Early look · NHL 2026-27

Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks: game preview

VegasGolden Knights2026-27: 3-1-0 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 39-26-17 · 95 pts · 13that

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

Puck drop25 Mar · 10:00 PM ET

VenueRogers Arena

All-time meetings36 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Thirty-seven points apart last season

Vegas finished last season 13th in the league on 95 points. Vancouver finished 32nd on 58, and the 2025-26 season series went VGK 3-0-0.

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

Head-to-head

Meeting number 37

Across 36 completed games, Vegas lead the head-to-head 25-7-3.

All-time record25-7-3Vegas's record in the series

Meetings played36This is number 37

2025-26 seriesVGK 3-0-0

Last 55-0Vegas

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

4 OctVGK 3 – VAN 228–20VGK 1/5 · VAN 1/3VGK

7 Apr 2026VGK 2 – VAN 129–11VGK 0/1 · VAN 0/2VGK

30 Mar 2026VAN 2 – VGK 424–34VAN 1/1 · VGK 0/2VGK

4 Feb 2026VAN 2 – VGK 523–31VAN 0/1 · VGK 0/1VGK

16 Apr 2025VGK 4 – VAN 131–17VGK 0/3 · VAN 0/1VGK

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateVegasVancouver

4 Feb 202625-14-12 · 62 pts11th17-30-5 · 39 pts32nd

30 Mar 202633-26-16 · 82 pts19th21-44-8 · 50 pts32nd

7 Apr 202636-26-16 · 88 pts17th22-47-8 · 52 pts32nd

4 Oct2-1-0 · 4 pts10th2-2-0 · 4 pts13th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 4 Feb 2026, Vegas were 11th in the league and Vancouver 32nd. By 4 Oct it was 10th and 13th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vegas out-attempted Vancouver 307 to 208

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

Vegas Golden Knights

307 att · 153 on goal · 18 G · 11.8%

Crease36 att · 3 G

Slot106 att · 8 G

Wing109 att · 6 G

Point43 att · 0 G

Neutral zone13 att · 1 G

Vancouver Canucks

208 att · 95 on goal · 8 G · 8.4%

Crease12 att · 2 G

Slot73 att · 3 G

Wing79 att · 2 G

Point38 att · 1 G

Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Vegas 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.

VegasVancouver

3.79xG for per game2.44

2.09xG against per game3.15

64.4%xG share43.6%

+1.8FinishingGoals minus expected goals+9.2

−1.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−5.4

This season: 4 games for Vegas, 4 for Vancouver. 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

Vegas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2731.3%

Power play · 2025-2624.6% · 6th

Power play · last 5 meetings1/12 · 8.3%

Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 7th

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 122/230

Drawn · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings12 (2.40/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

Vancouver

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2723.1%

Power play · 2025-2621.8% · 14th

Power play · last 5 meetings2/8 · 25.0%

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 meetings8 (1.60/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings2

Skaters

Shea Theodore has 5 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

27Shea Theodore51457

9Jack Eichel522415

61Mark Stone40448

95Victor Olofsson22137

3Brayden McNabb41237

26Nic Dowd30333

73Teddy Blueger40333

16Pavel Dorofeyev420219

22Cole Smith22022

93Mitch Marner411211

Head-to-head finder

Shea Theodore vs Vancouver · game by game

See all: Shea Theodore vs Vancouver · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

4 Octaway000222:11

7 Apr 2026away011120:37

30 Mar 2026home101222:35

4 Feb 2026home011023:52

16 Apr 2025away022221:42

Last 5 meetings5 P1 G, 4 A · 7 SOG

Next best4 PJack Eichel, VGK

2026-27 season3 P4 GP · 1 G

Blank vs VAN1 of 5

Full game log

Goaltending

Kevin Lankinen has been the difference

Kevin Lankinen faced 112 shots across 4 appearances against Vegas and conceded 12, a .893 save percentage against a season figure of .824. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Vegas

Expected starter after their game on 23 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Vancouver

Expected starter after their game on 23 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Adin Hill

See all: Adin Hill →

VGK · 1-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 22 Mar

SV% · 2026-27.9001 GP · 2.00 GAA · 2025-26 .871

vs Vancouver.9092 app · 44 SA · 4 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−0.51 start

vs VANVenueSAGASV%

4 Octaway202.900

30 Mar 2026home242.917

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Carter Hart .890 (3 GP)

Full game log

Kevin Lankinen

See all: Kevin Lankinen →

VAN · 1-2-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 22 Mar

SV% · 2026-27.8243 GP · 6.50 GAA · 2025-26 .875

vs Vegas.8934 app · 112 SA · 12 GA

GSAx · 2026-27−6.43 starts · most on the roster

vs VGKVenueSAGASV%

4 Octhome283.893

30 Mar 2026away333.909

4 Feb 2026away315.839

16 Apr 2025home201.950

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Leevi Meriläinen .943 (2 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.7 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

4 Oct5 · VGK 3–2 VAN

7 Apr 20263 · VGK 2–1 VAN

30 Mar 20266 · VAN 2–4 VGK

4 Feb 20267 · VAN 2–5 VGK

16 Apr 20255 · VGK 4–1 VAN

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

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

Vegas4.252.503.233.05

Vancouver4.754.502.633.85

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 suggest6.7Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings5.2Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Vegas · injuries

Lukas CormierUndisclosedIRReturn22 Oct

Raphael LavoieUndisclosedOutReturn8 Oct

Victor OlofssonUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Vancouver · injuries

Akil ThomasUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Filip ChytilShoulderIRReturn8 Oct

Jack ThompsonUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Mackenzie MacEachernUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Thatcher DemkoHipIRReturn21 Dec

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

30 Sep · VGK

Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.

29 Sep · VGK

Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.

23 Sep · VGK

Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.

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.

Injury report

Vegas · 2026 draft

See all: Vegas · 2026 draft →

#29Juho PiiparinenRound 1 · TapparaD

#63ForfeitedRound 2 ·

#92Benjamin WilmottRound 3 · BarrieC

#95Sean BurickRound 3 · PentictonD

Full draft

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

Thursday 25 March · the full slate

See all: Thursday 25 March · the full slate →

Updated after every final

Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks: game preview

Thirty-seven points apart last season

Meeting number 37

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Vegas out-attempted Vancouver 307 to 208

Vegas Golden Knights

Vancouver Canucks

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Vegas

Vancouver

Shea Theodore has 5 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Shea Theodore vs Vancouver · game by game

Kevin Lankinen has been the difference

Adin Hill

Kevin Lankinen

Scoring rates point to about 6.7 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

8 on the injury lists

Vegas · injuries

Vancouver · injuries

Latest moves

Vegas · 2026 draft

Vancouver · 2026 draft

Thursday 25 March · the full slate