Game preview · NHL 2026-27

Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils: game preview

VancouverCanucks2026-27: 2-2-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 25-49-8 · 58 pts · 32ndat

New JerseyDevils2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 42-37-3 · 87 pts · 21st

Puck drop10 Oct · 3:30 PM ET

VenuePrudential Center

All-time meetings79 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Twenty-nine points apart last season

Vancouver finished last season 32nd in the league on 58 points. New Jersey finished 21st on 87, and the 2025-26 season series went VAN 1-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 80

Across 79 completed games, Vancouver lead the head-to-head 40-33-6.

All-time record40-33-6Vancouver's record in the series

Meetings played79This is number 80

2025-26 seriesVAN 1-1-0

Last 53-2Vancouver

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

23 Jan 2026NJD 5 – VAN 424–25NJD 2/2 · VAN 0/2NJD

14 Dec 2025VAN 2 – NJD 115–26VAN 2/3 · NJD 0/3VAN

24 Mar 2025VAN 4 – NJD 3 SO28–25VAN 0/2 · NJD 1/2VAN

30 Oct 2024NJD 6 – VAN 022–20NJD 1/2 · VAN 0/3NJD

6 Jan 2024VAN 6 – NJD 443–25VAN 0/1 · NJD 0/2VAN

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateVancouverNew Jersey

14 Dec 202512-17-3 · 27 pts32nd18-14-1 · 37 pts16th

23 Jan 202617-29-5 · 39 pts32nd27-22-2 · 56 pts18th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 14 Dec 2025, Vancouver were 32nd in the league and New Jersey 16th. By 23 Jan 2026 it was 32nd and 18th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vancouver out-attempted New Jersey 288 to 279

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Vancouver Canucks

288 att · 131 on goal · 15 G · 11.5%

Crease22 att · 3 G

Slot109 att · 9 G

Wing85 att · 3 G

Point66 att · 0 G

Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

New Jersey Devils

279 att · 122 on goal · 19 G · 15.6%

Crease23 att · 5 G

Slot119 att · 12 G

Wing101 att · 1 G

Point29 att · 1 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

New Jersey have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

VancouverNew Jersey

2.44xG for per game3.52

3.15xG against per game3.01

43.6%xG share53.9%

+9.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.5

−5.4GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−4.0

This season: 4 games for Vancouver, 3 for New Jersey. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Vancouver

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2723.1%

Power play · 2025-2621.8% · 14th

Power play · last 5 meetings2/11 · 18.2%

Penalty kill · 2026-2768.8%

Penalty kill · 2025-2671.5% · 32nd

Faceoffs · 2026-2749.3% · 112/227

Drawn · 2026-2713 (3.25/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings2

New Jersey

Small sample

Power play · 2026-277.1%

Power play · 2025-2622.0% · 13th

Power play · last 5 meetings4/11 · 36.4%

Penalty kill · 2026-2762.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2679.3% · 17th

Faceoffs · 2026-2747.5% · 87/183

Drawn · 2026-2714 (4.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)

PP goals · last meetings4

Skaters

Nico Hischier has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

13Nico Hischier534710

28Timo Meier33148

83Conor Garland52248

40Elias Pettersson32246

91Dawson Mercer51348

63Jesper Bratt504410

56Erik Haula32136

12Cody Glass32135

8Zeev Buium22135

10J.T. Miller22133

Head-to-head finder

Nico Hischier vs Vancouver · game by game

See all: Nico Hischier vs Vancouver · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

23 Jan 2026away112319:57

14 Dec 2025home000222:30

24 Mar 2025home011124:30

30 Oct 2024away123220:29

6 Jan 2024home101220:07

Last 5 meetings7 P3 G, 4 A · 10 SOG

Next best4 PTimo Meier, NJD

2026-27 season0 P3 GP · 0 G

Blank vs VAN1 of 5

Full game log

Goaltending

Thatcher Demko has started most of these meetings

Thatcher Demko played 3 of the last 5 meetings with New Jersey, with a .895 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Vancouver

Expected starter after their game on 8 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

New Jersey

Expected starter#34 Jake Allen

45%Toss-up

Started 2 of 3 this season
37 of the team's last 82 starts

2026-27: 2 GP · .875 SV% · GSAx −2

Also possible: Daws 36% · Poirier 19%

Thatcher Demko

See all: Thatcher Demko →

VAN · 8-10-1 in 2025-26 IRReturn 21 Dec

SV% · 2025-26.89720 GP · 2.90 GAA

vs New Jersey.8953 app · 76 SA · 8 GA

GSAx · 2025-26+4.620 starts

vs NJDVenueSAGASV%

14 Dec 2025away261.962

24 Mar 2025away253.880

6 Jan 2024away254.840

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Kevin Lankinen .824 (3 GP) · Leevi Meriläinen .943 (2 GP)

