News Canucks Team Notes

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks offseason centre trade target: Cole Sillinger

At first blush, Cole Sillinger might not seem like the sort of player likely to end up on the trading block. The 6’1”, 202-pound centre just turned 22 a couple of weeks ago, and is still just four seasons separated from being selected 12th overall in the 2021 Entry Draft. Four seasons, we should note, spent almost entirely in the NHL.

Furthermore, Sillinger is a Columbus Blue Jacket who not only was born in Columbus, but whose father is a former Blue Jacket. How unique is that? Honestly, it doesn’t feel like the Blue Jackets have been around long enough to have second-generation players, but here we are all the same.

Take a closer look, however, and there are signs of a potential departure. For one, Sillinger’s development appears to have stalled a bit in Columbus, with this most recent season’s 33 points being a career-high, but only just beating his previous highs of 31 and 32 points.

Furthermore, Sillinger is caught in a bit of a numbers game that has largely condemned him to bottom-six minutes, and seems likely to for the foreseeable future. He’s got Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli ahead of him right now, and some key centre prospects like Cayden Lindstrom on the way soon enough.

Then there’s the whole ‘very public breakup with a pop star’ thing. There’s not a lot of precedent for how that would affect a young player’s development, but it’s just got to have an impact.

A clean, fresh start in another organization – especially one with some room for Sillinger to grow in the top-six – might be in both he and the Blue Jackets’ best interests. And Vancouver is certainly a team with some room at the centre position right now.

Besides, that whole ‘hometown’ thing is a little overstated. Sillinger’s father, the legendarily-well-traveled Mike, is a former Canuck, too. And although Sillinger was born in Columbus, he considers himself Canadian, and Western Canadian at that, calling Saskatchewan home.

It might just be time for a proper homecoming.

The Player​

Sillinger is the very definition of a well-rounded centre, and has been ever since his draft year.

He’s got the size, skating ability, and willingness to engage defensively that have made him a true two-way centre from the get-go.

But scouts at the time also spoke highly of the potential of Sillinger’s offensive game. He gets a lot of accolades for his heavy, dangerous wrist shot, as well as for his ability to drive the centre lane. He’s someone who’s long had the sort of skillset that suggests an eventual breakout, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Then again, Sillinger has had an atypical upbringing in hockey. He played 52 games in the WHL before transferring to the USHL for his draft year of 2020/21. Then, after being selected at 12th overall, he stepped right into the NHL for the Blue Jackets, posting a respectable 16 goals and 31 points as a teenage rookie on a CBJ roster where only one player cracked 60 points.

Sillinger had a dreadful sophomore slump of just three goals and 11 points in 64 games, and saw some time in the AHL during 2022/23. But he bounced back ably the next season, rebounding to 13 goals and 32 points in 77 games.

That brings us to last season. Despite missing time with a shoulder injury, Sillinger hit that aforementioned career high of 33 points in just 66 games.

It’s not exactly the production one might expect from a recent 12th overall pick, and especially not one we’re pitching as a 2C solution for the Canucks. But context is everything.

Right or wrong, the Blue Jackets have been leaning into Sillinger’s two-way reputation. A quick glance at his advanced analytics doesn’t make him look like a Selke candidate, with each of his stats like Corsi, expected goals, and scoring chance control all well under 50% in each of his four NHL seasons.

But that’s playing for a Columbus franchise that has mightily struggled for most of Sillinger’s career. To wit, his on-ice save percentage has been under 90% in three of his four NHL seasons, and he’s always had a low PDO as a result.

And it’s not just that Columbus has been bad defensively during Sillinger’s tenure, but how much of the defensive load he’s been asked to take on as a result. Take a look at Sillinger’s quality of competition chart, courtesy of HockeyViz.

From HockeyViz

It demonstrates a centre who was being asked to play a shutdown role with the majority of his minutes coming against opposing top lines and top-sixes. And all at the age of 21. That’s a lot for anyone to handle, never mind someone who is still trying to get up to speed after being thrown to the wolves at 18.

Sillinger has the appearance of a player whose offensive abilities have been hindered by his deployment at the NHL level. But with him being as young as he is, there definitely seems to be lots of potential left on the table for that expected breakout to still occur – so long as Sillinger can go somewhere that will offer him greater offensive opportunity.

The Cost​

Sillinger remains under contract for next season at a $2.25 million cap hit, which then expires into RFA status.

As such, and with some $41 million in cap space heading into the offseason, the Blue Jackets are in no real rush to trade Sillinger, and certainly won’t be doing so for free.

But the Blue Jackets are in need of some roster rearranging, and they now have the ability to deal from a rare position of strength down the middle. Converting Sillinger into a different kind of roster asset, either directly or indirectly, seems like smart business for them.

The Canucks don’t have much to offer in terms of roster players. Their blueline seems settled for the time being, and any wingers they might offer are either a bit too old for Columbus’ purposes (like Conor Garland) or not quite up to moving the needle, trade-wise.

In seeking Sillinger, we see two basic paths for the Canucks to go down.

On one hand, we could definitely see the Blue Jackets having some interest in Thatcher Demko, even if just for a season. Their goaltending has often been the bane of their success, and doing something about that has to be a priority this offseason.

The second, and far more likely, path is something involving the Canucks’ first round pick, which has been essentially earmarked for a centre acquisition.

Here, we think the valuation might be fairly straight-up. The Canucks’ pick sits at 15th overall, and Sillinger was drafted at 12th overall four years ago. It’s hard to argue that he’s lost value since then, what with his four years of NHL experience, but it’s also hard to argue that he’s gained much value. Each forward drafted ahead of Sillinger, with the exception of Tyler Boucher, has scored more points in fewer games.

Throw in the fact that this 2025 draft class is considered a relatively weak one, and we can see a world in which this year’s 15th overall is considered equivalent to the 12th overall pick of a few years ago. In other words, we can see a one-for-one trade of the 15OA and Sillinger.

The Fit​

For the Blue Jackets’ purposes, they could either use that pick to make a selection and strengthen their youth infusion or, more likely, flip it for a different roster piece.

The Canucks, meanwhile, get a potential 2C in Sillinger, and one with some serious staying power. Acquire Sillinger now, and you get him with contract control at the cusp of his expected prime. Sign him to a decent enough extension, and you get to keep him through that prime, too.

One would hope that Sillinger would be given less defensively responsibility, and more offensive opportunity, in Vancouver. But that he’s already so capable and willing of playing a two-way game does make him a somewhat natural fit for Adam Foote’s continuation of Rick Tocchet’s structure and system.

It’s also worth noting that Sillinger plays a much more direct, centre-lane-heavy game than do the Canucks’ other two top centres in Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil. That heavy shot could pair nicely with a playmaking winger like Garland.

He needs a little work on faceoffs, sure, but that’s work the Canucks have done before.

An acquisition of Sillinger really seems like it could be mutually beneficial for both the player and the team.

But when we talk ‘fit,’ we really see this player as a way for the Canucks to check off a lot of boxes on their to-do list in one fell swoop. To strengthen the centre position, diversify the talent, increase scoring potential, and make the current roster younger all in one go?

That’s a tire that is well worth kicking this summer.

READ NEXT: Canucks offseason centre trade target: The return of Bo Horvat​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-offseason-centre-trade-target-cole-sillinger

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The 2024/25 Canucks acquired a missing piece in Marcus Pettersson: Year in Review

Marcus Pettersson spent a large portion of the 2024/25 as the top rental D available on the NHL market.

Until he wasn’t either of those things.

The dramatic events of January 31, 2025, will continue to impact the Vancouver Canucks franchise for years to come. Moments ahead of that night’s game against the Dallas Stars, it was announced that JT Miller would not be playing…because he’d been traded.

Before puck-drop, the details of that transaction had trickled out. It was Miller, Erik Brännström, and prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a conditional first round pick.

But fans never got to sit with that trade as a singular entity for very long. Shortly after the game concluded, another trade was announced. This time, it was that same conditional first round pick heading to Pittsburgh, along with Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, and prospect Melvin Fernstrom. The return was a two-parter, consisting of then-pending UFAs Drew O’Connor and the Canucks’ third and latest Pettersson.

But the Canucks and their fans didn’t have much time to get used to Rental Pettersson, either. Just five days after the trade, on February 5, 2025, Pettersson extended with the Canucks for six years at an average annual value of $5.5 million.

A player acquired to be a missing piece on the blueline had quickly become a permanent fixture. Thankfully, Pettersson would spend much of the rest of the 2024/25 campaign proving himself worthy of the acquisition cost, the extension price (and then some), and the responsibility being laid on his shoulders to transform the Vancouver D-corps into something more than just ‘adequate.’

Marcus Pettersson’s Season Narrative​

Pettersson spent the first half of the season on a Pittsburgh Penguins team going nowhere fast, and although this is a Canucks Year in Review, we’ll take some time to briefly summarize that stint.

This was Pettersson’s seventh season in Pittsburgh, and saw him play 47 games with three goals and 18 points. Which, had he continued at that same pace, would have resulted in career-high results. (It’s a pace of 31 points. Pettersson’s career-high of the previous year was 30. He actually finished 2024/25 with 29.)

