Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News’ Vancouver Canucks Mailbag. In this series, we answer your questions about what is going on with the Canucks. Today, we answer questions about vibes heading into the season, Aatu Räty and more.
What Kind Of Vibes Are You Getting From The Canucks Heading Into Training Camp And Preseason?
Based on interviews from the off-season, this group feels very determined to right the ship from last year. There are also a lot of positive vibes coming from the core players that the organization is bringing back a similar team. As for outside the organization, there is some angst among the fan base, as there are many questions heading into the season.
One thing to note when talking about vibes is the positive attitude of Adam Foote. Players have spoken about how excited they are to have him as a head coach, while Foote and his staff have said all the right things up to this point. Ultimately, there will be a lot of pressure on Foote this year as Vancouver can not afford to miss the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What Is The Best-Case Scenario This Season for Räty?
Heading into the season, it appears that Aatu Räty will be the Canucks third-line center. The 22-year-old looks ready to make the jump full-time to the NHL and is projected to be a key piece of Vancouver’s bottom-six. As for potential point totals, Räty should be in the 25-point range if he stays healthy and plays close to 82 games.
As for the best-case scenario, that would be Räty proves he can excel as a third-line center while also contributing on the penalty kill. One way the Finnish center can do this is by becoming a faceoff specialist who takes the opening defensive zone draws while shorthanded. Once Räty establishes himself as a full-time NHLer, then the conversation about him becoming a second-line center can begin.
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Willander Makes The Team Right Off The Bat?
The hype around defenceman Tom Willander is justified as he has the potential to be a top-four defender in the NHL. That being said, the Canucks do have a solid defensive group, meaning that the 20-year-old most likely will start the year in the AHL. Starting Willander with the Abbotsford Canucks is not a bad move, as it…