Some days, following the Vancouver Canucks feels like watching someone try to rebuild a house while still living in it. Pieces get moved around, the wiring doesn’t always make sense, and every so often, something promising pops up out of nowhere. That’s where we are today—right in the middle of a team trying to figure out next season while still grinding through this one.
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The Olympic break is giving everyone a chance to breathe, but it is also shining a spotlight on who’s pushing, who’s slipping, and who might actually help the team head in the right direction. For a club that’s been starving for answers down the middle, on the wings, and pretty much everywhere in between, there are a few names worth paying attention to.
In this edition, I’ll look at a possible big swing before the March 6 trade deadline, a young forward knocking on the NHL door, and a top prospect who seems to be making the “call me up already” argument louder every game.
Item One: Could Shane Wright Be the Canucks’ Next Big Bet?
If the Seattle Kraken are willing to move Shane Wright, the Canucks must be in the mix. Vancouver’s biggest problem has been the lack of reliable production down the middle. Their middle-six centers, David Kämpf and Aatu Räty, have combined for just five goals, while Marco Rossi has missed time with injury, and Elias Pettersson is still looking miles from his 102-point season in 2022-23, and you can see why a young center with upside might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
(Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images)
Wright is 22 and already has a 19-goal NHL season under his belt. His production has dipped this season, but he’s also been the odd man out in a crowded Seattle prospect pool. He’s getting fewer minutes under head coach Lane Lambert, and his development feels stuck in traffic. Vancouver, on the other hand, can give him the one thing he isn’t getting with the Kraken: room to breathe, top-six minutes, real power-play time, and patience to grow into the job.
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This is the sort of calculated gamble a rebuilding team should take. Wright won’t cost what a star does, but he might become one. And for a Canucks team desperate for a long-term solution down the middle, the fit is almost too perfect.
Item Two: Ty Mueller Keeps Pushing for His Shot
Ty Mueller is having a good run with the American Hockey League (AHL) Abbotsford Canucks. He put up a goal and two assists in a 5–3 win over the Ontario Reign on Monday and now sits at 26 points in 44 games. That’s right in line with last season, and his six points in the last four games suggest he’s starting to find another gear.
What really stands out is how steady he’s been. Mueller is figuring out the league shift by shift. He’s quicker with the puck, more confident making plays, and showing he can generate offence in different situations. It’s not a fluke; it’s progression.
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He hasn’t gotten his NHL shot yet this year, but he’s making the kind of push that forces the conversation. If Vancouver runs into injuries—or simply wants to reward performance—Mueller should be one of the first names on the call-up list.
Item Three: Jonathan Lekkerimäki Making His Case for a Call-Up
Another game, another standout night for Jonathan Lekkerimäki. He buried two goals in Abbotsford’s 5–3 win over the Reign and now has three goals and an assist in four games during the Olympic break. With 20 points in 20 AHL games this season, he’s showing he can produce without needing sheltered minutes or special treatment.
What jumps off the page is how natural he looks at this level. His shot is already NHL-ready, his pace has picked up, and he’s starting to win battles he wasn’t winning earlier in the season. That’s usually the sign of a player who’s outgrowing the league he’s in.
Vancouver needs scoring help. Lekkerimäki is supplying it. The pressure on management to give him a look will only get louder.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
As the stretch run approaches, Vancouver has three big questions staring them in the face. First, can they find real help down the middle? Second, are any of their young forwards ready to step in and contribute? And third, will management make space for players who’ve actually earned a chance?
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Wright, Mueller, and Lekkerimäki represent three different paths forward—but all three share one thing: upside the Canucks badly need. The next few weeks will tell us whether the team decides to bet on it.
