an asset for a contending team looking to add to their depth while not sacrificing much from a cap standpoint — his contract is valued at $2.5M per year. Given that his contract expires at the end of the 2026–27 season, O’Connor feels like a shoe-in for a potential Trade Deadline deal for the Canucks.
With Vancouver making substitutions throughout their forward lineup — parting ways with Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane, and Curtis Douglas and bringing in Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, and potentially more in Trey Fix-Wolansky and Akil Thomas — O’Connor could see his role decrease depending on who the Canucks choose to prioritize giving playing time to. That said, he’s still one of Vancouver’s most dependable forwards at even-strength at the moment, so any shrinkage in his role would likely be pretty minimal.
Bold prediction: O’Connor will set another career-high in goals scored during the 2026–27 season.
Canucks 2026–27 Player Previews:
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