Predicted Canucks Lineup Tonight: Vancouver's projected lines for game against Dallas Stars | October 16, 2025

The Vancouver Canucks are on the road to play the Dallas Stars on Thursday, October 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

Vancouver is off to a 1-2 start and is coming off a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Ahead of the game, here is what the Canucks lineup is projected to look like.

Canucks projected lines

Forwards

• Jake DeBrusk - Elias Pettersson - Brock Boeser
• Evander Kane - Filip Chytil - Conor Garland
• Drew O'Connor - Teddy Blueger - Jonathan Lekkerimaki
• Arshdeep Bains - Aatu Raty - Kiefer Sherwood

The Canucks forward unit has changed slightly as top prospect Braeden Cootes has been sent back to junior. Cootes did impress in his first few games, but at 18 years old, Vancouver felt like it was the best thing for him.

"We're proud of what he's done. It hasn't been his play at all. He's a smart hockey player," said head coach Adam Foote. "We just think it's the right thing for his development

"He's the type of person where he'll go down and do the right thing, as far as his work ethic, and he's got the World Juniors to think about. He's so with it that I think he understands going down with his experience, how to bring it into that locker room with a young group."

Defense

• Quinn Hughes - Filip Hronek
• Elias Nils Pettersson - Tyler Myers
• Marcus Pettersson - Victor Mancini

Vancouver is slightly changing their defensive unit, as Victor Mancini draws into the lineup for Derek Forbort, who suffered an injury.

Forbort was placed on injured reserve and won't be eligible to be activated off it until Oct. 18, meaning the veteran defenseman will miss at least the first two games of the team’s road trip in Dallas and Chicago.

Goalies

• Thatcher Demko
• Kevin Lankinen

Demko is back healthy and has been off to a hot start this season. Demko is 1-1 with a 1.54 GAA and a .944 SV% this season, as the star goalie is back to being one of the top goalies in the NHL.