In this edition of Vancouver Canucks News & Rumours, Evander Kane will be wearing No. 91 with the blue and green next season after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers. Meanwhile, Conor Garland is reportedly close to signing an extension that will likely be announced on July 1. The same goes for starting goaltender Thatcher Demko. In other news, the Abbotsford Canucks won their first Calder Cup in franchise history on Monday thanks to a 3-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers in Game 6. Finally, the 2025 NHL Draft gets underway in a few hours with the Canucks holding the 15th overall pick – a selection general manager (GM) Patrik Allvin says he expects to use, not trade away, unless it’s for a lower pick in the first round.
Canucks Acquire Evander Kane From Oilers
On Wednesday morning, the Canucks announced that they had acquired Kane from the Oilers for a 2025 fourth-round pick. He will be returning to the city where he was born and played his minor and junior hockey for the North Shore Winter Club and Vancouver Giants. He spent two memorable seasons with the Giants before being drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, most notably in 2008-09 when he scored 48 goals and 96 points en route to a Western Hockey League championship and Memorial Cup.
Related: Contract-Year Gamble: What the Canucks See in Evander Kane
Kane’s off-ice issues have been well-documented over the years he was in Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose, but since he has been with the Oilers, his name has only been seen in the sports pages, not the regular news. Before injuries derailed his 2024-25 regular season, he was a key part of the Oilers’ secondary attack behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. After signing a one-year deal with the Oilers after his contract was terminated by the Sharks, he burst onto the scene with 22 goals and 39 points in 43 games and another 13 goals in the playoffs as the Oilers went to the Western Conference Final. That performance got him a four-year contract, and he proceeded to score another 40 goals and 72 points in 118 games before multiple injuries derailed his 2024-25 season. He did return for the 2025 Playoffs, where he scored six goals and 12 points in 21 games as the Oilers made it to their second straight Stanley Cup Final.
Kane adds a lot of what the Canucks need in their top-six: size, grit, and being tough to play against. Not to mention, he will stand up for his teammates and hit everything that moves. Over his career, he has 2,213 hits, with only two seasons where he hasn’t eclipsed 100. He can also score goals, hitting the 20-goal mark nine times, including two seasons (2011-12 and 2018-19) where he notched 30.
“I’ve played that style ever since I was eight years old here in Vancouver. So, nothing is going to change,” said Kane about taking pride in being tough to play against. “Nothing’s really changed when it comes to how I play and what I bring on the ice. I’m very confident in what I can do, and I think Vancouver is going to provide me a really good opportunity to do so.”
It will be interesting to see where Kane plays when the season gets started. He will probably get first dibs on Elias Pettersson’s wing, but I would also love to see, at some point, Kiefer Sherwood line up beside him – he of the NHL single-season record 462 hits. Imagine having to go up against a Sherwood-Kane duo; the opposition would have nowhere to hide from being plastered against the boards.
All in all, Kane seems to be a totally different person from the one who was in the news for various controversies in 2014, 2021, and 2022. Good thing, because more off-ice issues/distractions are the last thing the Canucks need right now after dealing with the drama of the Elias Pettersson and JT Miller feud that eventually forced the trade of the latter to the New York Rangers.
Kane will be motivated to perform in his hometown and leave a legacy of excellence, not drama, when he eventually hangs up his skates. He is nearing 1,000 games in the NHL, and his next contract could be his last. I’m betting he wants to make a positive impact next season and sign another contract with the Canucks to retire where his hockey journey started.
“I have a lot of friends that I grew up with that have always been Canucks fans. I know what hockey means in the city, and I know what the Canucks mean to the people here, so I’m really privileged and honoured to be part of that.”