At the time of the trade, Pettersson was averaging some 22:03 a night, just behind Kris Letang (23:33) and Erik Karlsson (22:51) on the Penguins’ blueline. And given the aging reputations of those two individuals, it should come as no surprise that Pettersson took the toughest matchups and deployments of the bunch. His on-ice goal differential of just -4 was fairly impressive, then, with the quality of the team around him and his role both considered.

That becomes even more apparent when Pettersson’s Pittsburgh analytics are examined. A 52.13% Corsi rating, a 55.27% rate of expected goals, and a whopping 57.14% control of high-danger chances.

Technically-speaking, Pettersson was the Penguins’ 3D. However, there’s definitely an argument to be made that he was both their most important and most effective overall defender at the time of the trade.

Now, it would typically be difficult to say that a defensively-oriented blueliner made an immediate impact. Normally, such players’ contributions are a little subtler, and the change they make to a team can take time to materialize.

But not so with Marcus Pettersson’s arrival in Vancouver.

From the jump, it was apparent that he would be a major steadying presence on the blueline. Virtually overnight, the Canucks’ D corps went from questionable to solid, to the point that some are now calling it “complete.”



It wasn’t due to an influx of offence. Pettersson’s scoring pace actually slowed down in Vancouver compared to where it was at in Pittsburgh, if only slightly. It took him eight games to get his first point as a Canuck (an assist on March 1 against Seattle), and he’d only ever notch one goal in Vancouver in the third-last game of the season.



But it should be noted that the first assist did kick off a little bit of a run for both the Canucks and Pettersson himself, who put up 11 points in 23 games to close out March and April.

And it should also be noted that Pettersson’s game revolves around a lot more than just putting up points.

Again, the key word here is ‘steady.’ Prior to his arrival, the Canucks’ blueline looked decidedly unsettled behind Quinn Hughes.

Pettersson was very quickly paired with Tyler Myers, who was in the midst of a bit of a slide-back season after a strong 2023/24. Right away, the two found success together, and Pettersson was able to elevate Myers back to at least the standard of the previous season.

Pettersson would wind up sharing more than half of his Vancouver ice-time with Myers, and the two would enjoy a positive goal-differential (+4) while taking on the toughest oppositional matchups on most nights. This, even as the Canucks around them fell out of playoff contention.

Pettersson’s next-most-frequent partner was Filip Hronek, and the two of them made up Vancouver’s top pairing for the bulk of Hughes’ early-March absence from the lineup.

That time coincided with Pettersson’s aforementioned offensive bloom. But it also coincided with a noticeable uptick in Hronek’s quality of play. Most gave Hronek ample credit for elevating his game to that of a true 1D in Hughes’ absence, stepping up when the Canucks needed him most, with the MVP-captain out and the season on the line. Fewer gave credit to Pettersson for the vital support that made Hronek’s step-up possible.

That’s kind of the line on Pettersson’s time in Vancouver. Pick out something going right for the Canucks, and Pettersson probably had something to do with it, even if the connection wasn’t readily apparent.

The Vancouver penalty kill went on a mid-season heater than resulted in them finishing with the third-best kill rate of 82.6% in the entire NHL. Many Canucks received flowers for this accomplishment, including Myers, Derek Forbort, and now-head coach Adam Foote. But it was Pettersson who wound up leading the Canucks in average nightly shorthanded time with 2:23 a game.

The Canucks also got a lot of attention for their physicality in 2024/25, mostly due to Kiefer Sherwood’s record-breaking performance. Among the blueliners, Pettersson’s hits-per-60 of 2.10 was actually the second-lowest on the blueline, after Hughes.

And yet, Pettersson found a way to make an impression with his physicality all the same, due to his ability to consistently separate forwards from the puck with his hits – and because some of them were of the bone-rattling variety.



Really, there wasn’t anything Pettersson didn’t do well for the Canucks after his acquisition. For a blueline that needed at least a little improvement across the board, Pettersson arrived as a player capable of providing a little bit of everything.

That’s what made his presence on the Vancouver blueline so transformative. Combine his appearance with the breakout performance of the younger Elias Pettersson and the recent signing of Tom Willander, and it’s a totally and effectively remodeled blueline.

Oh, and one more thing. We can’t go too much further without talking about the nigh-unholy excess value of that extension.

Pettersson signed his new contract after the three years of consecutive cap ceiling increases were announced, but before the league and its managers had fully adjusted to the new reality. As such, it has all the makings of a contract that would have been of roughly fair value in the old financial era – but that already looks like a drastic underpay by the new standard.

As of right now, Pettersson’s $5.5 million cap hit is tied as the 57th-highest among NHL defenders for the 2025/26 season. Wait until this explosive summer of signings is complete, however, and he’ll have no doubt slid several spots down the list.

That already puts Pettersson in ‘second-pairing’ territory, salary-wise, when he’s typically played to a top-pairing quality in his recent career. Give it another summer, and he’ll almost certainly be making the equivalent of ‘low-end 4D’ money.

For a contract that will cover him from age 29 to 34, that’s just exceptionally efficient, and it only serves to make Pettersson an even more valuable asset for the Canucks as they attempt to balance their books and build up a stronger roster around him.

The Final (Vancouver) Stats​

We’ve talked about Pettersson’s performance plenty already, but nothing paints a picture quite like a set of raw stats.

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	Avg. TOI
Vancouver	31	1	10	11	+8 (1st)	21:09 (3rd)

That offence is, as we mentioned, slightly below the barely-career-high pace he was posting in Pittsburgh, but only slightly. In general, Pettersson continues to produce at the same consistent rate he has for most of his NHL career thus far.

It’s noteworthy that Pettersson’s plus/minus, as flawed as that stat can be, led the Canucks, given that he typically faced the most difficult deployment on the team. Regardless of his minutes and who he was paired with, Pettersson always managed to keep his head above water.

He was never going to challenge that Hughes/Hronek pairing for ice-time. But 21 minutes a night is still more than the average second-pairing defender will usually play, making it clear again than Pettersson is a little bit more than ‘just’ a top-four talent.

2024/25	Corsi For	Shot Control	xG%	Scoring Chances	High-Danger Chances
Canucks	47.53%	47.75%	50.32%	51.25%	51.64%

From NaturalStatTrick.com, representing 5v5 ice-time only

Pettersson’s advanced analytics line is a bit of a mixed bag, but context is everything.

It’s true that Pettersson posted a negative Corsi rating in Vancouver, the first time he’s done so since his sophomore season in Anaheim. But it’s also true that the Canucks, as a whole, were a pretty poor possession team, with a 49.0% rating (18th in NHL) since Pettersson’s arrival.

Given his defensive duties, it’s no surprise that his own personal rating fell.

That said, the ‘more important’ fancy stats still reflect well on him. He managed to keep above positive in expected goals, chance control, and high-danger chance control. And, of course, on actual goals for and against.

Simply put, Pettersson got the job done in his own end of the ice, and these numbers reflect that.

The Real Deal​

But, overall, Marcus Pettersson is not the kind of player whose impact can be best measured by statistics. There are just too many intangible qualities to his game for that. No stat, for example, can measure Pettersson’s ability to step into a fractured dressing room and wind up with an ‘A’ on his jersey in relatively short order.

Myers’ advanced analytics are virtually identical away from Pettersson as they are with him. But then that doesn’t reflect how much better Myers looked when paired with Pettersson, or the greater responsibility that pairing was then able to bear.

And stats definitely can’t count how much of a benefit the Hughes/Hronek pairing got from finally having a competent second pair behind them.

Really, nothing reflects Pettersson’s impact quite like the difference in outlook on the Canucks’ blueline pre- and post- his arrival.

At the outset of the 2024/25 campaign, the Canucks’ blueline was a noticeable weak spot. Signings were made to shore it up, some good (Forbort) and some bad (Desharnais), but no one was all that confident in the group as a whole.

Look at how folks are talking about it now. The septet of Hughes, Hronek, Pettersson, Myers, the other Pettersson, Willander, and Victor Mancini is so rock-solid that most fans are hoping for literally no changes to it over the 2025 offseason. When was the last time that could be said about a Vancouver D corps?

As always, defence is a group effort. But if any one individual deserves credit for the turnaround, there’s little doubt about that individual being Marcus Pettersson.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/2024-2...d-missing-piece-marcus-pettersson-year-review

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

6 players with expiring NHL draft right the Canucks could sign

As June approaches, the hockey world gears up for pivotal events like the Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Entry Draft.

However, June 1st also marks a critical deadline for NHL teams to decide on prospects with expiring signing rights.

Per PuckPedia, these prospects typically fall into five categories:

• Players drafted in 2023 from Canadian Major Junior Leagues who remained in Major Junior through their age-20 season.
• Players drafted in 2021 from Canadian Major Junior Leagues who left Major Junior before their age-20 season.
• Players drafted in 2021 from European leagues before age 20.
• Players drafted in 2023 from European leagues at age 20 or older.
• Players drafted in 2021 who attended college but left before graduating.

You can view the entire list of unsigned prospects here.

