In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News and Rumours, the Canucks held their end-of-season media availability on Friday at Rogers Arena, with all the players commenting on the disappointing campaign that had them finish outside the playoffs. Among the notable news items were Thatcher Demko expressing his desire to stay in Vancouver beyond his current contract, Elias Pettersson discussing his offseason plans, and head coach Rick Tocchet pulling back the curtain on the Elias Pettersson/J.T. Miller rift. Also, Brock Boeser talked about his time in Vancouver and what he will be thinking about heading into free agency. Demko Wants to Stay in Vancouver Even With Lankinen Signed Long-Term There was a lot of speculation about Demko’s future with the Canucks after they had signed Lankinen to his five-year extension back in February. Demko will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1, 2026, and his de facto status as the team’s number-one goaltender has been questioned recently with the emergence of Lankinen, as well as his injury issues that limited him to 23 appearances this season. In an ideal world, Demko and Lankinen would form a solid 1A/1B tandem similar to what the Boston Bruins had with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, but that is contingent on Demko signing a reasonable extension, money-wise. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) Well, on Friday, the long-time Canucks goaltender gave fans hope that could happen saying, “I’ve always wanted to be a Canuck since Day 1. I want to be here, obviously was drafted here and, yeah, I mean, I’d like to get an extension done and stay here.” Demko also touched on Lankinen’s extension and whether that makes a difference in his thought process going into negotiations: “Kevin deserved every penny of that contract for what he’s done. He’s a great guy, great teammate. I’m happy for Kevin. I’ve always been committed to this team and love being a Canuck. So it didn’t change anything on my part.” Pettersson Talks Miller Rift, Injury & Offseason Plans After Disappointing Season Considering his disappointing season and locker room drama with Miller, Pettersson was bound to be a topic of conversation during the end-of-season media availability. He was asked about that, his injury, and his plans going into the offseason to make sure he returns to form going into the second year of his $11.6 million AAV contract. Related: Tocchet Calls Out Pettersson, Confirms Star’s Spat with J.T. Miller On the Miller rift, Pettersson said that he and Miller weren’t the best of friends, but they respected each other as teammates. He also revealed that it was an oblique injury that kept him out of the lineup for the final 12 games of the regular season. Finally, he said that he would be sticking around Vancouver for the first bit of the offseason, then flying back to Sweden. “I’ve got great resources here and great resources back home in Sweden. But yeah, I want to stay here for a little bit. Just do some extra work before I fly home to Sweden.” Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) If the Canucks are going to return to being contenders, Pettersson needs to rediscover the player that recorded 102 points in 2022-23 and got him the big-money extension he currently enjoys. He has to become the team’s unquestioned number-one centre now that Miller is in New York and lead the forward group offensively game in and game out. Fortunately, he appears to be ready to take on that challenge in the offseason, acknowledging his struggles and saying that he is determined to grow from the adversity he faced. “Things just happen up there when I’m playing my best. I mean, I think early in the season, maybe I have kind of one mindset that, yes, I signed the contract, and now I have to do more instead of just being me and being content over things. So yeah, I mean I’ve touched on it before. I’m not perfect. I’m trying to be but yeah, so it’s been a lot of adversity this year. I’m always trying to believe I can grow from it.” Discussing his offseason plans, Pettersson said, “That’s what I need. Strength doesn’t come easy for me. I have to train harder,” he added. “Obviously I was dealing with a knee injury last season, that kind of stopped my training last summer. So it was hard to truly train at 100% last summer. But with that being said, I’m just trying to look forward and sucks we’re not playing still. But with that being said, I’m going to take this time to take advantage of the extra month of training to come in great for next season.” Rick Tocchet Had Lots to Say About Pettersson Tocchet, of course, was also asked about Pettersson, and he had plenty to say on the topic. Before discussing what Pettersson needs to do in the offseason to come back strong for next season, he spoke candidly on the rift between Miller and Pettersson, saying, “I hear people on the sideline, ‘you know they got to go to dinner and fight it out.’ You mean you don’t think we tried all of that stuff?” Tocchet said. “It just didn’t work out. And I know everybody is looking for a bad guy, I don’t know if there is a bad guy in the thing. It just didn’t work out.” It was obviously a distraction for the team and could be pointed to as something that derailed their season early on. Miller had to take a leave of absence during it all, and on top of that, Pettersson was not performing at his best either. It became so distracting that management felt the only solution was to trade someone, and that someone was ultimately Miller, which Tocchet admitted was not ideal. “… It’s unfortunate. Because would I not want J.T. Miller in my lineup? One-hundred per cent. But at that time, it just couldn’t work.” Tocchet then went on a long conversation about Pettersson and his practice habits, telling reporters that he needs to change how he practices and his training regimen in the offseason. “You know me, I’m an honest guy, and he’s got to practise better…Those are things he’s learning. And do I think he will do those things? I do. I really do. I think I can bank on him taking this information, going away for four months, and make sure he has a plan. And the plan has to change, I don’t think he can train the same way.” "He's got to practice better." Rick Tocchet shares his thoughts on what Elias Pettersson needs to do to bounce back after a tough season. pic.twitter.com/Qhylc5q0kQ — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 18, 2025 We will see if Pettersson takes those words to heart and comes back strong for next season. Whether Tocchet will be his coach is another story, though, as that still has yet to be resolved. He touched on his future briefly, telling everyone there was still a process to go through with general manager Patrik Allvin and president Jim Rutherford before anything happens on the contract front. Boeser Reflects on Time in Vancouver & Thoughts Going Into Free Agency The other big topic heading into the end-of-season availability was the status of Boeser and whether he will be sticking around Vancouver after July 1. The long-time winger has had a productive career with the Canucks since he was drafted in 2015, and might have played his last game in the blue and green on April 16 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He didn’t tip his hand during his conversation with the media, but did say that Vancouver will always be home to him, even if he ultimately leaves in free agency. As for what’s going through his head before July 1, he said, “All I want to do is win. Last year was so fun when we were winning. The playoffs and that whole experience, it was a blast; it was the most fun I’ve had in my career. So, I definitely think that’s going to play a big part — if I do make it [to free agency] — in my decision.” Basically, Boeser wants to be on a team that has the potential to win a Stanley Cup, or at the very least, be in the playoffs every season. If he believes the Canucks are that team, he will stay, if not, he will go. It’s as simple as that. There haven’t been a lot of positive updates on that front, though, as it was reported that he rejected a five-year contract before the deadline worth $8 million AAV. He also didn’t provide a lot of optimism on something getting done during an interview with Sportsnet’s Ian MacIntyre earlier this month, so by all accounts, we might be seeing him in another jersey come next season. But time will tell on that. What’s Next for the Canucks? The offseason will be interesting to follow when it comes to the Canucks, as they have two very key UFAs to re-sign in the aforementioned Boeser and Pius Suter, who scored a career-high 25 goals this season. They also have to hammer out a long-term contract with Tocchet and address the big hole down the middle of the ice, especially if Suter leaves in free agency. As for the next big event on the calendar, that will be the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, where the Canucks have a very low chance (0.5 percent according to Tankathon) of moving from their current 15th overall position.