Former Vancouver Canucks Around The World: NHL Pacific Division

Former members of the Vancouver Canucks will take the spotlight in this off-season article series. From those skating with new NHL teams heading into the 2026–27 season to those who are now playing for international clubs, these featured players have skated in at least one game at the NHL level as a member of the Canucks.

Today’s segment will take a look at the seven former Canucks that are set to compete for teams in the NHL’s Pacific Division during the 2026–27 season.

Adam Gaudette, San Jose Sharks

A former fifth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft, Gaudette spent four years with the club that drafted him, skating in 153 NHL games and scoring 21 goals and 31 assists for Vancouver. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Matthew Highmore in April of 2021.

The 2025–26 season was Gaudette’s first season with the Sharks, during which the forward scored 17 goals and eight assists in 66 games played. While he provided good offensive depth during this season, with the players ptoentially coming into the Sharks organization in 2026–27, Gaudette may find himself battling for a full-time roster spot come training camp.

Kiefer Sherwood, San Jose Sharks

In a couple of seasons filled with controversy and disappointment, Sherwood was one of the few bright spots that came to Vancouver when he signed with the team during the 2024 off-season. He posted a then career-high of 19 goals and 21 assists in 78 games during the 2024–25 season with the Canucks while breaking an NHL record for hits made in a single season with 460.

Back in January, Sherwood was traded to the Sharks for two second-round picks and defenceman Cole Clayton. At the time, he’d registered 17 goals and six assists in 44 games with Vancouver, adding six goals and seven assists in 28 games with San Jose after that. After a little over a month with the Sharks, Sherwood signed a five-year contract worth $5.75M annually.

Tyler Toffoli, San Jose Sharks

Toffoli only played in a grand total of 17 regular and post-season games for the Canucks before he signed with the Montréal Canadiens during the 2020 free-agency period. That said, he made quite the offensive impact in his time with Vancouver, scoring six goals and four assists in his 10 regular season games and two goals and two assists in seven playoff games.

After a lot of hopping around, it appears Toffoli has managed to find himself a home in San Jose. He’ll enter his third season with the Sharks come the 2026–27 season, having served as an assistant captain during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons. In 79 games during the past season, he scored 19 goals and 30 assists. While the youth movement in San Jose is surging, it appears Toffoli has cemented himself as one of the team’s veteran leaders.

Jason Dickinson, Edmonton Oilers

Once upon a time, the Canucks traded a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft for Dickinson, who only ended up spending one season with Vancouver. The forward scored five goals and six assists in 62 games with the Canucks during that year, 2021–22, and didn’t quite fit with the team the way he was expected to. As a result, the Canucks ended up paying out a second-round pick in 2024 to the Blackhawks to flip Dickinson.

Moving on from Vancouver seemed to be the best thing for Dickinson, as the forward posted back-to-back 30-point seasons with Chicago after being dealt. He was traded to the Oilers earlier in the year alongside Colton Dach for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 or 2028. He finished the 2025–26 season with an overall total of seven goals and 10 assists in 64 regular season games, also scoring twice and logging one assist in four playoff games.

Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) celebrates a goal on the Anaheim Ducks in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Vasily Podkolzin, Edmonton Oilers

Vancouver’s first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin, notably found the most personal success upon heading to the Oilers via trade in 2024. While he put up fair rookie numbers in 2021–22 with 14 goals and 12 assists in 76 games, he wasn’t quite able to replicate that in the following two seasons with Vancouver, ultimately ending up in the AHL as a result.

While his first season with the Oilers was impressive, 2025–26 put Podkolzin in an even better position than the year before. He played his way into a strong top to middle-six role while also getting some minutes on Edmonton’s special teams. In 82 games played this past season, Podkolzin set new career-highs in goals (19), assists (18), and overall points (37).

Nic Dowd, Vegas Golden Knights

Dowd’s stint with the Canucks lasted a grand total of 40 games during the 2017–18 season. His time in Vancouver began when he was acquired in a trade for Jordan Subban in December of 2017 and ended when he signed with the Washington Capitals in free-agency in 2018. He scored three goals throughout his tenure with Vancouver.

Dowd’s long stint with the Capitals recently came to an end when he was traded to the Golden Knights at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. At the time, he’d registered four goals and 12 assists in 55 games with Washington. After 20 regular season games with Vegas, during which he collected a goal and four assists, Dowd joined the Golden Knights for a Stanley Cup Final run that saw his team lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

Curtis Douglas, Seattle Kraken

The most recent Canucks departure who is set to play in the Pacific Division during the 2026–27 season, Douglas was claimed off waivers by Vancouver during the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, ending his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to his time with the Canucks, he played in 29 games with Tampa Bay, logging two assists.

Douglas skated in a total of 14 games with Vancouver during the 2025–26 season. During this span, he made his presence known as a physical player who wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves in defence of his teammates whenever necessary. He scored his first career NHL goal on April 12 against the Anaheim Ducks and added an assist in Vancouver’s final game of the year against the Oilers.

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