There are varying reasons why players are left unsigned. Some slip due to underwhelming production, others due to undeveloped NHL-calibre skills, and some fail to find common ground during contract negotiations. Heck, with contract limits, some teams simply do not carry the space in their depth chart.

For example, the Vancouver Canucks have two prospects with expiring rights: Lucas Forsell and Hugo Gabrielson, playing in Sweden’s SHL and Allsvenskan, respectively.

Forsell, a 2021 seventh-round pick, has confirmed he won’t sign with Vancouver before his rights expire. While no official word has surfaced on Gabrielson, there’s a strong chance the Canucks will let his rights lapse as well.

This brings us to today’s focus: beyond the Canucks, which prospects with expiring rights across the NHL’s other 31 teams might be worth signing for added depth?

In response to questions from our comment section, we’ve compiled a list of notable names. We will prefix this list with the knowledge that these prospects are likely considered depth pieces. However, depth is essential to an organization, whether in its farm team or with the parent club.

You asked, so we delivered.

Viljami Marjala​

Team: Kärpät, Liiga | Age: 22 | Position: Centre/Left Wing | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 176 lbs | Shoots: Left | Drafted: 2021 round 5 #159 overall by Buffalo Sabres

We’ll start with Viljami Marjala, who may have the highest offensive ceiling on this list. That’s backed up by a strong statistical resume at nearly every stop of his young career.

Growing up in the Finnish system, he spent varying seasons alongside Aatu Räty. Whether club play (Kärpät) or International play, the two would reconvene at various points of their U20 careers.

In the 2020 CHL import draft, the summer before his draft year, the Québec Remparts took Marjala 14th overall. He then crossed the pond and played out his eligible and draft-plus-one campaigns.

While he wasn’t an offensive dynamo, he put up a respectable 73 points (18 goals, 55 assists) in 98 games. He also added another 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 18 playoff games during that time.

He eventually returned over the Atlantic, joining the TPS organization in the Finnish circuit. He started his time with the U20 team, where he dominated with 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists) in just 32 games. With substantial junior numbers, he jumped to the top tier for his first look in Liiga.

It’s now two full seasons since he made that jump, and he’s posted 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists) in 129 games. That included an explosive rookie season, where he finished with the most goals (17), assists (23), and points (37) from a rookie to take home Rookie of the Year honours.

In his second year (2024-25), he finished tied with the ninth-highest totals among all Liiga skaters, while leading the entire U23 fleet with eight goals and 52 points. Additionally, He went 49.7% in the faceoff circle and brought a 56.94% Corsi score for the year.

As you can tell by his extraordinary assist totals, Marjala is described as a skilled, pass-first centre. His ability to rack up points makes him an intriguing prospect, but his issue arises in the compete and defensive department. Given the skill, however, that may be something you’re willing to work with to boost production.

Here’s a montage of a few of his primary assists from this season. One of the most impressive elements of his game is his ability to make high-end plays with speedy one-touch plays.

His head is up scanning before the play hits, allowing him to catch goalies sliding while the puck is already off his stick and heading in the opposite direction.

If you’re looking for a point-producing flyer, here’s an option to sink your teeth into.

Liam Dower-Nilsson​

Team: Björklöven, HockeyAllsvenskan | Age: 22 | Position: Centre | Height: 6-foot | Weight: 190 lbs | Shoots: Left | Drafted: 2021 round 5 #134 overall by Detroit Red Wings

Liam Dower-Nilsson likely won’t sign with the Detroit Red Wings, making him a top free agent among this list. The issue is that the 22-year-old has elected to stay overseas on his own merit, believing it is the right decision for him and his future to take one last season developing.

But if he can be convinced that North America is the best option, he has an intriguing skillset as a playmaking two-way centre. Dower-Nilsson has been playing with Björklöven of the Allsvenskan league, where he’s amassed 83 points in 136 games.

He’s never set foot on North American ice, which is a concern. But given his playing style, marked by a high compete level, we’d like to think he could translate somewhat seamlessly.

He’s a prospect known for his responsible 200-foot game, while also carrying a high hockey IQ to make tremendous plays as a set-up man. But above all else, he competes hard and grinds in the dirty areas to collect his cookies.

When looking at his goals, the one thing that stands out (aside from his release) is the area in which he’s scoring the majority. He scores many goals in tight, digging inside in the paint or taking pucks in stride off the rush.

Additionally, he has a creative mind and finds teammates with impressive vision.

He’s also not afraid to dig, strip, hit and work to gain possession of the puck and create the transition.

Like most of this (or all), his potential likely caps out as a bottom-six forward. But this list is all about flyers for depth pieces, and Liam Dower-Nillson is among the more intriguing.

Martin Ryšavý​

Team: Bílí Tygři Liberec, Czechia | Age: 22 | Position: Left Wing | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 209 lbs | Shoots: Left | Drafted: 2021 round 7 #197 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets

Here, we bring you some power elements. Coming up through the Czech leagues, Martin Ryšavý brings a blend of size, physicality and some soft skills. Although he’s never posted high-end numbers, he seems to step up when the going gets tough.

After being drafted late by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 6-foot-3 forward made his way to Moose Jaw, where the Warriors drafted sixth overall in the CHL Import Draft a year earlier.

There, he posted 103 points (44 goals, 59 assists) and 82 penalty minutes in 155 season games. He coupled that with 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 40 playoff games, where he helped the Warriors take home a WHL Championship in his final season (2023-24).

Here are some of his hits from that magical run. His physicality played a considerable part in allowing their top producers to provide the scoresheet.

He helped Czechia earn a World Junior Silver Medal the year prior with a goal and three points.

Now back in the Czech top league, he couldn’t take that next step in development, and posted sub-10 points in 52 games as a rookie in his first run in a men’s league.

That said, he skates well for his size, plays a physical and high-motor game and brings two-way acumen.

The ceiling isn’t incredibly high, which is likely why the Blue Jackets let his rights go, but if he could put it all together in a package that delivers some more offence, he could serve as an intriguing depth option.

Matthew Mania​

Team: Flint Firebirds, OHL | Age: 20 | Position: Right Defence | Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 lbs | Shoots: Right | Drafted: 2023 round 5 #150 overall by Los Angeles Kings

In addition to a strong name, Matthew Mania is a smooth-skating transitional defender who can distribute the puck and produce points from the backend.

In fact, in his draft years, he was widely considered one of the top transporters among the deeper list of players (let’s say, third round and beyond). While he eventually dropped to the fifth round, he was ranked between 55 and 90 in most rankings.

So why did he drop? Well, the big reason is likely due to his lack of shutdown ability. Which, as a defender, is not a valued deficiency. He wants the puck often, and when he has it, he tends to attempt a little too much in our viewings.

Although he battles well, he’s not a tough defender and has poor defensive gap control. Which can lead to massive problems at the professional level.

That said, everything with the puck is strong. He handles the puck well without breaking under pressure. He skates well, showing good edges, speed and athletic ability. As a creative right-shot defender, he transitions effectively and is a natural quarterback.

How about these goals?

Here are some clips of his transitions up the ice. With his head up scanning, he finds teammates with a crisp and accurate pass from out of his zone. He’s also not afraid to hold on to it and go for a skate himself.

Even with a bit of a “soft” game, he’s still a major penalty killer on his Flint Firebirds team and is destined to provide secondary power play quarterback for a team in the future.

In the last two years, he’s posted the 16th-highest point total among defenders, with 106 points in 178 games. For a fifth-rounder, he’s certainly squeezed out value.

The good news is that he’s still just 20 years old, with plenty of runway to work with. He brings enough intriguing offensive ability to be easily worth the contract as he works out his kinks at the American League level.

Alex Pharand​

Team: Sudbury Wolves, OHL | Age: 20 | Position: Centre/ Right Wing | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 192 lbs | Shoots: Right | Drafted: 2023 round 4 #99 overall by Chicago Blackhawks

If you’re looking for more responsibility and leadership, Alex Pharand is a decent bet. Having just completed his fourth and final season with the Sudbury Wolves, the 20-year-old pivot is ready to take his talents to the professional ranks.

Playing for his hometown team, he posted 142 points (58 goals, 84 assists) across 256 games, and played as the team’s assistant captain in 2024-25.

Although flashes come out occasionally, his game isn’t tailored toward an offensive play, and as he jumps up the ranks, that will likely be more prevalent.

But like Chase Wouters, captain of the Abbotsford Canucks, he brings other elements that could offer substance at the next level. He brings good size, skates well and brings a never-ending rush of energy to the ice. Still just 20 years old, there’s still a decent runway to carve out a career within an NHL team’s organizational depth chart.

Jonathan Myrenberg​

Team: Linköping, SHL | Age: 22 | Position: Right Defence | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 196 lbs | Shoots: Right | Drafted: : 2021 round 5 #140 overall by Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have a chance to do something funny by signing a former shipped-out draft pick.

In 2022, Jonathan Myrenberg and Michael DiPietro were sent to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Jack Studnicka.

Since being dealt, the right-handed defender has yet to cross the pond for games. However, he did join the Providence Bruins to practice earlier this spring after an injury-ridden 2024-25 campaign held him to just 18 games.

