For Summer McIntosh, being Canadian comes before Olympic gold: ‘National pride isn't just about wearing the flag, it's about living the values behind it'
Yahoo News Canada presents 'My Canada', a series spotlighting the stories of Canadians - born-and-raised to brand new - sharing their views on the Canadian dream, our ever-changing national identity and the triumphs and tribulations that come with life inside and outside our borders.
At 18-years-old, Summer McIntosh is a household name in Canadian sport who isn't just breaking world records, but also redefining what it means to don the maple leaf. The teenage sensation is a known force in the pool and a flag-bearer for the next wave of athletes. However, behind every record-breaking swim and every gold medal clinched along the way is something deeper — a quiet, unwavering pride in being Canadian.
Having wrapped up a dominant performance at the Canadian trials in June, Summer now has her eyes set on the next big task — World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, kicking off mid-July. Meanwhile, she found time for our My Canada series, in which she opens up on what competing for Canada truly means to her and how hearing O Canada still gives her goosebumps.
Summer grew up in Toronto, Ont., surrounded by friends and family. She started her swimming career at Lakeshore Aquatic Club while enjoying four other sports, but she moved on to the Etobicoke Swim Club after she found her calling. In her interview with Yahoo News Canada, Summer was quick to credit her roots.
"Growing up surrounded by people who support me and value hard work and perseverance, all while making sure the process is fun, is the reason I am here today," she said, recalling childhood days juggling five sports and family barbecues at the cottage.
Those origins shine through when she speaks about what Canadian athletes represent on the global stage. She admires the "quiet confidence" often associated with Canada and its athletes — "a unique combination that should never be underestimated" — and she hopes to convey the balance: succeeding fiercely while staying true to your roots.
Summer McIntosh doesn't just view her maple leaf suit as racing gear — it's part of what being Canadian means to her.
"Every time I put on my maple leaf racing suit I am motivated more than ever to get my hand on the wall first."
That quiet, heart-first determination has seen her go from strength to strength, carrying her from Toronto pools to Olympic glory — and three blistering world records at the Canadian Trials in British Columbia.
The 18-year-old put on an all-around swimming clinic in Victoria earlier this month, setting three world records in five days at the Canadian trials and even matching a Michael Phelps milestone.
First came the show of sheer class from McIntosh on June 8, as she clocked an astonishing 3:54.18 in the 400m freestyle, breaking Ariarne Titmus's mark by over a second—the fastest swim the world has seen since Fukuoka 2023. What followed two days later was a masterclass in the 200m individual medley by McIntosh, who delivered 2:05.70 and the second world record in 48 hours. She completed the world-record trifecta in one of her favourite events — the 400m individual medley — where she beat her previous world record, clocking in at 4:23.65.
But, as Summer looks back, it's never just about the medals — it's about why those moments are meaningful.
When the strains of O Canada flooded the stadium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she completed a gold medal hat-trick in the pool, Summer said she felt "indescribable — it's the rush of pride, gratitude and emotion."
With the Canadian flag rising and anthem playing, everything in that moment, simply fades away for her.
"I always make sure to soak in that moment," she added, "as it reminds me of how hard work pays off and the incredible journey and support it has taken to launch Canada to the top of the world."
It's that exact moment—for her—which encapsulates Canada's spirit: hard work, humility and a profound gratitude. Wherever in the world she trains: France, Florida, Singapore — anywhere with a lane line in sight, Summer makes it a point to carry those values with her.
I proudly carry my Canadian identity with me … in how I train, how I carry myself, and how I treat others.Summer McIntosh, Olympic champion swimmer
Undoubtedly, the world records are impressive: The third-fastest 800m freestyle ever and consecutive landmark swims. But, for Summer, these are markers, not destinations.
"It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Singapore," she said, eyeing the July World Championships.
Yet she's quick to highlight that her performance remains in the service of something bigger: "It's not just about the medals I win, but about representing every young Canadian child who dares to chase their dreams and more!" The evidence of which was on display following her massive feat at the trials where she gave all five of her record-setting gold medals away to young kids.
