Canucks Weekly: Buium, Demko, Cotter & Prospects Showcase – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are only 10 days away from opening training camp in Penticton, and the buzz around the team is getting louder. While it hasn’t officially started, players have rolled into town for informal “captain’s skates”, and we finally have something else to talk about besides the disaster that was last season. So, let’s dive into the first Canucks Weekly of the 2026-27 season, starting, of course, with Zeev Buium and the massive extension he signed on Friday (Sept. 4).

Zeev Buium Excited to Call Vancouver Home for Next 9 Years

Buium will be anchoring the Canucks’ blue line for the foreseeable future after signing an eight-year extension worth $9.38 million average annual value (AAV). Since coming over from Minnesota in the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade last December, he has seamlessly integrated into the Canucks’ fabric and will now be a huge part of the team’s future. The more time he spent in the locker room, the more we saw his leadership and character shine through, which is something they need plenty of as they navigate this rebuild. He also wants to be in Vancouver and is excited to take on the pressure of being an impact player and a face of the franchise.

“It was pretty easy for me,” Buium said. “When they came with the offer it wasn’t a hard decision to make. Personally, I wanted to be here for eight years, I didn’t want it to be shorter, and I’m really glad. I love the city. I love the fan base. I love where this organization is going, and I want to be a Canuck, I want to be here, and hopefully the end goal is obviously a Stanley Cup, and hopefully bring that back one day, and through all the years just really give the fans and everyone here in Vancouver something to cheer for.”

While some people might see the AAV as too high for a 20-year-old still finding his way in the NHL, when (not if) he hits his potential of a 70-80 point top-pairing defender, that $9.38 million cap hit will be a steal – especially considering the money Cale Makar just got. General manager (GM) Ryan Johnson sees him as a foundational piece of the rebuild and was more than willing to take the risk of signing him to one of the last eight-year contracts under the current CBA.

“It’s something that we felt strongly in Zeev, in his pedigree, he’s a proven winner,” Johnson said. “This contract isn’t about Zeev the player today or tomorrow. It’s where we see him in three, four, and five years and so it was something that we felt if both sides could come in agreement and make a commitment to each other, it was something we’d be excited to get done.”

All in all, no one should have a problem with this contract. The Canucks now have their top pairing locked in until at least 2032 with Filip Hronek’s deal ending then (yes, I believe he should stay for the length of his contract). That’s a nice luxury to have for a team entering a rebuild – one less hole to worry about.

Canucks Expect Thatcher Demko to Be Ready for Training Camp/Opening Night

Moving from a young piece to a veteran, Thatcher Demko is still working his way back from hip surgery. He has been sidelined since Jan. 10 and was reportedly questionable to start training camp and the season on time. However, co-president Henrik Sedin added some light to that dark cloud on Saturday in an interview with Sportsnet, saying, “He’s doing good…He’s on the ice most days and has a positive attitude. He’s excited, so hopefully he’ll be ready to go when training camp hits. That’s his goal. It’s still a couple of weeks away, but the reports so far are everything is going well.”

Chris Driedger was added to the roster on a professional tryout (PTO), which sparked speculation that Demko wouldn’t be ready. But now, that appears to be just a precaution and another goaltender for training camp. If he performs well, and Demko does in fact start against the Edmonton Oilers on opening night, he could be in line for a job in the American Hockey League (AHL), where prospects like Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo will need a veteran to lean on – that is, if Nikita Tolopilo stays in Vancouver.

Paul Cotter Wants to Take His Game to the Next Level This Season

Brendan Gallagher, Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn were the veterans added by the Sedins and Johnson to help lead the rebuild, but kind of lost in the shuffle is Paul Cotter, who could be a surprising piece of the new core. Signed on July 1 to a one-year “prove-it” contract, the 26-year-old is at the perfect age to contribute to a growing roster – not as a greybeard like Gallagher, Oleksiak and Schenn, but someone ready to break out in the NHL.

Cotter says he still hasn’t fully established himself in the league and wants to take his game to another level in Vancouver, like Kiefer Sherwood did when he scored 19 goals and broke the record for hits in a single season.

“Kiefer had a hell of a year while he was here, and I’m looking to be doing the same. I don’t know if that hit record can be broken, which is insane,” [Cotter] said with a laugh. “But yeah, the opportunity is big. I think this is a place where I’m able to expand my game and show people [what I can do].”

If Cotter can have a similar breakout, he will quickly become a fan favourite. He is definitely capable of doing it, too, having already recorded 855 hits in only 296 career games. Just like those veterans mentioned, he is also prepared to help rebuild the culture that has gone south over the last three seasons.

“There’s a good balance between some so-called older guys that have been around that are able to translate what needs to happen to younger guys that are willing to learn, and you need to have both,” Cotter said. At his age, he should be able to dip into both pools, having nearly 300 NHL games under his belt while learning from guys who have been around for over 1,000.

Prospects Showcase in Abbotsford First on the Docket

Before training camp kicks off, the Prospects Showcase will be the first event on the docket. After playing the inaugural two-day tournament in Everett last year, the Canucks and Seattle Kraken prospects will travel to Abbotsford this time for games on Sept. 12 and 13. The rosters will likely be announced early this week with names like Braeden Cootes, Adam Novotny, Brooks Rogowski, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki headlining the festivities.

Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing recent third-overall pick Caleb Malhotra, since he is committed to the NCAA. We’ll see if Novotny or Rogowski can follow in Cootes’ footsteps and impress the brass enough to start the journey of earning a spot on the opening night roster.

Canucks Upcoming Schedule

• Sept. 12 @ 4 pm PT vs. Kraken
• Sept. 13 @ 1 pm PT vs. Kraken (both at Rogers Forum in Abbotsford)