While he hasn’t produced much in the professional leagues since being drafted, there’s still hope that he carves out a role as a puck-moving depth piece. As a point-producing defender in the U20 ranks, some untapped offensive potential is undoubtedly waiting to be released.

Joining the Swedish guild, which Vancouver has fostered within the system, could point him in the right direction.

He’s a mobile, puck-moving defender with size and a premier shooting hand as a right-shot.

There you have it, folks. Are there any names which you’d like to see the Canucks add to bolster the depth chart?

READ NEXT: Why a Filip Hronek trade is not something the Canucks should be seriously considering​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/6-players-expiring-nhl-draft-rights-vancouver-canucks-could-sign

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Farmies: Silovs’ 32-save shutout helps Abby Canucks punch ticket to their first Western Conference Final

It was do-or-die on a Memorial Day showdown for all the marbles in Loveland, Colorado.

The prize? A trip to the Western Conference Finals to face the Texas Stars.

For the visiting Abbotsford Canucks, this was the biggest game in franchise history. They’d never reached the third round, let alone the Conference Finals. So a win would mark a historic milestone for the pride of Fraser Valley.

And they couldn’t have drawn up a better result.

Despite an early surge from the Eagles, the Canucks struck back with two late first-period goals, seizing momentum and never letting go.

They followed with one of their finest periods of the postseason in the second, then sealed it with a commanding finish.

Arturs Silovs has a reputation for being a big-game goalie, and his flawless 32-save performance earned him his fourth shutout of the postseason.

From saves, goals, penalty kills, power play goals and blocked shots, this was a full team effort for their biggest win in franchise history.

Let’s dive into how it all unfolded.

Starting lineup

It was the season’s most crucial game, and Manny Malhotra was taking no chances.

With Christian Wolanin back in the lineup, the team’s defence was forced to sit one of its defenders in Game 3. That led to rookie defender Kirill Kudryavtsev seeing the press box treatment for two consecutive games.

In that time, his ability to move the puck became incredibly missed, as the team had struggled with transition since scratching their prized rookie. He returned tonight, with Akito Hirose sliding out as the odd man.

Up front, Danila Klimovich was back to being a healthy scratch. After drawing back in Game 3, he took an undisciplined penalty at the end of the second period of Game 4, resulting in a late goal for Colorado and a stranglehold on the game.

Malhotra went with Ty Glover in his spot, who drew in for his first game of the Calder Cup playoffs. He’s the type of player who doesn’t take shifts off, and thanks to a thrilling combination of size and speed, he would hopefully provide the team with tons of energy in a pivotal match.

They mixed things up in the forward groups, bringing back the line with dominant shifts against the Coachella Valley Firebirds: Sammy Blais, Juhjar Khaira, and Nate Smith.

Of course, things remained solid between the pipes, with Arturs Silovs seeing his 12th start of the postseason.

Bains – Mueller – Karlsson
Nielsen – Sasson – Lekkerimäki
Blais – Khaira– Smith
Glover – Wouters – Di Giuseppe

Brisebois – McWard
Wolanin – Woo
Kudryavtsev – Mancni

Silovs

First period: The golden minute

The Abbotsford Canucks have struggled to get their starts in order, giving up early chances and even goals.

And Game 5 was no different.

While it never led to a goal, the Eagles pounced immediately, forcing Arturs Silovs into the game right off the hop.

First up was Tye Felhaber, who took the Matthew Phillips cross-feed to force Silovs to slide over for an incredible save off the stretch.

Second look.

Next was Chris Wagner, who was left wide open in the high slot following a defensive breakdown. Luckily, he missed the cage off a high-grade chance.

Colorado has a ton of speed in their lineup, and they were showing that off in spades. Even though they dogded a few bullets early, it was a nervous start for the visiting Canucks.

Things did calm down over the next few minutes, allowing the Canucks – or, Arturs Silovs – to catch their breath. But that was short lived as the Canucks later took the game’s first penalty.

Linus Karlsson was handed a boarding penalty following a nasty hit to an Eagles defender, which he made too far from the boards.

But we’ve talked about it for weeks, folks. The team’s penalty kill has been nearly flawless, allowing just one shorthanded goal all postseason long.

As expected, the Canucks killed the penalty but it wasn’t without its chances. The Eagles spent nearly the entire two-minute stretch pressed in their zone with extensive pressure.

But Silovs was up to the task.

As for the visiting team, it took 12 minutes for the Canucks to see their best chance, courtesy of a Ty Mueller backhand.

That shot sparked a few close calls in tight, where Arshdeep Bains looked to bang home his first of the playoffs.

At the other end, Silvos continued to stand tall. This time, he set aside another Felhaber shot point blank, throwing up the blocker after a tremendous effort and pass from Matthew Phillips.

And he wouldn’t stop there.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki took the Victor Mancini slot pass but had his shot attempts blocked. Off to the counterattack, the Eagles jumped up three strong for the odd-man rush.

Sticking with the shooter, Silovs stood tall to keep with Tye Felhaber (again). He would stop the Eagles’ forward three times in the opening period, all of which were dangerous shots.

That string of saves would prove crucial, as the Abbotsford Canucks woke up in the final minutes and delivered an incredible one-minute stretch.

The Eagles took a high-sticking penalty around the three-minute mark, sending them to their first power play of the night.

They made it count.

Abbotsford goal – 1-0 – Linus Karlsson from Arshdeep Bains and Phil Di Giuseppe

Arshdeep Bains entered the zone before finding Linus Karlsson in the high slot.

Fending off two defenders, Karlsson managed to unleash a shot to the far side corner to open the scoring.

Abbotsford goal – 2-0 – Phil Di Giuseppe from Jett Woo

And just one minute later, Jett Woo made a nice move at the blueline before gaining the zone.

He dropped the puck off to a trailing Phil Di Giuseppe, who went top shelf shortside on Trent Miner for his first point of the entire series.

Veterans come up when you need them, right?

After being outplayed for much of the period, a one-minute stretch changed everything, and suddenly, all momentum was on the away team.

But Silovs wasn’t done saving the day. With Phillips looking to push back, he weaved toward the front of the net before sending a perfect pass to the slot.

With a wide-open net, Silovs slid over to make another massive stop. Just seconds later. He came up big again, stopping the redirection from the slot.

The Canucks showed us what a single minute can do in a hockey game. After being outplayed for most of the period, the Abbotsford Canucks took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room.

Incredible.

Shots: ABB 7, COL 8 | Score: ABB 2, COL 0

Second period: Triple up

The early chances were Colorado’s in the first period.

But in the second, it was the Canucks who grabbed the best chances, nearly tripling their lead out the gate.

Off a bit of a broken play, Linus Karlsson was able to chip the puck to a breaking Ty Mueller. He wasted no time, grabbing his sand wedge to chip the puck on Miner, who flashed the glove for his best save of the game (so far).

But the Canucks were buzzing in the initial minutes, controlling the pace to grab several official shots in the opening five minutes. And plenty more shot attempts.

First, Tristen Nielsen’s attempt.

Next up was Ty Mueller, who took the stretch pass before dropping the shoulder and driving the net. He chipped the puck just wide.

From there, the game truly broke out.

Despite being put into a spin cycle, Silovs made another big save in his crease.

Turning up the other end were Bains and Karlsson, who played give-and-go before Bains sent the cross-ice pass to set up a wide-open net for Karlsson. He just missed the connection for a chance to triple their lead.

But all of that momentum wasn’t wasted, and the Canucks did manage to extend that lead just before the midway point of the period.

Abbotsford goal – 3-0 – Cole McWard from Arshdeep Bains and Ty Mueller

The Canucks worked the puck up ice, where Bains left the puck for Cole McWard in the neutral zone and fired up the ice.

Suddenly, he found himself on an odd-man rush with his defensive linemate, Guillaume Brisebois (what?!).

Holding the puck himself, he snapped home his first of the playoffs past the blocker side of Trent Miner.

The Eagles’ netminder had been terrific all series, and that’s a goal he likely wants a redo.

After arguably getting a little lucky to be up 2-0 after 20 minutes, it was all Abbotsford up to this point. Silovs held his end in the opening period, while his team did their part from the 18-minute mark and on.

But it wasn’t just Silvos, either. The Canucks were returning to their defensive game, dropping down for several blocked shots and broken-up attempts. It was a whole team effort, and the Canucks took a decisive 3-0 lead into the third.

That momentum was squashed at the final buzzer. Uncontested, Sammy Blais delivered a late, undisciplined hit that put an Eagle skater on the ice for several minutes after the final whistle.

While the hit was off-camera, the player required help from teammates and trainers after taking his time.

Blais was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct…again.

With 15 more penalty minutes tacked on, Blais now has 57 minutes combined. All were taken across three games, to which he had been handed a game (or 10-minute) misconduct.

Luckily for the Canucks, the Eagles took a two minute penalty themselves. Instead of killing off a full five-minute stretch to start the third period, they would begin with a 4-on-4 and three minutes of PK.

Shots: ABB 15, COL 17 | Score: ABB 3, COL 0

Third period: Signed, sealed and delivered

The Canucks would count their lucky stars that the Eagles took that retaliatory penalty, as the period began with a 4-on-4 stretch.

