The Vancouver Canucks are set to enter the 2026-27 NHL season with a completely new leadership group, led by new general manager Ryan Johnson, along with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, both of whom returned to the club in executive roles.
The Canucks, who now feature former forward Manny Malhotra as their head coach, made a move on waivers Thursday, placing a former third round draft selection in 2019 up for grabs over the next 24 hours.
The Vancouver Canucks Have Waived A Former Third Round Draft Pick
Multiple players hit the waiver wire on Thursday, including Canucks forward Matthew Stienburg, who is entering his first year with the organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the club for 2026-27.
A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stienburg developed his game at St. Andrew’s College before joining the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL.
The Colorado Avalanche selected him 63rd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he went on to play collegiately at Cornell, where he earned All-ECAC Second Team honors as a junior. Stienburg turned pro in 2023 with the Colorado Eagles and made his NHL debut with the Avalanche during the 2024-25 season.
After spending three seasons in the organization, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canucks in July 2026. If he clears waivers, he’ll be assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks.
Coach Manny Malhotra Likes The Compete Level So Far
Malhotra is taking over a difficult situation, having been named head coach following the dismissal of Adam Foote.
However, the good news is that so far, he belives the execution level from his players during Training Camp was up to par.
“I was really happy with the progress of camp from having gone through all the preparation work and watching videos and analyzing everything and wanting to structure practices a certain way,” said Malhotra via Adam Kierszenblat. “I feel like we executed the days the way we wanted it to. The guys were very adaptable. They picked up on all the concepts really quickly, and just even that game group. Skating, traveling, playing, traveling, skating again. They did an outstanding job of just not feeding into any excuse, and they just got the work done.”
Canucks Waive Former Third Round Draft Selection