Overview
- Elias Pettersson was activated off injured reserve and will play against San Jose after missing eight games with an upper-body issue that caused pain when shooting, and no corresponding roster move was required.
- Morning skate showed Pettersson centering Evander Kane and Kiefer Sherwood, with Aatu Räty coming out and Nils Höglander a healthy scratch for a third straight game.
- Marco Rossi, Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium — acquired in the Dec. 12 trade for Quinn Hughes along with a 2026 first-round pick — will make their Rogers Arena debuts after contributing during a 4–1 road swing.
- Head coach Adam Foote said Pettersson’s return should restore balance after center depth was stretched, noting Rossi averaged 20:13 per game in his first five outings with Vancouver.
- Thatcher Demko gets the start in goal for the sixth time in seven games since returning from injury and is 13–0 in his career against the Sharks.