And it started with a bang.

Looking dangerous again, Matthew Phillips tossed a low, farside shot toward Silovs, who kicked the puck out. The problem was that he kicked it right to an Eagles forward.

Somehow, the puck trickled past the netminder and out of harm’s way.

The Canucks collected in the corner and began up the ice. With Ty Mueller gaining entry, he dropped the puck to Linus Karlsson.

Abbotsford goal – 4-0 – Linus Karlsson from Ty Mueller and Christian Wolanin

He had his initial shot blocked by an Eagles defender. However, like his first goal of the game, he didn’t quit on the play. Fighting for possession, he grabbed the puck and threw the second effort toward the net, fooling Miner and squeezing through the blocker side.

And just like that, before the home team could even enjoy their three minute penalty kill, the Canucks would add another to sit with a commanding 4-0 lead.

That three minute power play came and went, with the Canucks coming up huge again on the PK.

More importantly, they inched closer to the game’s final buzzer.

From there, the game sang a different tune. After playing a run-and-gun game — the series, really — the fast-paced Colorado team had no response.

The Canucks battened down the hatches, dropped back and let the clock run down.

Looking to get something going, the Eagles pulled their goalie with six minutes to go in the game.

But Silovs continued to stay sharp, setting aside any pucks that came his way.

With time winding down, Phil Di Giuseppe iced the game on the empty net.

Abbotsford goal – 5-0 – Phil Di Giuseppe (unassisted)

Pressing in the Canucks zone, the puck was sent to the point, where it hopped over the stick of an Eagles stick.

Kicking on the jets was PDG, who raced up the ice to place the puck into the empty net for his second goal and third point of the game.

And that was all she wrote. Unlike the first pair of periods, the Colorado Eagles had little pushback while the Abbotsford Canucks played a clinical last 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, Arturs Silovs continued his series-clinching dominance with 32 saves for his fourth postseason shutout and third in clinching scenarios.

Despite a nervous start, it was all Canucks from the 18-minute mark on, and for the first time in franchise history, they are going to the Conference Final!

Final shots: ABB 24, COL 32 | Score: ABB 5, COL 0

What’s next?

The Abbotsfrod Canucks will return home, as they gear up to host the Texas Stars. Game 1 starts on Thursday, May 28, at the Abbotsford Centre.

Here is the full series schedule:

It's time for some stargazing ️

The Canucks will host games one, two, six and seven against the Texas Stars in the Western Conference Finals!

GET TICKETS | https://t.co/AIz4Og3Pyi pic.twitter.com/DDW3bV1h9W

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) May 26, 2025

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmie...s-punch-ticket-first-western-conference-final

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks broadcaster Brandon Astle allegedly hit with chair during broadcast

Well, here’s a story you don’t see every day.

An incident occurred during Game 5 of the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division Final between the Vancouver Canucks’ primary affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, and the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche’s top farm team.

However, this one didn’t happen on the ice.

Late in the first period, shortly after Phil Di Giuseppe gave Abbotsford a 2-0 lead, a fan reportedly got into the booth of Canucks broadcaster Brandon Astle. On the broadcast, you can hear a slam before Astle noted that the fan was chirping at him.

On the next stoppage of play, Astle mentioned that he was “fired up,” stating that the fan threw a chair at him.

“What was he doing here?” Astle said. “Unreal. Have another beer.”

Watch the video below:

The announcer for the Abbotsford Canucks got attacked by a fan mid-game broadcast and the fan allegedly threw a chair at him

(h/t AggPuck-303/reddit) pic.twitter.com/qYyxShhriB

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 27, 2025

It’s worth mentioning this game took place at the Eagles’ home, Blue Arena. The Canucks went on to win the game, 5-0, clinching a spot in the Western Conference Final.

Astle posted on X that he “could have handled [it] better,” despite strange circumstances that would’ve led the average person to take matters into their own hands. Astle wrote that the fan doesn’t reflect the Eagles organization and that he was later apprehended and removed from the arena.

The fan, who is only known by his X name Ben B, took to social media, claiming that Astle’s story was fabricated. Along with denying that he threw a chair, the fan replied to another comment saying that he was giving it to Astle in regard to Arturs Silovs supposedly knocking the net off on purpose earlier in the period.

He also denied being thrown out of the rink.

While this story might not have a lot of runway, Abbotsford’s tale continues to grow. The Canucks are set to take on the Texas Stars, the Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate, in the Western Conference Final. They look to become the first Vancouver affiliate to advance to a championship series since the Utica Comets made it to the Calder Cup Final in 2015.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...r-brandon-astle-allegedly-hit-chair-broadcast

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

What can Abbotsford Canucks expect from Texas Stars in AHL Western Conference Final?

The Abbotsford Canucks don’t have much time to put their thrilling Pacific Division win over Colorado behind them. Starting on Thursday night, they have to be ready to face the Texas Stars in the best-of-seven American Hockey League Western Conference Final.

The two teams did not face each other during the regular season, so there may be a feeling-out process as they engage for the first time with a trip to the Calder Cup Final on the line. Unlike previous series in these playoffs, this is a best-of-seven that will follow the 2-3-2 format and will begin in the Fraser Valley.

Here’s what the Canucks can expect from the Dallas Stars top farm team:

Lone star? More like 3 stars​

Texas currently boasts the top three scorers in the AHL Playoffs. Justin Hryckowian leads all postseason point producers with 15 through his team’s first eight games. That’s one ahead of Cameron Hughes, while familiar face Kole Lind is tied for third place with 11 points. Hryckowian and Hughes have at least a point in all eight of their team’s games through the first two rounds. Lind has been held off the scoresheet just once. That trio has combined for 16 goals, with six of them coming on the power play.

Hard to pronounce, harder to stop​

Justin Hryckowian (pronounced ritz-COVE-ian) has scored in five straight games, totalling six goals over that span. The 24-year-old from L’Ile Bizard, Quebec, is in his first full year of professional hockey after three seasons at Northeastern University. He had 22 goals and 60 points during the regular season and earned his first taste of NHL action with five games for Dallas, where he registered one assist.

Shooting Star​

No one scored more goals during the regular season than Stars winger Matej Blumel, who pummeled AHL goalies for 39 markers. That was three more than anyone else in the league this season. He also led all AHL skaters with 274 shots on goal. Blumel has three goals and 10 points in eight playoff games so far. The fourth-round pick of Edmonton in the 2019 NHL Draft has a pair of big league goals to his credit in 13 games with Dallas. Blumel, who will turn 25 on May 31st, finished with 72 points on the season, which was one off the AHL lead. Of his 39 goals, 11 came on the power play.

Dining at the roadhouse​

Texas eliminated higher-seeded Milwaukee with a 3-2 road win in Game 5 of their Central Division Final last Sunday. The Stars are 4-1 as the visitors in the playoffs, and that’s after a regular season in which Texas went 24-12. Only four teams in the league finished with more points on the road this season – and nobody won more road games. Texas scored the second-most road goals in the AHL (126). Interestingly, the only team to score more was Abbotsford with 127. A huge part of the recipe for the Stars’ road success was the second-best power play in the league at 22.7% away from home.

Puck stopper extraordinare​

While the Canucks feel confident in the way Arturs Silovs has performed in the playoffs, the Stars feel they have a guy that can match Silovs shot for shot. Remi Poirier is 4-1 in the postseason with a 1.87 GAA, a .926% save percentage with one shutout. He allowed a total of five goals in the final three games against Milwaukee. Only once in his six playoff appearances this spring has Poirier surrendered more than two goals in a game. The 23-year-old was a sixth-round draft pick of Dallas in 2020. He is still looking to make his big league debut.

Homecoming for a few​

There are a couple of Texas players with ties to British Columbia. Veteran Curtis McKenzie was born in Golden and spent two seasons with Penticton in the BCHL. The 34-year-old has appeared in 99 NHL games, all with Dallas. He also spent one year in Utica when it was still the Canucks farm team and was teammates with Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois. Trey Taylor hails from Richmond and turned pro this season after three years at Clarkson University. Prior to that, the 23-year-old spent three seasons with Vernon in the BCHL.

The Texas Stars punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a 3-2 comeback win over the Milwaukee Admirals in Game Five of the Central Division Finals on Sunday, sending the Stars to their first conference finals appearance since 2018.

More ⬇

— x – Texas Stars (@TexasStars) May 26, 2025

Season in a nutshell​

The Texas Stars finished the regular season 43-26-3 good for 10th spot in the overall standings. They scored 240 goals and allowed 210. They are 6-2 in the playoffs, outscoring opponents 31-19. They swept Grand Rapids in the opening round and then knocked off Milwaukee in five games. The Stars are coached by Neil Graham, who is now in his sixth season behind their bench.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/what-c...pect-texas-stars-ahl-western-conference-final

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks: Malhotra says Aatu Räty day-to-day ahead of Game 1 vs. Texas

On the eve of the first Calder Cup game in Abbotsford Canucks history, the team hit the ice for practice.