Full game log

New Jersey crease

NJD · 2026-27 Expected: Allen · 45%

Jake Allen.8752 GP · 1-1-0 · GSAx −1.7

Nico Daws.8131 GP · 0-1-0 · GSAx −2.5

#vs VANAppsSAGASV%

50Nico Daws1425.881

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

23 Jan 20269 · NJD 5–4 VAN

14 Dec 20253 · VAN 2–1 NJD

24 Mar 20257 · VAN 4–3 NJD

30 Oct 20246 · NJD 6–0 VAN

6 Jan 202410 · VAN 6–4 NJD

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Vancouver4.754.502.633.85

New Jersey2.004.332.803.10

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.5Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings7.0Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

10 on the injury lists

Vancouver · injuries

Akil ThomasUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Filip ChytilShoulderIRReturn8 Oct

Jack ThompsonUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Mackenzie MacEachernUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Thatcher DemkoHipIRReturn21 Dec

New Jersey · injuries

Connor BrownLower BodyOutReturn12 Oct

Johnathan KovacevicKneeIRReturn10 Oct

Jonas SiegenthalerUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Nick BjugstadPectoralIRReturn19 Jan

Seamus CaseyKneeIRReturn21 Nov

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

27 Sep · VAN

Placed G Nikita Tolopilo on waivers.

25 Sep · VAN

Claimed G Leevi Merilainen off waivers from Ottawa. Placed F Filip Chytil on injured reserve. Assigned F Braeden Cootes to Abbotsford (AHL).

24 Sep · VAN

Assigned Fs Ty Mueller, Riley Patterson, Ilya Safonov and Chase Wouters, Ds Kirill Kudryavtsev and Sawyer Mynio to Abbotsford (AHL). Loaned F Ben Berard and D Isaac Belliveau to Abbotsford. Waived for the purpose of assignment to Abbotsford F Trey Fix-Wolansky and Ds Cole Clayton and Jimmy Schuldt.

27 Sep · NJD

Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers.

27 Sep · NJD

Claimed LW Jeremie Poirier off waivers. Placed C/RW Marc McLaughlin, LD Vladislav Kolyachonok, G David Rittich, LW Riley Tufte, LD Topias Vilen, and C/RW Colin White on waivers.

25 Sep · NJD

Assigned Ds Mikael Diotte, Ethan Edwards, Jeremy Hanzel, Etienne Morin and Anton Silaev, Fs Josh Filmon, Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance, Matyas Melovsky, Xavier Parent, Cam Squires and Ben Steeves and G Jakub Malek to Utica (AHL). Waived for the purpose of assignment to Utica Ds DJ King, Charles Leddy and Eamon Powell, Fs Tristan Ashbrook, Zachary Gallant, Gabe Klassen, Jack Malone, Justin Pearson, Ryan Schmelzer, Cristophe Tellier and Jermey Wilmer and Gs Jeremy Brodeur and Seth Eisele.

Injury report

Vancouver · 2026 draft

See all: Vancouver · 2026 draft →

#3Caleb MalhotraRound 1 · BrantfordC

#24Adam NovotnyRound 1 · PeterboroughLW

#33Brooks RogowskiRound 2 · OshawaC

#41Niklas Aaram-OlsenRound 2 · Orebro Jr.LW

Full draft

New Jersey · 2026 draft

See all: New Jersey · 2026 draft →

#12Alexander CommandRound 1 · Orebro Jr.C

#37Matias VanhanenRound 2 · EverettLW

#44Nikita ShcherbakovRound 2 · Ufa Jr.D

#119Lavr GashilovRound 4 · Yekaterinburg Jr.C

Full draft

Saturday 10 October · the full slate

See all: Saturday 10 October · the full slate →

NJDThis game 4:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils: game preview

Twenty-nine points apart last season

Meeting number 80

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Vancouver out-attempted New Jersey 288 to 279

Vancouver Canucks

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Vancouver

New Jersey

Nico Hischier has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Nico Hischier vs Vancouver · game by game

Thatcher Demko has started most of these meetings

Thatcher Demko

New Jersey crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

10 on the injury lists

Vancouver · injuries

New Jersey · injuries

Latest moves

Vancouver · 2026 draft

New Jersey · 2026 draft

Saturday 10 October · the full slate