Canucks Notebook: Line Combos and Defence Pairings & Malhotra Channels Brind’Amour – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

After only three days of training camp, the Vancouver Canucks will play their first preseason game against the Seattle Kraken tonight at Climate Pledge Arena. New head coach Manny Malhotra unfortunately doesn’t have the luxury of a long training camp or preseason to implement his systems, so it’s been an intense few days in Penticton. But, according to everyone that the media has spoken to, the energy and vibes have been high as the team prepares for opening night against the Edmonton Oilers on Sept. 29.

Training Camp Lines & Defence Pairings Already Show a Glimpse of Opening Night

Thanks to the shortened preseason, the Canucks have to get their ducks in a row very quickly. So, even though Malhotra cautioned against looking too deeply into his line combinations and defence pairings, I would expect some to carry over into opening night.

Jake DeBrusk was one of Elias Pettersson‘s most common linemates last season, and that duo has remained a thing early on. Linus Karlsson joined them on what could be called the top line, and he’s looked good, playing an aggressive style and showcasing his battle level that became commonplace last season. Malhotra is very familiar with him from their time in Abbotsford, where Karlsson notched a record 14 goals during their Calder Cup run, so it’s really no surprise he’s been given a prime opportunity early on.

Liam Ohgren – Marco Rossi – Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Somewhat surprisingly, Malhotra didn’t reunite the Bro Line of Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser for training camp. But, considering he wasn’t the head coach when that line was formed, maybe it’s not so surprising. Instead, he has aligned his most lethal goalscorer last season in Abbotsford, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, with the former Minnesota Wild duo.

Lekkerimaki has taken the opportunity and run with it so far. After major shoulder surgery that ended his season, he has stood out with his lethal NHL-ready shot, especially on Friday when he sniped it by prospect Aleksei Medvedev. It was great to see, as the 2022 first-round pick is still expected to be a huge part of the rebuild. It will be interesting to see him in game action alongside his best friend, Ohgren, with whom he showed so much chemistry in his draft year in Sweden.

Paul Cotter – Filip Chytil – Brock Boeser

For the second preseason in a row, Filip Chytil is one to watch, simply to see how he looks after another long offseason of rehab. The good news is, he has stood out during training camp, showcasing his speed and transition game, which everyone took note of the minute he joined the Canucks lineup in 2024-25 (from ‘Canucks Live: Training camp day two,’ The Province, 9/19/26).

While there was some uncertainty heading into Penticton on whether Chytil would play centre, it appears, at least early on, they intend to keep him in his natural position. Malhotra has aligned him with Brock Boeser and newcomer Paul Cotter on what looks like a second line. Boeser and Chytil have played together before, but thanks to Chytil’s limited availability, they haven’t gotten a lot of time to generate chemistry. Cotter will provide a physical presence to the line, opening up space for Chytil and Boeser offensively.

Drew O’Connor – Max Sasson – Brendan Gallagher

It’s a little surprising to see Max Sasson instead of Aatu Raty centring this line. Drew O’Connor and Brendan Gallagher are near-locks to be the wingers, and considering Raty’s faceoff prowess, he should be the for-sure option to centre them. Sasson and Raty have been top-six centres for Malhotra in the past, so it’s not the familiarity promoting Sasson over Raty.

Raty has spent training camp between Trey Fix-Wolansky and Ty Mueller on what could be classified as an American Hockey League (AHL) line. Honestly, I don’t see Sasson in the lineup over Raty to start the season; it’s just interesting that Sasson is the one being auditioned first between two veterans that will be everyday NHLers this season.

Jamie Oleksiak – Filip Hronek

Filip Hronek didn’t open camp with his usual partner last season, Zeev Buium. Instead, it was 6-foot-7 newcomer Jamie Oleksiak. They could be the ideal matchup pairing for opponents’ top lines, leaving Buium open to showcase his offensive skills more against lesser competition. Oleksiak is no stranger to being a shutdown defenceman, blocking shots and throwing his body around, so this could work as a minute-munching top pairing.

Zeev Buium – Luke Schenn

We probably shouldn’t be surprised to see Luke Schenn resume his role as mentor and safety valve to another Quinn Hughes-type defenceman. While many thought Buium would just be alongside Hronek again to start the season, Schenn was brought on board to do exactly this – mentor the blue line. So why not start with a future pillar that just committed to Vancouver for the next nine years?

Buium will quickly find out why Schenn was so beloved by Hughes when he was first starting in the league, not just for his presence in the defensive zone so that he can work his magic at the other end, but the intangibles he provides off the ice.

Elias Pettersson – Tom Willander

This young duo of Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander might be a future second pair when the Canucks are at their peak. Pettersson has already shown flashes of being an elite two-way defender, while Willander has the potential to hit 50-60 points in his prime. Willander has come into camp in great shape, reportedly looking bigger and stronger, along with more confidence with the puck and his passing ability. If this pair takes major strides this season, the Canucks’ defence, barring injuries, could be the most improved unit in the NHL.

Could the Canucks Have the Next Rod Brind’Amour Behind the Bench?

After the first two days of camp, the possibility has crossed my mind. Yes, it’s premature to say this right now for sure, with Malhotra having yet to make his official coaching debut, but considering how he’s looked so far, it’s not completely a pipe dream.

Similar to his former assistant coach, Malhotra looks like he could still be playing in the NHL. He stays in shape and has already shown similarities in how he runs practices and how he wants his players to play – aggressive and high-energy with solid defensive habits. He even dusted off some veterans during a bag skate that normally has coaches standing on the sidelines watching.

“Yeah, that would be a first where you’re getting toasted in the bag skate by your head coach,” Schenn said.

“Don’t ask others what you’re not willing to do yourself,” Malhotra explained to reporters. “Obviously, I time it so that I know that they’re a little bit more tired, so I can be a part of it. Our mentality as a coaching staff is that we’re all in this together; it’s not you guys and us. We’re a part of doing the work and … building something.”

Doesn’t that sound like Brind’Amour? We’ll see what happens in the future, but just seeing this early on is a huge positive for the start of the Malhotra coaching era.

Preseason Begins Against the Kraken

It’s almost here: the first game of Canucks hockey. Yes, it’s preseason, but hockey is hockey, and we will get to see the first glimpse of how Malhotra wants his team to play when they kick things off against the Kraken later tonight. Fans can watch for free on Canucks.com or Sportsnet+ if they have a subscription.