With Abbotsford nearly at full health, all eyes were on first-line centre Aatu Räty and his availability. Head coach Manny Malhotra had an update regarding his status:

“Everybody that’s skating is a possibility. Playoff hockey means he’s day-to-day and he’ll be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.”

Malhotra added that Räty has been skating on his own for a while now, but wasn’t well enough to participate in today’s practice. However, he did join the non-playing group later on in practice.

Aatu Räty has joined the non-playing group pic.twitter.com/MHiOAuI8Vv

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) May 28, 2025

Canucks fans last saw Räty in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He picked up an assist in the early second period before he exited. Abbotford managed to claw back their way back from a 3-0 first-period deficit, but fell short in overtime.

During his five games this postseason, Räty has zero goals and three assists with six shots on goal, four penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. In his three seasons with the Canucks organization, Räty has 14 playoff games played, scoring three goals and five assists for eight points with 15 shots on goal, six penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating.

Räty split the 2024-2025 regular season between the Vancouver and the Abbotsford Canucks. He started the season in Vancouver after turning heads in training camp and preseason, especially with his unique faceoff technique. After only three games, where he picked up one assist and a 60.9% faceoff percentage, Räty was sent back down to Abbotsford.

Between multiple stints up and down, Räty finished his NHL season with seven goals and four assists for 11 points with 34 shots on goal, 14 penalty minutes, 57.4% faceoff percentage and a minus-1 rating in 33 games played. While in the AHL, Räty scored 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points with 98 shots on goal, 38 penalty minutes and a plus-9 rating in 43 games.

The Canucks will host the Texas Stars in the Abbotsford Centre on Thursday, May 29 for Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference Finals for a chance to compete for the Calder Cup, against either the Laval Rocket or the Charlotte Checkers.

You can watch the raw footage of Abbotsford Canucks practice here:

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...ys-aatu-raty-day-day-ahead-game-1-texas-stars

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Ex-Canuck David Booth signs with Melbourne in Australian Ice Hockey League

It appears that former Vancouver Canuck David Booth is still keeping busy.

The now 40-year-old winger will be playing hockey down under for the 2025 season, as the Australian Ice Hockey League has announced that Melbourne Ice have signed Booth.

Melbourne Ice sign former @NHL veteran David Booth

Read: https://t.co/mD1Ma3JYGF pic.twitter.com/SEsKLd7MoK

— AIHL (@AIHL) May 28, 2025

Booth joins the Ice partway through the season, as the team has already played nine games. They currently sit in first place in the AIHL ladder with a 6-0-1-2 record (ordered as wins, losses, overtime wins and overtime losses).

The AIHL also mentioned in their announcement that Booth is expected to arrive in Melbourne on Friday and will potentially be available to play in the Melbourne derby between the Ice and the Mustangs. If not, he will probably play on Sunday against the Central Coast Rhinos.

Booth spent parts of three seasons with the Canucks, first joining the team early in the 2011-12 season in a trade from the Florida Panthers. He played with Vancouver until the end of the 2013-14 season, before departing in free agency and signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 134 regular season games with the team, he had 26 goals and 25 assists for 51 points, as well as one assist in five playoff games.

Over the course of Booth’s 10-season career in the NHL, he’s spent time with the Panthers, Canucks, Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. During that time, he managed 124 goals and 112 assists for 236 points in 530 regular season games. His only time making the playoffs during that time was that one instance with the Canucks in the 2011-12 season.

Booth hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2017-18 season, but has managed to find ways to play hockey since then around the world, with this being the first time he’s played in Australia. He’s also spent time in Russia, Belarus, Norway, Germany, and most recently, Hungary, where he just concluded his season last Saturday.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/ex-van...-signs-melbourne-australian-ice-hockey-league

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Farmies: Christian Wolanin plays OT hero as Abby Canucks take Game 1 of AHL WCF

The Abbotsford Canucks had never crossed paths with the Texas Stars, let alone squared off in the high-stakes environment of an AHL Western Conference Final.

That changed on Thursday night at the Abbotsford Centre, where the pride of Fraser Valley hosted Game 1, riding the wave of a dominant 5-0 shutout in Colorado to clinch their spot in the series.

But with no shared history between the two foes, there was only one question…would there be sparks?

Putting any worry to rest, the Canucks offered up a relentless effort, delivering a performance that kept the home crowd on their feet from start to finish. With a postseason-best 46 shots on goal, it was a heart-stopping battle that stretched into overtime, where they sealed a thrilling Game 1 victory.

While the Texas Stars struck first, courtesy of a former Canucks draft pick finding the net early. As expected, of course.

But this resilient squad clawed back, flipping the momentum with a ferocious attack that showcased their depth and determination. With the Stars’ high-powered offence firing back and all four Canucks lines buzzing, the game was an exciting, end-to-end affair that did not disappoint.

Starting lineup

The Canucks enjoyed a decisive 5-0 win in Game 5 in the previous round, so why change a good thing? They rolled over lines for the series opener.

Bains – Mueller – Karlsson
Nielsen – Sasson – Lekkerimäki
Blais – Khaira– Smith
Glover – Wouters – Di Giuseppe

Brisebois – McWard
Wolanin – Woo
Kudryavtsev – Mancni

Silovs

First period: Game 1, Western Final

The opening period hasn’t been kind to the Abbotsford Canucks so far during this postseason run.

And while Game 1’s start wasn’t a Picasso, they picked things up after their netminder bailed them out with a few saves out of the gate.

With the Stars pressing early off the hop, former Canuck Kole Lind, who you’ll hear often over the next few weeks, collected the puck in the high slot.

After putting his initial shot attempt into the face of Arshdeep Bains, he followed up with a second crack. Setting up and reacting quickly was Arturs Silovs, who got himself into the game with a quick butt-end stick save.

As most expected, it was the Stars who carried the majority of sustained pressure and chances in the early stages of the period.

But the Canucks eventually eased their way into the game to grab some offensive looks of their own.

With Arshdeep Bains rushing up the wing, he sent the shot toward Remi Poirier for his first touch of the night.

Eventually catching up to his own rebound, he circled the zone before he found Guillaume Brisebois with a quick heads-up pass. Poirier saw it the whole way, flashing the glove for an easy save.

The Stars’ netminder made a trio of saves, but it was Silovs who stole most of the action in the initial minutes.

The Canucks collected themselves and responded with a few good looks of their own. Thanks to a lucky bounce off the referee, the Canucks transitioned quickly to set up the game’s top chance.

Sammy Blais, arguably the team’s most involved skater for most of this match, found a streaking Nate Smith, who a sliding and stretched-out netminder robbed.

Buzzing off that save, the Stars made the home team pay.

Texas goal – 1-0 – Kole Lind from Cameron Hughes and Trey Taylor

Unable to clear the zone, Texas worked the puck down low to Cameron Hughes. As a result of Cole McWard losing an edge, he had ample time to find a creeping Kole Lind, who got behind the defence and rifled off a quick one timer to open the series scoring.

It was a goal that most had anticipated. Kole Lind was nearly destined to open the scoring in this series; it was written in the stars.

Despite playing from behind, the Canucks didn’t let that kill their building buzz, sticking to their game and collecting several dangerous looks out front.

Sammy Blais, a Stanley Cup winner, had been a mixed bag during these playoffs. While he’s typically been the physical heartbeat and top scorer for this Canucks team, he showed some undisciplined antics in round three.

However, on Thursday, he was showcasing what he brings to the ice when he’s performing at his best. Whether that’s throwing his body around to force turnovers and havoc, or offensive looks, he shows the ability to game’s over and provide a much-needed spark for his team.

Once settled down from allowing the game’s initial goal, the Canucks settled into their own to finish strong. The only thing missing? A goal of their own.

But that all changed in the dying minutes.

Abbotsford goal – 1-1 – Guillaume Brisebois from Linus Karlsson and Ty Mueller

After a big defensive breakup, Ty Mueller started up the ice, gaining the offensive zone with four Canucks strong.

Receiving the pass was Linus Karlsson, who sent a quick one-touch pass to Guillaume Brisebois streaking up the slot.

Despite completely fanning on his initial shot, he stuck with the puck and slid it toward the net. Thanks to a falling defender who took out his own netminder, the puck slid its way past the goal line.

With 20 minutes in the books, each team enjoyed their first goals of the series, and the fans were gifted with a high-paced, back-and-forth affair.

Shots: ABB 12, TEX 13 | Score: ABB 1, TEX 1

Second period: Buzzing

The middle frame kicked off with Arturs Silovs making a string of composed and athletic stops.

First up was a breakaway chance. As Jujhar Khaira threw a big hit in the offensive corner, the Canucks were caught admiring, as they allowed the Stars to slip past all alone.

Cool as a cucumber, Silovs set it aside with ease.

Moments later, he was forced to stretch out once again, as a Stars forward collected and circled off the halfwall and into the slot. Although awkward, Silovs dropped down to stretch out his big toe and send the puck toward the corner.

Finally, the trifecta. The Stars continued to press, as they made a pretty play off the zone entry, leading to a loaded one-timer.

Making his best Patrick Roy impression, the young Latvian flashed the leather for the theatric whirlwind.