Her mix of ambition and empathy showcases an emotional maturity that displays her Canadian values.
While she trains—and reflects—legacy is already top of mind for Summer. Canada Day celebrations may find her abroad, since her summer routine includes training stints in France, but her Canadian pride remains constant.
Summer appreciates her platform and leans into it: "Elite sport has taught me that we are stronger together and that it truly matters who you are surrounded by."
National pride isn't just about wearing the flag — it's about living the values behind it every day and being united and stronger together.Summer McIntosh, Olympic champion swimmer
So, this Canada Day, reflect on this: Summer McIntosh is more than world records and headlines. She is a Canadian story — a narrative of humility, heart, community and pride. For the youth getting inspired by her gliding across the lanes, she's more than a swimmer. For Canada, she's a symbol of what it means to carry a country — not just on your suit, but in your soul.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
F1 rookie Kimi Antonelli passes his final exams to graduate from high school
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, takes part in a press conference at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, signs autographs as he walks through the paddocks ahead of the third practice session at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race, in Montreal, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, turns in the hairpin during Formula One auto racing action at the Canadian Grand Prix, in Montreal on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Evan Buhler/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, celebrates after his third-place finish at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, center, of Italy, celebrates with teammates after the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, center, of Italy, celebrates with teammates after the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, takes part in a press conference at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, signs autographs as he walks through the paddocks ahead of the third practice session at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race, in Montreal, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, turns in the hairpin during Formula One auto racing action at the Canadian Grand Prix, in Montreal on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Evan Buhler/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, of Italy, celebrates after his third-place finish at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, center, of Italy, celebrates with teammates after the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — Formula 1 rookie Kimi Antonelli passed his final exams to graduate from high school back home in Italy just like he's been passing other cars on tracks around the world: without trouble. The 18-year-old Mercedes driver made the announcement in an Instagram story Monday, saying 'promosso' — 'passed' — with a photo of himself wearing a laurel wreath. Advertisement After claiming his first podium result with a third-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, Antonelli returned home to Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, to take his exams. 'I was fairly stressed, because I didn't have much time to study. But I did my best,' Antonelli told reporters after taking the first portion of exams last week. He said English is his favorite subject 'because that's the one that comes easiest for me.' Antonelli added that he wanted to complete the exams, which included both written and oral sections, before the upcoming Austrian GP 'so I can focus full time on racing.' ___ AP auto racing:
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Maple Leafs depth chart 1.0: How Knies, Tavares decisions will affect the offseason
The first major step in an offseason of ostensible change is days away for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Where does the roster stand before free-agent frenzy begins? Let's take a closer look. UFAs: Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Steven Lorentz, Max Pacioretty This is where most of the front office's work needs to get done. There's a lot to do, and it starts with sorting out some internal business, namely an extension for RFA Matthew Knies and a new contract (or not) for Tavares. Leafs GM Brad Treliving would like to have resolutions for both ASAP. It would help greatly with offseason planning. It may not be possible. Advertisement The sooner the Knies deal gets done, the better for the Leafs. But for Knies and his camp, there's more leverage in pushing right up to July 1, when the threat of an offer sheet in a rising-cap environment gets real. The Leafs have a choice: sign the 22-year-old to a long-term deal and bet on his upside, or bridge him and kick the can down the