The Vancouver Canucks will be in the 2025-26 season in the hope of bouncing back from a campaign in which they fell from their Pacific Division Penthouse and the play-offs missed. After a relatively quiet low season where they have only added Evander Kane in the front and Pierre Olivier Joseph on defense, they will return to their core banks and return them to the status of the competition.
As we get closer to the training camp, the preseason and finally open against the Calgary Flames, I will continue to set you for the 2025-26 season with the Player Preview series, which started in the low season with Aatu Raty and recently Teddy Blueger. The next on the docket is Drew O’Connor.
Drew O’Connor
- Age: 27
- How acquired: Trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 1, 2025
- 2024-25 Statistics: 10 goals and 25 points in 84 games
- Career Statistics: 34 goals and 75 points in 241 games
- 2025-26 Contract status: One of one of a two -year contract worth $ 2.5 million Average value (AAV)
2024-25 season Summary
O’Connor played 53 games with the Penguins before he came to the Canucks in the trading package with Marcus Pettersson at the beginning of February. Both were awaiting unlimited free agents (UFAs) when they arrived in Vancouver, but it was not long before General Manager (GM) Patrik Allvin secured their services for this season and then secured. First, he signed Pettersson for an extension of six years worth $ 5.5 million AAV on February 5, and just over a week later, O’Connor puts the pen on paper For a two -year -old deal worth $ 2.5 million AAV.
“Drew has really made a good first impression since he came to our team at the beginning of the month from Pittsburgh,” said Allvin. “We love its size, speed and ability to respond to the Forecheck and Hound Pucks. Our employees also have faith that they can help bring his play to a different level and we are delighted to see what the future entails for him with the Vancouver Canucks.”
In the less than two weeks, O’Connor was a member of the Canucks as a current UFA, he impressed two goals in his first three games, including a dramatic penalty shot in the extension to beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 with 2-1 on 6 February. He went on a 13-game goalless drogt-dried. He also added a lot of speed and physicality (32 hits) to the line -up and showed some chemistry with Filip Chytil before he went with a concussion on 15 March.
O’Connor ended the season with four goals and nine points in 31 games. In combination with the 53 games he played with the Penguins, he was suitable for 84 games and became one of only seven players who play over the traditional 82. He also came to Conor Garland At the 2025 World Championship and Team USA helped to win their first gold medal in 92 years.
2025-26 Seasonal role and expectations
Many line -up projections have O’Connor playing alongside Blueger or Raty, not with the center with which he seemed to click after arriving from Pittsburgh. He spent 117: 06 with Chytil on even power and fixed underlying statistics With a 56.52 Corsi for percentage and 23 high opportunities. The Canucks also stuck the opposition 62-45 with them on the ice.
Related: More Canouct season Prespusus -Hetful
The speed of O’Connor and Chytil added some extra zip to the attack of the Canucks and began to demonstrably change it. According to NHL EdgeThey both arranged in the upper layer of the upper skating speed (88th and 90th percentiles respectively) and speed burst over 20 mph (97th and 90th percentile last season). As a result, it would not surprise me if head coach Adam Foote O’Connor brought back with Chytil in training camp.
Regardless of where O’Connor plays on five-on-five, he is expected to play a more prominent role on the Penalty Kill (PK) without Pius Suter and Dakota Joshua on the Roster this season. Ster and Joshua were two of the high minute men in a short ice age in the past two seasons, and the Canucks will have to find a duo to replace them. O’Connor will be at least half of that duo, because he has extensive experience with the PK, with 289: 43 (1:12 on average) of a short ice age during his career. With his ability to play both the center and the wing, he can even center the second unit, but I bet that Raty will step into that role, given his skill in the Faceoff Dot.
Final Station Spail
O’Connor’s versatility, speed and forechacking skills will be enormous assets this season for the Canucks, and with Souter who signs at the St. Louis Blues, he can eventually become his replacement. Ster became a valuable Swiss pocket knife for the coaching staff in the two seasons he was in Vancouver, and O’Connor has all the attributes to do the same in his first full season with the team. Although I will not make the daring prediction of him that touches 25 goals, I saw him around his career high, especially if he gets the chance to reunite with Chytil on the second line.
Other Canucks 2025-26 Player Previews
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