Using those saves as fuel, the Canucks took over.

Not only did they take the physical advantage, but they also continued to build and build under pressure. To the point where you could sense something was inevitable.

And it was.

Abbotsford goal – 2-1 – Ty Mueller from Linus Karlsson and Arshdeep Bains

Thanks to the physical work by Jett Woo, the puck turned over to Bains, who made a slick backhand pass to send Karlsson and Mueller alone.

Waiting to draw in pressure, Karlsson played the waiting game, faking the shot and forcing the defender to the ice.

Cancelling the shot, he went around and feathered the perfect cross-feed to a streaking Ty Mueller before he performed a one-handed re-direct.

It was a tremendous finish to a strong push from the Canucks, taking their first lead of the series and capturing all of the game’s momentum.

That sparked another stretch of intense pressure, highlighted by a Canuck power play.

Unsuccessful, the Stars pushed back and tried to grab some of that momentum back, which they accomplished with a greasy goal.

Texas goal – 2-2 – Antonio Stranges from Trey Taylor

Starting in his own end, Antonio Stranges worked his way up broadway, eventually zooming past the Canucks’ defence.

Firing a relatively innocent shot toward Silovs, the puck jumped up into the air, where Stranges left Cole McWard in the dust and followed up to deposit the rebound past the netminder.

Silovs had been incredibly sound up to this point, so it was an unfortunate blemish on his otherwise terrific game.

Although it wasn’t a 5-0 score, the fans at the Abbotsford Centre were being treated to a very fast-paced game with tons to cheer about.

Using that home-crowd buzz, the Canucks made a push for a late tally for the late go-ahead.

Max Sasson took the patented Kirill Kudryavtsev stretch pass and turned the jets on up the wing. Driving the net, he stopped up, cut back and found Chase Wouters at the side of the net.

He got the initial one-timer off, as well as a few jams at the netfront before the Stars defenders were able to clear the play.

After another thrilling period at the Abbotsford Centre, this game would need the third period (or beyond) to settle the score.

Shots: ABB 27, TEX 25 | Score: ABB 2, TEX 2

Third period: All the pressure, no goals

Getting things going early was the line of Mueller, Bains and Karlsson, a misfit line that hadn’t seen action with each other before Game 5 in Colorado.

Guillaume Brisebois retrieved the puck in the corner and sent it to the front, where chaos ensued. First, Karlsson chipped at the initial rebound, clipping Poirier’s upper pad.

Then, Mueller patiently outwaited everyone. He finally threw a high shot on the netminder, handcuffing him to kick-start more havoc in front.

Moments later, Max Sasson used his speed to beat out a dump-in. Looking up, he found Phil Di Giuseppe hot off the bench, who dragged the puck before being stymied by the blocker of Poirier.

Somewhat silently, that shot stood as PDG’s ninth of the game, after throwing eight on net through the game’s initial 40 minutes.

The home team wasn’t done, though. Jujhar Khaira made a strong move, protecting the puck before dinging Nate Smith in the slot.

They were pressing with every shift, grabbing several chances and 11 shots through the first half.

Even more encouraging was the buy-in they were getting from all four lines, with each collecting several chances to put their team up by a goal.

By this time, it was safe to say that Remi Poirier was the Stars’ first star by a country mile.

As mentioned, it wasn’t just their top skaters, either. The fourth line was doing their part, doing everything they could to grab the go-ahead tally.

After sitting on their heels for most of the third period, momentum finally went the Stars’ direction.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki took a high-sticking penalty in the dying minutes, sending the Stars to their first powerplay of the night with a chance to take a very late lead.

But the Canucks were 97.1% on the PK heading into the game, so what did you think would happen? They killed off the stretch, leading to an even score and a trip to overtime in Game 1.

Shots: ABB 42, TEX 34 | Score: ABB 2, TEX 2

Overtime: “Let’s get outta here”

The extra frame picked up withered things left off, with the Canucks nearly cashing in early.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki chipped the puck past the defender off the rush, sending him to the ice. Now all alone, he sent over a perfect cross-ice feed to Phil Di Giuseppe, who fired his 10th shot on net.

With Arturs Silovs stopping four of his eventual 36 on the night in the overtime session, the puck found its way back into the Stars’ zone.

Credit to Jujhar Khaira for doing his best Alex Burrows impression, jumping up to catch the Texas clearing attempt. He found Nate Smith, who looked across the ice for Christian Wolanin.

Abbotsford goal – 3-2 – Christian Wolanin from Nate Smith and Jujhar Khaira

Allowing the puck to ricochet off the halfwall, the veteran defender wasted no time, winding up for the big slap shot from distance.

Despite playing an incredible game up to this point, Remi Poirier could not pick up the shot, allowing it to squeak through his five-hole for the game-winning tally.

Final shots: ABB 46, TEX 38 | Final score: ABB 4, TEX 2

Final thoughts:

What a way to kick off the Western Conference Finals. If there’s one regret, it’s that we can’t replay every heart-pounding second of this relentless, high-octane clash.

Despite conceding the early chances, the Abbotsford Canucks roared back with vengeance, all four lines firing on all cylinders.

By the final buzzer, only three Canucks failed to register a shot, with nine players racking up three or more in a 46-shot barrage.

While the physicality didn’t quite match the bruising Colorado series, heavy-hitters like Sammy Blais, Jujhar Khaira, and Jett Woo brought plenty of intimidation to keep the Stars on edge.

The game itself was thrilling, with both goaltenders stealing the spotlight with clutch saves that kept the Abbotsford Centre rocking.

With Game 1 in the bag, Abbotsford heads into Game 2 with a chance to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.

What’s next?

The series stays in Abbotsford for one more game before jetting off to Cedar Park, Texas, for Games 3 and 4. Game 2 is on Saturday, May 31st at 7:00 pm PT at the Abbotsford Centre.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-christian-wolanin-plays-ot-hero-abby-canucks-game-1-ahl-wcf

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL Notebook: Jonathan Toews making NHL comeback, Marchessault open to a trade, and more

Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at CanucksArmy where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a Vancouver Canucks-tinted lens!

The NHL are now headed to the Stanley Cup Finals, with a rematch of last year’s final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

But for the rest of the 30 teams, there are offseason moves that they have to make to better their team to try and get where the Oilers and Panthers are now. Teams are bringing in new coaches, putting players on the trade block, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion trying to make an NHL return:

Jonathan Toews wants to make a comeback to the NHL​

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, long-time Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews appears to have interest in making a return to the NHL:

Jonathan Toews reached out to his agent Pat Brisson yesterday to inform him he's 100 percent committed to coming back to the NHL next season. Just spoke with Brisson, who says he will start taking calls from NHL teams on Toews now leading up to July 1.
Toews, 37, last played in…

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 29, 2025

The Blackhawks selected Toews with the third-overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft, and he spent all 15 years of his career in Chicago. During his time in the windy city, Toews scored 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 games, captaining the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups (2010, 2013, 2015).

Toews sat out the entire COVID-19 shortened season in 2020-2021 due to long-term effects from the virus. Toews re-joined the Blackhawks for two seasons before stepping away after the 2022-2023 season to focus on his health.

During his absence, Toews went on a healing journey in India. In 2024, Toews shared his feelings via an Instagram post:

“It’s too long of a story to share all the details here, but it’s been almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey. The wisdom of Ayurveda has taught me that everything I experience, I am responsible for. Not only did it teach me better diet choices specific to my body type, it has deepened my intuitive relationship with myself and the world around me.”

After being away from the game for three seasons, the now 37-year-old is looking to return to NHL action.

Could the Canucks sign him for their second line centre need? It seems unlikely, but he is a name that fits their needs. However, taking a shot on a guy who hasn’t played in three seasons and trusting him in such an important role is a little too risky. Wherever he lands, he may be suited best for a bottom-six centre role.

Jonathan Marchessault open to being traded​

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli shared on Daily Faceoff Live that just after one season with the Nashville Predators, Jonathan Marchessault might be open to a change:

“I think he’s pretty open [to a move]. It’s within reason. He isn’t going to accept a deal to pretty much anywhere, depending on how he shapes his list. In a perfect world, he would love to go to the Montreal Canadiens and go home.”

In his first year with the Predators, Marchessault scored 21 goals and 35 assists for 56 points in 78 games. This season’s total was exactly half of what he had the year prior, when he set a career high with 42 goals with the Vegas Golden Knights.

But it wasn’t just Marchessault. The Predators team as a whole was the biggest disappointment across the entire league last season. After making the three biggest splashes in free agency, signing Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Marchessault, many pegged the Predators as Stanley Cup contenders.

However, they finished with the third-worst record in the league (30-44-8). At 34, it’s not surprising that Marchessault would want to move on to a team where he has a better chance of winning.

Could the Canucks be interested in Marchessault? Or better yet, would Marchessault have an interest in coming to Vancouver? He has a full 15-team no-trade clause. His scoring prowess could be a trade option if the Predators do make him available.

