In this video, I break down what it actually means for the Vancouver Canucks to be dead last in the NHL standings, why tanking is not the guaranteed solution some fans think it is, and how the draft lottery changes everything. I explain why I’m still watching and covering this team despite the brutal season, walk through the NHL Draft Lottery and its history, and focus on the development of young players like Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Liam Öhgren, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. I also recap recent Vancouver Canucks games against the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks, discuss injuries to Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser, and highlight why competing and building good habits matters more than one lottery ball.
– Nuckhead
Skip to…
00:00 — Intro
00:53 — How the NHL Draft Lottery works
03:02 — Game 51 vs. New Jersey Devils
03:51 — Game 52 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
04:26 — Vancouver Canucks injury update
05:23 — Game 53 vs. San Jose Sharks
05:56 — Game 54 vs. Anaheim Ducks
07:02 — Hot takes, complimenting strangers, and other things
07:42 — Outro
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#Canucks #Hockey #NHL
34 Comments
I will say this: the highlight of this Canucks season has honestly been the Nuckhead YouTube show! Been watching since 2024 and while the Canucks have been hard to watch lately, your show always brings a smile to my face! Keep up the good work!
Same reason I diligently watched twilight years of the Sedins when Horvat got drafted: To watch the new exciting young talent grow and score
Hot take : I wish Lekkerimakki and Buium switched numbers because I like the '4' in the canucks font a lot more than the 3s, and I want a Lekk jersey more than a Zeev.
Nuckhead. Here is a big question. What one would you matter
1. Tank and get a top 3 draft pick
2. Dig our asses in
3. Just play hockey
good video man, u deserve so many more subs 100% Even with such a dog trash team rn its good that ur always in good spirit and i love hearing ur take on the Nucks thank you for being you bro ❤
Hot take: Heated Rivalry is based on EP40 and JT Miller
I find it interesting that so many have "stopped watching" the nucks but can't stop watching nuckhead.
Personally, I find it refreshing just watching a game with the stakes lowered into the basement. It's still fast and fun hockey with not too many blowouts.
Hot take: the first overall pick this draft does not win the Calder Trophy, it goes to someone else in the top 5
As weird as it sounds, I actually enjoy every Canucks game. Seeing the emerging talent out there is promising.
Cup run in 2029! Hang in there, gang.
I love your videos man. I have been struggling with the concept of tanking until this video
We are still watching, as they are our team…i ain't a bandwagon fan…ride and die with them…They have played waaaaay worse than what they are playing now
Heartache Elias Patterson isn't doing us any good. We could get someone way better for him
Hot take: daniel sedin was better than Henrik sedin…
I'm going to grow so much with all this Canucks hardship!
Finishing last doesn’t guarantee the first overall pick but it does guarantee a top 3 pick. So the nucks would be guaranteed to get verhoeff or better.
Keep up the fun vids man!
To watch them tank for McKenna
The most important thing for this and next season is to shed older players that won't be around for the next "window" and be last. There's no guarantee we pick first but picking top 3 gives us a decent chance at picking up a superstar. If we don't, we need to keep tanking. Right now we have a number of young players who will be in the middle of our lineup. Some of those might end up near the top and some will be border line NHL skaters. If we try to get better, we will be mid at best
Whadderya mean, "we"? OK, I'm still watching but I've bene a fan for 50 years. Good times, bad times. Next year will be better 'cause it can't get any worse.
Nikita “Vibe King” Tolopilo is the Canucks goalie of the future.
Canucks have 2 first round picks right? and a first 2nd round pick
PREDICTIONS:
4-3 L vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
5-1 L vs. Utah Mammoth
6-0 L vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Hughes trade was good for the Canucks he wasn't going to stay and we got lots of good value for him, and he isn't in our division.
The Sherwood trade wasn't good though, getting a 27 2nd round draft pick was valued too high, Sherwood should have been valued at around a 1st round pick for a team that's sitting between 13-18 in the standings. He is a great playoff asset with his playstyle.
Hot take: ep40 should have been traded not JT
Remember, even if we finish last, we are still a coinflip favourite to get stuck with the 3rd pick
And there is a chance that the lottery is rigged of course, because professional sports is largely entertainment in 2026
I like the positivity pertaining to Thatcher. I highly doubt it, but its nice to hear.
Okay first off, your channel is awesome. You are hilarious!
Second, I was having a miserable day yesterday or the other day? I saw this pretty girl with cool ripped tight leggings on.
I was like. Nice pants Rockstar. Her face lit up with a big smile.
And third of all, I honestly think this is it for the Canucks and they're bad luck. I think the next few seasons are going to be a very promising. We have been the embarrassment of the internet and the NHL for the last 2 years. It ends now.
And forth? Well, I don't even know who the Canucks are playing next so I'm going to just guess.. 4-1 not the Canucks. Lol
Not really a hot take but the Canucks need to draft those twins Liam and Markus Ruck
Totally love your videos but I have to disagree with the sentiment at the beginning that finishing last isn't that important for the nucks since it doesn't guarantee a first overall pick. In this draft there's three guys that seem to be a cut above the rest that a lot of scouts figure could go first overall in different years (Verhoeff, Stenberg and McKenna) and finishing last guarantees a top 3 pick, while if we even just finish second last we have a ~40% chance of picking outside the top 3 and missing out on all three of these guys and if we finish 3rd last we have a ~68% chance of picking outside the top 3. This can be my hot take lol
cuz theres nothing else to watch in Vancouver
Maybe not super hot take but…Perhaps the nucks are keeping Demko off the team more than he would actually need, to keep the tanking going and to have him more ready for next season O.o
Hot take: The Canucks are making the playoffs in 2026
Predictions: 1-3 Loss vs Toronto, 3-2 win vs. Utah, and 1-3 loss vs Vegas.
Hot take: The Canucks will be the only team to never win a stanley cup (hope I’m wrong)
My hot take is that it's super weird that they don't just give both goalies the shutout for their stats but I can see how that could be abused, maybe I would make it if you get a shutout and play more than 55 mins of the game it counts for you… That would be my rule