road until later. Locking Knies down for the long haul brings a higher price tag in the short term and less money to spend this summer. The upside, though, could be huge as the cap continues to rise, and more so if Knies becomes a bona fide star. Say the Leafs signed Knies to a seven- or eight-year deal, with a cap hit of $8 million — today's equivalent of Matt Boldy's seven-year, $49 million deal with Minnesota in Jan. 2023. By year three of the deal, when the cap is expected to reach $113.5 million, Knies would be making last season's equivalent of $6.2 million on the cap. Were he to blossom into a 70- or 80-point all-situations power forward by then, the Leafs would have a real bargain on their hands. The Leafs wouldn't be reaping much, if any, value in the near term on a long contract. They would be more or less paying Knies his present-day worth, and maybe even a little more. A short-term deal, on the other hand, would present slightly more flexibility today and allow the front office to make the roster a smidge deeper in the next couple of seasons. The downside of a short-term deal would almost certainly come on the back end when the salary cap is a lot higher than it is today, and all the more so if Knies leaps into stardom. Sign Knies to a two-year contract now, for instance, and he'll be in a position to negotiate again in the summer of 2027 when the cap has risen approximately $18 million from where it is today. That would likely mean Knies pulling down a cap hit in double figures on what would be his third NHL contract. Advertisement Would the two sides meet in the middle, with something like the five-year deal at $8.4 million AAV Wyatt Johnston signed with the Dallas Stars this spring? (The fact that Johnston is a centre who has scored 30 goals or more in back-to-back seasons skews the comp somewhat. He's also a little younger.) The Leafs played their last game over a month ago and still haven't come to terms yet on a new deal for Tavares despite mutual interest. (And it's not close, according to the latest reporting from The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.) It feels a bit like a game of chicken is going on between the two sides. The Leafs know Tavares doesn't want to continue his career anywhere else, and Tavares' camp knows the Leafs (sort of) need him back, given their limited options this summer. Matt Duchene's four-year deal with Dallas with a cap hit of $4.5 million is probably a strike in the Leafs' favour, while Brock Nelson's three-year deal with Colorado with a cap hit of $7.5 million is one Tavares' camp might point to for comparison (especially after he out-produced Nelson last season). Duchene and Nelson were also two theoretical alternatives, which — coupled with Sam Bennett's apparent desire to stay in Florida — leaves little in the way of free-agent recourse for the Leafs if Tavares doesn't stick around. How badly do the Leafs want to keep him if a three-year deal with a Nelson-like number is what it takes? The Leafs may want to sign Tavares to the same kind of long-ish deal as Chris Tanev last summer (six years, $4.5 million cap hit). Tavares gets his money in that case and the Leafs bring down the cap hit. However, Tavares might look around and see Brad Marchand on the verge of another rich deal at age 38 and wonder whether he might land one more sweet contract himself after this one. Advertisement Sign Tavares and the Leafs wouldn't technically have to land another centre, though rolling back the same look down the middle that failed in each of the past two seasons would be a mistake. (And there are reasons to move off Tavares as the No. 2 centre regardless.) If Tavares isn't returning, on the other hand, the Leafs won't have the option. They will have to find a centre, and not just any centre, a top-six centre. And with Duchene, Nelson and Bennett all unavailable for one reason or another and little ammunition for trade, the Leafs could be stuck. In other words, the Leafs' offseason needs will be dictated in part by what happens with Tavares. It can't be overstated how big a void Marner's presumed departure will leave on the Leafs. He had 18 points more than the next closest Leaf this past season. He was consistently the team's best or second-best defensive forward, which allowed the No. 1 line to go toe-to-toe against top lines night after night. He was the Leafs' best penalty-killing forward and the quarterback of their No. 1 power-play unit. There is no replacing all of that with any one player. The Leafs need to start by finding someone they think can hang on Auston Matthews' right wing. Technically, that gig could simply go to William Nylander, who played frequently there over the years, just not last season under Craig Berube, who was resistant to the combination. (He should reconsider that stance moving forward.) Brad Marchand obviously wouldn't bring Marner-like skills to Matthews' line, but he does have the tools and experience