Rebuilding Canucks open NHL season vs. Oilers in Edmonton on Tuesday
Vancouver enters the year under new head coach Manny Malhotra and a revamped front office after finishing last in the NHL last season.
Why it matters
The Oilers' season-opening matchup gives Edmonton fans an early look at Babcock's tenure and McDavid's squad against a rebuilding division rival.
The NHL regular season begins next week, with all 32 teams playing 84 games each rather than the usual 82, a change last seen in 1993-94. The season opens Tuesday with the Edmonton Oilers, in Mike Babcock's debut as head coach, hosting a rebuilding Vancouver Canucks squad.
Vancouver finished last in the NHL last season with a 25-49-8 record after trading captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota for defenceman Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick. The team fired general manager Patrik Allvin and saw Jim Rutherford step down as president of hockey operations; Daniel and Henrik Sedin now serve as co-presidents of hockey operations, with Ryan Johnson promoted to GM. Head coach Adam Foote was also fired after one season and replaced by rookie NHL coach Manny Malhotra. Star goalie Thatcher Demko is expected to be unavailable to start the season.
Other opening-week highlights include the Carolina Hurricanes raising their Stanley Cup banner against Florida, and No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna debuting for Toronto against Montreal.
Later in the schedule: Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa with Florida on Oct. 21, Leo Carlsson faces Philadelphia on Oct. 24 after the Flyers' failed US$90-million offer sheet, and the Winnipeg Jets host Montreal in the Heritage Classic outdoor game on Oct. 25. Carolina and Vegas meet in a Stanley Cup final rematch Dec. 21, and the all-star game returns to UBS Arena after a two-year hiatus.
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