3 Canucks’ Storylines Heading Into Training Camp

Once he returned to the Canucks, he played fine, but not up to the standard that he had set for himself. Then just as he was starting to get his rhythm back, he got injured again and missed more time. This offseason, he signed a major extension with Vancouver, keeping him with the organization for three more seasons. By signing that contract, Demko told the organization that he is committed to the team and wants to be the Canucks’ starting goaltender for the foreseeable future. With that much of a commitment, he’d better be healthy for the start of camp.

Bottom Six Jobs

The Canucks will have many jobs up for grabs in their bottom six, especially after the team decided to trade Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs in July. Spots will be open in their bottom six, and the Canucks will be looking for players to fill those positions. Players like Nils Aman, Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, and Max Sasson, who have been clamouring to find a permanent spot in the NHL for multiple years, this year’s training camp could be their opportunity.

If the Canucks can have one of those players fill those needed positions on a permanent basis, it will help the team become a more cohesive unit and lead to more success on the ice, knowing that all their spots will be filled by players that can do the job that is needed by the organization. Vancouver is once again looking to get back to the playoffs, and depth in the bottom six is very needed in the postseason, as seen by the Florida Panthers’ run last season.

Welcome Tom Willander

The Canucks will finally get to see first-round pick Tom Willander as part of their organization this season after they were able to lock him up to an entry-level contract after the 2024-25 season concluded. The highly touted and very interesting prospect will be a part of his first training camp on an NHL contract and will be looking to earn a permanent spot on the Canucks this season. Even though that is unlikely, he will still have the chance to show all of the Canucks coaches his skill set against all of their NHL talent.

It will also be a great chance for Canucks fans to see what all the hype is around Willander and how his skills have translated from the NCAA to pro hockey. Many fans have only heard about his skills and maybe seen them at the World Juniors or the odd NCAA game that they can watch. This will be the first time they can see his skills against NHL talent. Willander is obviously a highly skilled defender with amazing offensive instincts, but seeing what he can do against other pro hockey players will be a great sight for Canucks fans.

Training camp is often overhyped, but these storylines will be interesting to look at as training camp progresses. The team will need to know the status of Demko’s health, have players fighting for jobs in the bottom six, and find out where Willander fits in the organization. All of these questions will get answered at training camp, and the team will need to make decisions from there.