to be a good fit there. Anthony Beauvillier could bring a brasher dimension to Matthews' wing, if nothing near Marner's skill. Patrick Kane would have been an intriguing short-term option, but he appears destined to return to Detroit. Advertisement The Leafs could look to the trade market for a skilled top-six winger, but as with the need at centre, what are they trading to get said player? (Would they consider the apparently available Evander Kane, not necessarily to play with Matthews?) It's possible the Leafs simply have to ask of Matthews what the Oilers sometimes ask of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (and the Penguins of Sidney Crosby) and that's lifting at least one out-of-their-depth winger. Meanwhile, the Leafs may feel they have enough on the left side to get by if they re-sign Max Pacioretty for another low-risk, high-upside kind of deal, what with Knies and Bobby McMann both around. Then again, counting on Pacioretty to play top-six minutes for an 82-game season isn't exactly foolproof, and McMann has looked overexposed playing above the third line. Berube could also give Easton Cowan a shot to play somewhere in the top nine at training camp and see if he's ready to play in the NHL next season. How Berube's lineup shakes up will depend on what the Leafs decide to do at centre. All bets are off after Matthews. Tavares' so-so playoff results would suggest a move to the wing might be beneficial, especially now ahead of season No. 17. However, given what's out there and what the Leafs have to trade, they may feel they have no choice but to keep Tavares in the middle, even as the No. 2, if he re-signs. Only with the addition of a legitimate upgrade could the Leafs move him down into the third line or wing. If not a second-line guy, can Treliving reel in a dependable 3C, such as J.G. Pageau, who could ease Matthews' defensive burden? The Leafs are in a bind here. It's why the misfire on Scott Laughton at the trade deadline was so costly. Not only did it not solve a need, it robbed the Leafs of the first-round pick they could have used to acquire higher-end help right now. Advertisement It's easily forgotten in all the DNA talk that the Leafs lost in the second round because they didn't score enough. They scored four goals total in the last four games against the Panthers and boasted the worst quality of five-on-five offence of any team in the playoffs in terms of expected goal rate. Five regulars in the bottom six didn't score even once. And now Marner, one of the three best offensive players on the team, is likely moving on. And so while the Leafs could use more size, speed, bite and utility in their lineup, they could also, once again, use more offence. A middle-six forward who can bring a bit of everything would be ideal, which might explain the Leafs' interest in Mason Marchment. It's why pending free agents like Andrew Mangiapane and Beauvillier would be good fits. One low-key looming question for the front office is whether they can unload the final three years of Max Domi's contract, and if not, whether to consider a buyout. Removing Domi's $3.75 million cap hit would give the front office more ammunition to acquire more suitable help, whether through trade or a free-agent market stuffed with useful middle-six forwards like Connor Brown, Tanner Jeannot, Mason Appleton and Victor Olofsson. The Leafs need to find a way to build a stronger third line, one with purpose. If Berube feels that both Calle Järnkrok and David Kämpf are fourth-liners next season, at least one needs to go. The Leafs can't have $4.5 million combined cap dollars playing marginal minutes at the bottom of their lineup. It's also worth watching whether the Leafs extend a qualifying offer to Nick Robertson if they can't trade him and if Pontus Holmberg tests arbitration. UFA: Jani Hakanpää How the Leafs handle some of those other priorities may determine the path here. In his end-of-season media availability, Treliving went out of his way to point out the need for improved puck-moving and offensive ability on the back end, but what the GM wants and can get are two different things. Advertisement One potential path: Trade Carlo for help up front and replace him in free agency (or trade). Carlo's contract, with two more years remaining and a low cap hit of $3.48 million, could be attractive to teams in need of a right-shooting defenceman. Deal Carlo, though, and the Leafs will be right back to the who-plays-with-Morgan-Rielly question mark. The Leafs might instead bring in a third-pairing righty, with more offensive juice, to play alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the third pair, at which point Simon Benoit, with two years left on his deal, could become expendable. UFA: Matt Murray Could the Leafs trade one of their two tandem goalies? It's not impossible. Then again, except for Spencer Knight for Seth Jones, goalies tend not to fetch much in trades. And removing one