The Vancouver Canucks are once again struggling to win games after missing the playoffs in 2025. Currently, they hold a record of 8-9-2 and sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division. Their performance mirrors last season’s start, when they were 10-6-3 after the first 19 games. Clearly, the Canucks are facing another inconsistent campaign.
Despite the challenges, the team remains committed to its core group of young players and is not willing to trade them without a major return. Team president Jim Rutherford addressed this in a recent interview with Sportsnet.
When asked about the possibility of trading key young talents like Elias N. Pettersson, Tom Willander, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, or Braeden Cootes, Rutherford was clear: “That is not in the plan.” He emphasized the importance of keeping the young core intact.
“The fact of the matter is, we’re at a point where our amateur scouts and development staff under Patrik have done a good job in building up a good group of young players, and it would take something extreme for us to start cutting into that,” Rutherford explained.
He also noted that trades involving these players would only be considered if the return was a player aged 25 or younger. “Now, I’m not saying we wouldn’t trade one of these players,” Rutherford said. “But if we did, it would be for somebody that’s 25 years or younger. Even our core, older guys are still in their 20s; we’re still a relatively young team. It’s not like we’re an aging team that’s got nowhere to go.”
Each of the four players plays a vital role in Vancouver’s long-term plans.
– Tom Willander, the 11th overall pick in 2023, is 20 years old and showing significant improvement on defense.
– Elias Pettersson, 21, has developed into a more reliable defender.
– Jonathan Lekkerimaki, also 21 and the 15th overall pick in 2022, is working his way back from injury while developing in the AHL.
– Braeden Cootes, just 18 and the 15th overall pick in 2025, is performing well in the WHL and remains one of Vancouver’s top forward prospects.
The Canucks’ inconsistency is reflected in their statistics, scoring an average of 2.84 goals per game while allowing 3.53 goals against. Nonetheless, Vancouver believes their young core is the key to turning the team’s fortunes around.
### Canucks Lose in Overtime to the Hurricanes
In a tightly contested game on Friday, the Vancouver Canucks fell 4-3 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes. Coach Adam Foote praised Carolina’s speed and aggressive forechecking.
“We’re going to learn a lot from a game like that. It’s the closest you’ll see to a playoff game that we’ve had so far,” Foote said.
For Vancouver, Max Sasson, Elias Pettersson, and Conor Garland found the back of the net. Goalie Kevin Lankinen made 34 saves and kept the team competitive throughout the match. Despite their push in overtime, the Canucks were unable to stop Sebastian Aho’s game-winning goal.
The team will look to build on this experience as they continue their push toward a stronger season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/news-canucks-gm-jim-rutherford-reveals-one-condition-he-d-trade-pettersson-willander-key-players
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