Canucks rebuild better be worth all the losing

The Vancouver Canucks are 3-14-1 and riding a four-game losing streak heading into Saturday night’s action. That’s good enough for last overall and two points behind the underwhelming Chicago Blackhawks.

Yes, this season was supposed to be a tough one. But there is a limit to the pain that comes with a rebuild. And in the minds of Vancouver fans, all the losing had better be worth it.

Think about it.

The entire point of tanking is to improve the odds in the NHL Draft Lottery. But as last season proved, there are no guarantees. The Canucks had the best odds, but the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks beat them to the top pick.

Now, that’s not to say that Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg would have instantly turned the Canucks into a playoff contender. But the organization needs to have something to show for the pain that fans are enduring.

And it’s not like the Canucks are losing one-goal games or tough overtime matchups. Vancouver is tied with Chicago for the league’s worst goal differential, while consistently losing by wide margins.

All of that underscores the fact that losing is tough. However, if there is a tangible silver lining, the rebuild might just work out.

Landon DuPont might be the Canucks’ silver lining for this season

You have to think that McKenna might have been the ideal face for the Canucks next core. The Yukon kid became a WHL star before moving to the NCAA.

When the Maple Leafs visited the Canucks last weekend, McKenna’s family came out in full force to see their beloved son.

Well, the McKenna ship sailed the moment Toronto won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. As such, the spotlight now turns to another WHL star, Landon DuPont. The 17-year-old is the presumptive first-overall pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. After a stint with the Everett Silvertips, he jumped to the NCAA, heading to Michigan.

And now, DuPont, who’s got eight assists in his first eight college games, could be the silver lining for this season. If the Calgary native can turn into what another Calgary defenseman, Cale Makar, became, the Canucks should be just fine.

Now, it’s not that we’re saying Landon DuPont will be the next Makar. But if you take Corey Pronman’s projections, the notable prospect guru is drawing comparisons to Makar.

With the way things are going in Vancouver, perhaps things might work out better in the end. Landon DuPont might just be the star the team needs to usher in a new era of Canucks hockey.