Conor Garland & Thatcher Demko Nearing Extensions
Allvin and his staff have been busy this week. In addition to acquiring Kane and preparing for the 2025 NHL Draft and free agency, they are also working on some in-house business with a couple of their upcoming 2026 free agents. Garland and Demko are reportedly close to signing extensions that will keep them in Canucks colours for the foreseeable future. The numbers for Garland have already come out, with Rick Dhaliwal reporting that it will be a six-year, $36 million ($6 million average annual value) contract. He isn’t officially able to sign an extension until July 1, but all indications are that an announcement will come soon after the starting bell rings at noon on Canada Day.
Garland has been a huge piece of the Canucks, not just on the ice with his work ethic and production, but off of it as well with his leadership and overall attitude. He’s been tabbed as a key piece of the culture and someone they want to keep around for the long haul. Since Garland was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in 2021 as an add-on to the headliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, he has become the primary part of that trade, which I don’t think anyone saw coming at the time. In four seasons with the team, he has 75 goals and 195 points and is always good for at least 15-20 goals, along with his unwavering work ethic and never-ending spins along the boards night in and night out.
Related: Canucks Already Have What They’re Looking For in Conor Garland
As for Demko, that extension isn’t as finalized as Garland’s, at least not when it comes to salary/term being reported, but it appears progress is being made. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, he has been “more or less taken off the trade market” as they work on a new contract. He didn’t say a deal was imminent when he was being interviewed on OverDrive on Tuesday (June 24), but according to Dhaliwal on Donnie and Dhali on Thursday (June 26), he gets the sense there’s a pathway to sign him by the end of the week.
Abbotsford Canucks Win First Calder Cup in Franchise History
It took another game, but the Abbotsford Canucks did it, they won their first championship in franchise history. They had to fly back to Charlotte and stage a comeback from 2-0 down, but thanks to the heroics of the usual suspects Linus Karlsson (game-winner in the third period) and Arshdeep Bains (two assists), they ended up raising the Calder Cup by the end of the night. Arturs Silovs was named the AHL Playoffs MVP after a remarkable run that saw him finish with a 16-7 record alongside a 2.01 goals-against average (GAA), .931 save percentage (SV%) and five shutouts. Karlsson finished with a playoff-leading 14 goals, an American Hockey League (AHL) record for a Swedish player, and Bains was second in points with 24.
Silovs, Karlsson and Bains may have been the leaders on the stats sheet, but you don’t win a championship without contributions from throughout your lineup and marching orders from your head coach. Not to mention the man who helped build the team in GM Ryan Johnson. From veterans like Sammy Blais, Jujhar Khaira, Chase Wouters and Christian Wolanin to young guns like Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Danila Klimovich, Max Sasson, Ty Mueller, and Kirill Kudryavtsev, they all had a hand in this accomplishment. What comes of this championship roster remains to be seen; rarely, a full team comes back the next season in the American Hockey League (AHL), but they can bask in this win right now. They definitely earned it.
Allvin Says Canucks Expect to Make 15th Pick
The 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles starts in a few hours, and the Canucks hold the 15th pick for the second time in their history. They last made a selection at 15 in 2022 when they chose Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who is likely making the jump to the NHL full-time next season after a breakout year in the AHL. Who they get this time around is a mystery, as several names could be available when they are on the clock. From two-way workhorse Braeden Cootes – who the Canucks took to dinner at the Draft Combine – to may be even Roger McQueen or Kashawn Aitcheson, they will have a lot of skilled players to choose from.
Related: 3 Abbotsford Canucks That Could Play in the NHL Next Season
There have been rumours that the Canucks could trade the pick, but as of Allvin’s media availability on Wednesday, they are set to select someone at that spot. He also said that if they do move it, it won’t be for a higher pick, but a lower one, depending on how the draft plays out.
“I was just sitting in, listening to my scouting staff who are upstairs and doing the final touches here on the list,” [Allvin] said. “[They have] excitement on some of the players that might potentially be available. So, we’ll see if talks heat up here over the next 48 hours or not.”
The Canucks still have six selections after trading their fourth-rounder to the Oilers on Wednesday. As of this writing, they have the 15th, 47th, 65th, 143rd, 175th, and 207th picks.