of Anthony Stolarz or Joseph Woll would force the front office to fill that hole with a capable replacement. The free agent class this summer includes Dan Vladar (who played for Treliving in Calgary), Ville Husso, Jake Allen, Vitek Vanecek, Anton Forsberg, Alexander Georgiev and Ilya Samsonov. All No. 2s, essentially. Bring one in and the Leafs would have to entrust Stolarz or Woll with a fuller No. 1 workload next season. Stolarz was excellent last season, but he's also 31, started only 33 games during the regular season and is entering the last year of his contract. (The Leafs could offer him an extension on July 1.) Woll would be the more obvious trade chip, though he's also long-term upside at the position for the Leafs and is set to begin the three-year extension he signed last summer at $3.66 million. That said, the crease was a position of strength last season. The Leafs may not be inclined to mess with it. They will need to add a No. 3 to the depth chart this summer, whether that's by re-signing Murray or bringing in someone like James Reimer, Alex Lyon or David Rittich as experienced support in his place.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Canucks offseason preview mailbag, part 1: UFA targets and Quinn Hughes' future
The next 10 days could prove to be transformative for both the Vancouver Canucks and the NHL as a whole. We're entering a new era of NHL hockey, one that will be defined by cap growth, player power and recruiting efficiency. An era in which parity, which has already died, will be formally buried six feet under. An era in which super teams will reign in low tax jurisdictions, and in which superstar players will have a greater say in determining both team composition and the outcome of games. Advertisement The ramifications of these changes will be felt severely, for both better and worse. One way or another, these dynamics will shape the future of the league and the future of the Canucks organization. As we wait for the silly season to kick into high gear, we opened up the old VIP mailbag last week and received over 100 submissions from you, our loyal readers. Over the next two days, we'll answer some of the pressing offseason questions our subscribers are pondering. Welcome to part one of your Canucks offseason preview mailbag! Note: Submitted questions may be edited for clarity and style. Why are we working ourselves up into a frenzy of anxiety over Quinn Hughes next contract? He's still a year away from being able to sign an extension, why are we all up in arms over a situation we can't even do anything about yet? — Colin F. We had a lot of mailbag submissions that strongly suggested the big Hughes question is a media creation and something we're spending too much time discussing and analyzing. While I strongly disagree that it's a storyline being trumped up without cause, because it absolutely isn't, I do tend to think the level of anxiety that surrounds the possibility is uncalled for. In particular, there's a panicky notion that perhaps the Canucks should consider pulling the cord ahead of time on this core group and beginning a rebuild now. To me, that's hogwash. Whatever Hughes decides to do next summer — whether he's willing to extend in Vancouver or not — he's the best defender in franchise history and one of the five most impactful individual skaters in hockey. No amount of futures, young players or draft picks would better position this franchise than having Hughes on its roster and in its lineup. Moreover, Hughes' value this summer — with two seasons remaining on his second contract — won't be as high as it will be next summer when the star defender can be dealt with a pre-arranged, maximum-term extension. Every team in hockey would trade a haul to land Hughes for a couple of seasons, but they'd pay even more to lock up Hughes as a long-term fit for their club. The moment Hughes becomes extension eligible, he'll gain a solid amount of power over his playing future. That's a frightening pivot point from a Canucks perspective, perhaps, but it's also an opportunity. As his leverage spikes next summer, so too will his trade value. And it makes zero sense whatsoever to consider dealing Hughes at anything less than maximum value. Advertisement So, in my view, there's no need to panic this summer. Or even worry about it. Take your absolute best shot at putting together the best team you can around the best defender this franchise has ever been fortunate enough to roster, and let the chips fall where they may. If Hughes decides he wants a new challenge, or wants to play with his brothers, that's a next-summer problem. In the short term, the organization should take its best shot with Hughes in the lineup and the fans should try to enjoy one of the greatest Canucks of all time for as long as he's playing in Vancouver. If Quinn Hughes was put on the trade market today, what is his value? Are we talking Desmond Bane 4 firsts and players or what? Any