Canucks co-president Henrik Sedin explains what the organization will use to judge the 2026–27 season, outlines the coaching staff’s biggest task, and names young players who made positive impressions in preseason action.
The organization will postpone judging the season by wins and losses until the team shows a clear foundation: players enjoying playing together and for each other.
Manny Malhotra and his coaching staff must keep young players united through inevitable rough stretches over a long season.
Several young players — including Braeden Cootes, Tom Willander, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, Adam Novotný, and Adam Rogowski — stood out in preseason.
# What Henrik Sedin said about judging the season
Henrik Sedin, Co‑President of Hockey Operations for the Vancouver Canucks, told Halford and Brough the organization won't evaluate the 2026–27 season primarily by wins and losses until a clear internal foundation appears. That foundation is defined simply: a team that enjoys playing together and for each other.
# The coaching challenge over a long season
Sedin stressed the season is long and even good teams will go through losing stretches. For a team with many young players, the crucial measure is whether the group sticks together during those stretches. He put the onus on Manny Malhotra and his coaching staff to maintain cohesion and steady the club through criticism and tough patches.
Sedin pointed out Malhotra's experience in the market and suggested that handling external pressure and questions about direction will be a central part of the coaching staff's role.
# Sedin's role shifting to hockey operations
After a front‑loaded period of hiring and organizational setup, Sedin said his daily work has moved more toward hockey. The early months focused on staffing the organization with people who care about the franchise beyond hockey resumé alone. With those hires complete, recent weeks have emphasized on‑ice matters.
# Young players who impressed in preseason
Sedin named several prospects who took notable steps during preseason and training camp:
These mentions signal the organization sees development progress among its depth players and prospects.
# Jonathan Lekkerimäki's development path
# How this frames the coming months
Sedin's comments reflect a focus on process — culture, player buy‑in, and development — with a clear expectation that those elements must appear before wins and losses take center stage in judgment.
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