VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks find themselves struggling in their current NHL season, holding an 11-17-3 record and sitting eighth in the Pacific Division. Under first-year coach Adam Foote, the team trails by eight points for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Last season, the Canucks had a promising run, finishing at the top of the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record. Quinn Hughes, who won the Norris Trophy that year, helped guide the team to the Western Conference Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that success faded in the following season, as the team dropped to a 38-30-14 mark and ultimately missed the playoffs, finishing just six points shy of a wild-card position.

The disappointing outcome of the last season led to significant turnover, including the trade of center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on January 31. Following the changes, speculation about Hughes’ future in Vancouver took center stage. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said they had hoped to keep Hughes but recognized the shifting dynamics and began evaluating trade possibilities.

“We started to hear rumblings about Quinn’s desired direction about a year ago. We wanted to convince him to stay, but once it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, we had to explore our options,” Allvin explained. “We aimed to find a destination that could offer the best return for the team moving forward.”

In the recent trade, the Canucks received young prospects from the Minnesota Wild, including Buium and Rossi, who were the team’s sixth and seventh leading scorers prior to the deal.

Marco Rossi, 24, was a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft at number nine. He has accumulated 114 points—49 goals and 65 assists—in 202 appearances with the Wild, including 13 points in the current season. Rossi is under contract for three years with an average annual value of $5 million, and he will become a restricted free agent after the 2027-28 season.

Zeev Buium, also a standout in Minnesota, was drafted in 2024. After winning a national championship with the University of Denver and making his NHL debut in last year’s playoffs, he has shown promise with 14 points in 31 games this season. “Zeev is a young defenseman with a record of success in junior hockey. He’s showcased his offensive capabilities and has the potential to excel on the power play,” Allvin said.

In addition to Rossi and Buium, the Canucks added 21-year-old Liam Ohgren, a first-round pick in 2022, although he has struggled to find his footing this season, recording no points in 18 games.

As the Canucks aim to rebuild, the Minnesota Wild have made strides of their own, currently sitting in third place in the Central Division with a record of 17-9-5. After a rocky start to their season, the Wild have been on a roll, going 14-3-2 over their last 19 games and displaying resilience and depth.

As the season progresses, Vancouver fans wait to see how the new dynamics will impact the team’s performance, hoping for a turnaround during a challenging season.