trades from the past 10 years that would be comparable for his value? — Joseph C. The history of Norris Trophy-winning defenders being traded in their primes is a brief pamphlet indeed. There are a few examples across the past 25 years that we can look at, however: the Erik Karlsson trade to San Jose, the P.K. Subban trade to Nashville and the two Chris Pronger trades (first to Edmonton, then to St. Louis). Karlsson was dealt from the Ottawa Senators to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for an absolute haul, including a 2020 first-round pick, which became the No. 3 selection (Tim Stützle), a pair of second-round draft picks, Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo and a couple of prospects, including a recent first-round pick in Josh Norris. I'd suggest that's the template you'd be trying to shoot for if you're Vancouver and a Hughes trade became necessary: a first-round pick, a first-round equivalent prospect, multiple young roster players and multiple additional assets carrying some level of value beneath that of a first-round pick. Honestly, in equivalent value, even without factoring in the Stützle angle, the price paid by the Sharks to acquire Karlsson is something like the equivalent of four first-rounders. Advertisement The Subban deal is a bit of an odd one in that it was a one-for-one trade featuring another elite defender, albeit it was Shea Weber who was a fair bit older than Subban. That's the other model for the Canucks to consider in a Hughes deal; targeting another comparable, elite player at the same position instead of a package of young players, picks and prospects. Pronger, meanwhile, was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Eric Brewer — a star defender in his own right at the time — and two prospects who'd been drafted in the first or second rounds of the NHL Draft a couple of years prior and never really became NHL impact guys. It's a deal that sort of splits the difference between what the Sharks paid for Karlsson and what the Predators gave up for Subban (in that the St. Louis Blues netted an established, Team Canada-level defender and multiple futures for their Norris Trophy-calibre blueliner). When he was dealt again after one season in Edmonton, Pronger fetched a first-round pick, an additional conditional first-round pick (which became Jordan Eberle), a promising blue-line prospect in Ladislav Smid and Joffrey Lupul who was coming off of 50-point season as a 22-year-old. So that's another template in which the Oilers were able to land an established young star player, and multiple high value futures. If we consider that Sharks deal to be something of an outlier and scale it back somewhat while considering the overall trend across the four deals this Century involving recent Norris Trophy winning defenders in their primes, we can capture something of a snap shot of what history tells us Hughes' value would be. It would start with a young, established NHL player with star potential, a first-round pick and an additional prospect (with equivalent value of a first-round pick). You'd then probably be pushing to net an additional future beyond that — either a B prospect tracking well, or an additional second-round pick — with your mileage varying based on the calibre of the young, established NHL player in the deal. Just as an exercise to try and make this feel somewhat more realistic, let's pick the Seattle Kraken as the team that Vancouver is trading Hughes too (which would never happen, but this is just for the purposes of illustration). The history of these types of deal would suggest that the Canucks would be justified in asking for one of Matthew Beniers or Shane Wright, a first-round pick, a prospect like Carson Rehkopf or Eduard Sale, and either a conditional second-round pick or a prospect like Lukas Dragicevic. How many of these assets do you expect to be traded by the end of the offseason? Jonathan Lekkerimaki Tom Willander Victor Mancini Elias Pettersson (F) Elias Pettersson (D) 2025 1st 2025 2nd 2026 1st 2026 2nd — Andy L. Andy, I expect the Canucks to trade at least two of those assets at some point this summer. I can tell you right now that Elias Pettersson, the defender, isn't a piece that the Canucks are willing to move — at all — unless an opposing team approaches them with a completely absurd, unrealistic overpay. I strongly suspect the same would apply to Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander. Advertisement As for centre Elias Pettersson, the Canucks seem to be pretty confident of his ability to bounce back. At the very least, they expect him to be better next season, even if it takes another year for him to retrieve the form he showed before signing his eight-year mega extension with the franchise. You never say never, given the risk profile of holding his deal and how poorly he performed last season, relative to his usual standard, but I would be surprised at this point if the