The Vancouver Canucks are limping into the final game before the Olympic break, desperate for something — anything — to lift them out of a brutal stretch. They’ve lost 16 of their last 18 games, and the 2026 road schedule has been especially unforgiving. Wednesday’s trip to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights offers a small window of hope: a chance to end a skid, inject some confidence, and maybe give players and fans a glimmer that not everything has gone sideways this season.
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The Canucks’ backdrop is familiar: depth issues, injuries, and illnesses that leave the lineup patchwork at best. The Canucks come off a 6-2 loss on the road versus the Utah Mammoth, a game that highlighted how much they’ve struggled to find secondary scoring. Wednesday will see them face a Golden Knights team that has faltered recently, losing seven of eight games, but remains a powerful opponent in every way. Historically, Vancouver has struggled against Vegas, but sometimes it’s the unexpected circumstances — a tired, slumping opponent — that produce a spark. The Canucks will need all the spark they can muster.
Item One: Filip Chytil Out Battling Migraines
Filip Chytil will sit out Wednesday’s matchup due to migraines. It’s the kind of timing no team wants, but the bright side is the Olympic break is just around the corner, giving the 26-year-old forward a few extra days to recover.
Chytil hasn’t been a major point producer this season, contributing three goals and 24 shots over 12 games, but he’s an important piece of Vancouver’s bottom six. His absence will force some lineup juggling, with younger forwards or depth players tasked with picking up the slack. For a team already struggling for consistent secondary scoring, that’s not a small ask.
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Barring setbacks, Chytil is expected to return to his usual role after the break. For now, the focus is simple: keep energy high, stay disciplined, and do what they can to remain competitive on a tough road.
Item Two: Conor Garland Playing Through Illness
Conor Garland, meanwhile, will take the ice on Wednesday despite still feeling under the weather. He missed Tuesday’s practice, but the team will need him as close to full strength as possible. Even at less than 100 percent, he has shown he can still make an impact.
He recorded two assists in Monday’s loss to Utah, breaking an 11-game scoring drought that followed a five-game absence earlier this season. Over 45 games, Garland has seven goals, 24 points, 94 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, and 25 hits — a solid contribution on a team that hasn’t seen many bright spots. His presence is vital to stabilizing Vancouver’s attack, particularly in the bottom six, where secondary scoring has been hard to come by.
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Playing through illness isn’t ideal, and his ice time or effectiveness may be limited, but his ability to still make plays highlights why he remains a key player. He’s the kind of veteran who can lift younger teammates even when the scoreboard isn’t cooperating.
Item Three: Jake DeBrusk’s Cold Streak Continues
Jake DeBrusk, like many of his teammates, is finding the scoring touch elusive. On Monday against Utah, he started on the top line but didn’t register a single shot in nearly 18 minutes of ice time. One goal in his last 13 games tells the story: this is a player in a rough patch.
(Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
Even on the power play, where he leads the Canucks with 11 goals, the drought continues. He hasn’t scored with the man advantage since Jan. 8 against Detroit. His linemate, Drew O’Connor, has done slightly better, netting three goals in his last eight outings, but overall, Vancouver has struggled to generate offence.
At practice, DeBrusk was placed on the left wing with David Kämpf and Linus Karlsson. The combination was meant to spark chemistry. Karlsson, who had a hot streak after Christmas, is also cold, scoring only once in 16 games. The Canucks have scored just two goals in each of their past five games. Clearly, several key players are fighting to regain form ahead of the Olympic break.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
Vancouver enters the Olympic break battered but still searching for positives. Coach Adam Foote and the players are focusing on effort and control rather than results. Defenceman Marcus Pettersson captured the mindset perfectly: “Just give it everything you got. You never want to go into a break on a losing skid. One game. Play harder.”
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Even a modest win like staying disciplined, limiting turnovers, and converting on power-play opportunities could be meaningful. It’s about finding confidence and direction, however small, heading into three weeks of downtime. When the Canucks return, they’ll need that spark to push through the late-season grind. Against Vegas, the goal is simple: compete, hang tough, and finish the final pre-Olympic game knowing they gave it everything.
It’s not about magic, just about incremental wins: effort, energy, and maybe a few bounces going their way. For a team that has seen too few bright nights this season, that might be enough to reset the mood heading into the break.
