Canucks open camp under Malhotra with rebuild underway

Vancouver Canucks training camp opens Thursday in Penticton, British Columbia, and the group arriving there barely resembles the team that made a 13-game playoff run two years ago.

The Canucks finished last overall in the NHL last season after entering the year expecting to compete for a playoff spot. The collapse accelerated a rebuild now led by general manager Ryan Johnson, co-presidents Henrik and Daniel Sedin and first-time NHL head coach Manny Malhotra, who replaced Adam Foote after one season.

Malhotra inherits an almost entirely new staff. His first major task is to restore defensive structure and on-ice cohesion after Vancouver struggled under a transition-heavy approach last season. The preseason will provide the first sustained test of those changes.

The roster has also turned over. Nils Hoglander, Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, Marcus Pettersson, Derek Forbort, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Curtis Douglas are gone. Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn are among the additions.

The Quinn Hughes trade brought Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren to Vancouver, plus a first-round draft pick. Prospect Adam Novotny also drew strong reviews at development camp and the recent prospects showcase.

Buium, 20, signed an eight-year, $75.04 million extension that begins in 2027-28. He is expected to grow into the franchise role Hughes once held, although Johnson has emphasized that the young defenceman still needs time to develop.

The rebuild has brought new energy to the organization. Whether that energy produces wins will take time, and Vancouver's leadership has made clear that development will guide the season.