team were to deal Pettersson this summer. I think Victor Mancini could end up being a trade chip that the Canucks consider parting with if the value is there. Every asset they acquired from the New York Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade, in my view, was acquired with future value in mind (and the most valuable asset was dealt that same day, as you'll recall). Mancini has performed exceptionally well for the Abbotsford Canucks in the Calder Cup playoffs and the Canucks are high on him, but so are a lot of other teams, given his traits and profile. I think he's far more likely to end up in a deal than the likes of Willander and Pettersson (the defender) this summer. We'll see if something comes together before they're on the clock, but I think we'd all be somewhat surprised if the Canucks were to make a selection with the No. 15 pick on Friday. I suspect they would be willing to deal future draft picks as well, if the right opportunity to buy came along. Ultimately, I think Vancouver will be motivated enough to add talent that it'll part with at least two of the assets you listed. The draft picks and Mancini are the trade chips we should be watching most closely. Can you give us a couple of names of players that the Canucks should be looking at, that no one is talking about yet? — Ryan D. There are a couple centre-capable forwards I like as affordable upside bets with some positional versatility to help out who at least bring some size, faceoff winning and speed to the lineup. On the high end, I'm surprised Jonathan Drouin isn't being talked about more as an offensive sparkplug option for teams like Vancouver this summer. Obviously, Drouin has been an exceptional fit in Colorado on a bargain contract the past two seasons, but I think he has more to offer than just built-in chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon, his former junior teammate. Drouin is better on the wing than at centre, but for a team in need of some creativity, he'd fit the bill in Vancouver. Jeff Skinner is another guy I'd have some interest in if I were in the Canucks' shoes. Though he was largely iced in the postseason by the Oilers, I thought his intelligence and dynamism still showed up in the offensive zone when he was in the lineup. He was a Jim Rutherford draft pick back in the day, too. Advertisement Lower down the lineup, there's a trio of bottom-six guys with middle-six potential that I quite like at the right price. Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth is a really strong skater and decent faceoff winner who is also right-handed. I've always been a fan of Nico Sturm's physicality and overall game, and wonder if he could still have some top-nine capability despite being used sparingly by the Florida Panthers in the postseason after being acquired at the trade deadline. And Nick Bjugstad is getting a bit long in the tooth and got pushed down a pretty deep Utah Mammoth lineup last season, but is only a year removed from producing 40 points. Bjugstad has size, can win draws and may still have enough skill to contribute in the middle six and on the power play. Rolling the dice on a player (or two) from that latter bucket could pay dividends, but there really isn't much on the unrestricted free-agency market that I find especially exciting. The secondary market may offer the Canucks (and rival NHL teams) a bit more once we find out who isn't receiving qualifying offers and who is being bought out. Given the lean market on UFA centres and few trade chips to offer in trades, shouldn't the 'Nucks be re-acquiring their 3rd RND 2026 pick soon and what will it cost to do so? — Jamie V. I don't expect the Canucks to aggressively pursue the offer sheet direction as a method of landing talent this summer. Truthfully, they just don't really have the cap flexibility to go the offer sheet route and fill out their forward ranks the way their hockey operations leadership hopes to. That said, as a last resort method to graft some young talent and upside the roster, it would be excellent to have the flexibility to consider an offer sheet for a Will Cuylle type if the opportunity presents itself. So, even if the Canucks don't tender an offer sheet this summer, paying a modest premium to reacquire their own 2026 third-round pick would be worthwhile in my view. As for the cost, I'd expect Vancouver could easily send San Jose's 2025 third-round pick, which they own, to Calgary for its own 2026 third-round selection if motivated to do so. The Sharks' third-rounder is the first pick of the round this year, so it's effectively like a late second-round pick. Truthfully, that would represent a modest overpay, but depending on what the Canucks can accomplish over the next two weeks, it could be worthwhile because of the options it could open up for Vancouver in the restricted free-agent market this summer. (Top photo of Quinn Hughes: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