New York Rangers testing the market on K’Andre Miller​

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned he had a few people message him and tell him that there are more defencemen that are out there than he previously mentioned. K’Andre Miller was one of them:

“It’s not a guarantee [the New York Rangers trade him], but they are testing the market on Miller – they want to know what it is. We’ll see where this goes, but his name is definitely out there.”

Miller is a 25-year-old left-shot defenceman who is coming off a two-year $3.87 million AAV contract after an impressive 2022-2023 season. The 6’5″ blueliner scored a career-high nine goals and 43 points, earning himself that bridge deal. Now, two years later, Miller is searching for his big payday.

However, after a decline in defensive play and point totals in 2024-2025, the Rangers are trying to find a new home for Miller.

Typically, when a young defenceman becomes available, the Canucks should jump all over it. However, with the current state of the Canucks’ left side defence with Quinn Hughes, Marcus Pettersson and Elias Pettersson, it doesn’t appear this would be a trade they pursue.

Seattle Kraken name Lane Lambert as new head coach​

After relieving Dan Bylsma just over one month ago, the Seattle Kraken have found their new bench boss, Lane Lambert.

There were three other names in consideration for this job: Marco Sturm (Ontario Reign head coach), Mitch Love (Washington Capitals assistant) and David Quinn (Pittsburgh Penguins assistant). However, as on Wednesday, Friedman reported that it was a two-headed race with Lambert and Quinn to be the next head coach.

Lambert spent the previous season as the assistant coach for Craig Berube with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also has head coaching experience with the New York Islanders. However, that was short-lived as he was replaced after a season and a half by Patrick Roy. During his time on the Island, Lambert finished with a 61-46-20 record, reaching the playoffs in his only finished season.

It’s clear that the Kraken wanted to steer toward a head coach who had NHL head coaching experience. The Canucks will see Lambert at least three times a year now that he’s the heac coach of the Seattle Kraken.

Season 2 of Amazon Prime’s Faceoff: Inside the NHL cast revealed​

On Thursday, Amazon shared the cast of NHL players that will be featured for the new season of Faceoff: Inside the NHL, scheduled to be released this fall.

WE ARE SO BACK.

Tkachuks x 2. Flower. Sid. Season 2 of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL is coming, and it will be a movie. pic.twitter.com/sytbhUOoiZ

— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) May 29, 2025

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Marc-Andre Fleury (Minnesota Wild), Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) and Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes) are the three standalone players for their teams.

Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield (Los Angeles Kings), Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars) will all be featured with teammates.

William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) won’t have a teammate with him, but instead will have President of Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan also featured in the series.

With the players Amazon has chosen, they will capture some of the biggest storylines around the league this past season. The farewell tour of Fleury, the 4 Nations Face-off with the Tkachuk brothers, Rantanen being traded twice this season, and the emotional journey of the Blue Jackets in the first year after the passing of Johnny Gaudreau.

Matthew Tkachuk and Nylander will be the only two returnees from season one of this docu-series. Quinn Hughes was a feature in episode four, during his Norris trophy-winning campaign. However, no Canucks will partake in this season, although the entire community wishes there were cameras around the Canucks with all their drama this season.

READ NEXT: Reaching the 1,000 game mark a bright spot for Tyler Myers in dark season for Canucks: 2024-25 Year In Review​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-no...ing-nhl-comeback-marchessault-open-trade-more

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Should the Canucks trade for the ‘open to being traded’ Jonathan Marchessault?

Add Jonathan Marchessault’s name to the list of players the Vancouver Canucks could go out and acquire this offseason.

On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli reported that Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault is open to the idea of being traded this offseason. We covered this in Friday’s edition of NHL Notebook.

So if that’s the case, the short answer is that yes, the Canucks could go out and trade for Marchessault (if they’re not one of the teams on his 15-team no-trade list, of course).

But should they? Let’s dive in.

The Player

Two seasons ago, Jonathan Marchessault scored 42 goals with the Vegas Golden Knights. Throughout his career, he’s been good for about 25-30 goals every season.

Last season, however, Marchessault was a member of the disastrous Nashville Predators, who stumbled right out of the gate and never found their footing en route to a measly 68 points, good for seventh in the Central Division. The end result for Marchessault was a measly 21 goals and 56 total points — the lowest point total he’s posted in a season with at least 75 games played since 2016-17.

And so with year one of his five year contract in the rearview mirror, Marchessault is reportedly open to a change of scenery.

The Cost

The cost of acquiring Marchessault really hinges on if Nashville is willing to retain any salary on his contract. With four years left at $5.5 million annually on his deal, Marchessault turns 35 next season, and with his contract running until he’s 38, it’s safe to assume that there will be a drop off in production at some point. That’s certainly something any acquiring team would take into consideration.

If the Predators don’t want to retain, however, this could represent a real buy-low opportunity for the Canucks with Marchessault wanting out (at least to some degree) and coming off a down year.

Without any retention, it would be shocking if Nashville gets offered even a first round pick for Marchessault. We’d likely be looking in the second or third round pick range, with a B-level prospect likely heading back to Nashville as well.

For the Canucks, who have a lot of work to do this offseason, the low cost — both in cap hit and acquisition — could be one of the most intriguing things for the Canucks.

The Fit

Marchessault is a surefire top six winger, and likely becomes the Canucks’ first or second best winger the minute they acquire him. Obviously they’d like to do more than just go out and get Marchessault this offseason, but as a Brock Boeser replacement? The Canucks could do much worse than a player who scored 42 goals just two seasons ago.

Marchessault isn’t a defensive ace by any means, but he’s also not a defensive liability, either. Remind you of anyone?

For a Canucks team that struggled to produce offence, adding a volume shooter like Marchessault — who was in the 93rd percentile of the league for shots on goal this past season — might be just what they need.

Like Boeser, Marchessault does most of his work from right in front of the net and the low slot, as you can see from his goal chart from this past season:

Conclusion

As a proven scoring right winger, Marchessault represents a cheaper — albeit older — Brock Boeser replacement for the Canucks. Of course, ideally, he’d be the second or third best forward the Canucks acquire this offseason if management seriously hopes to turn this team around.

But they’ve got holes to fill, and Marchessault could be an intriguing buy-low option for the Canucks to fill one of those holes.

Do you think the Canucks should make a play for Jonathan Marchessault? Let us know in the comments section below!

READ NEXT: Canucks offseason centre trade target: Pavel Zacha​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/should-vancouver-canucks-trade-open-traded-jonathan-marchessault

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks Game Day: A chance to take early control of AHL Western Final with another home ice win over Texas

The Abbotsford Canucks will attempt to grab a 2-0 lead in their best of seven American Hockey League Western Conference Final when they host the Texas Stars tonight at Abbotsford Centre.

The Canucks prevailed in the series opener with a 3-2 overtime victory on Thursday night.

What we know​

WOLANIN. CALLS. GAME️ pic.twitter.com/rPdZ8UnhFd

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) May 30, 2025

Christian Wolanin became the 17th different Abbotsford skater to score in these playoffs when he netted the game winner 5:51 into overtime in Game 1. Guillaume Brisebois and Ty Mueller had the other Canucks goals. Mueller had a goal and an assist, and the rookie centre now has four points in his last two games.

Linus Karlsson picked up a pair of helpers in regulation time to push his team-leading playoff total to 12 points. Phil Di Giuseppe registered 10 shots on goal on the night. As a team, Abbotsford finished with 46 shots on goal – the team’s highest total of the postseason.

Arturs Silovs stopped 36 Texas shots for his ninth win of the playoffs. The Canucks netminder has allowed just 12 goals in his last eight starts.

Abbotsford has won all four of its series openers this spring, taking Game 1 against Tucson, Coachella Valley, Colorado and now Texas. The challenge now is to find a way to win Game 2 for the first time in this postseason.

The Canucks were disciplined on Thursday taking just one penalty. However, it came late in the third period with the game tied 2-2. As they have throughout the playoffs, the team’s penalty killers came through. The Canucks PK is now 35 for 36 (97.2%) in the postseason.

Teams that have taken a 2-0 series lead are 10-1 in this year’s playoffs. Saturday’s game is expected to be a sellout of close to 7,000 fans in the Fraser Valley after 5,643 took in the series opener.

Thursday was the eighth time in franchise playoff history that Abbotsford has been to overtime. Remarkably, it was the first time on home ice. The Canucks are now 2-1 in extra time in these playoffs.

The opponent​

The Stars gave the Canucks all they could handle in the series opener. Kole Lind opened the scoring midway through the first period. It was his seventh goal of the playoffs tying him with teammate Justin Hryckowian and Canucks forward Linus Karlsson for the league lead. Antonio Stranges scored the other Texas goal, tying the game late in the second period.

Cameron Hughes had an assist on the Lind goal, extending his point streak to nine games. He has 15 points over that stretch. Richmond native Trey Taylor picked up helpers on both Texas goals in Game 1.

The Canucks managed to keep AHL playoff scoring leader Hryckowian off the scoresheet. That put an end to his five-game goal-scoring streak and his eight-game run with at least a point. Matej Blumel, who led the AHL regular season with 39 goals, had five shots on goal on Thursday night. Blumel also took the Stars’ only penalty of the game.

Remi Poirier was both busy and excellent in the Texas net, stopping 43 of 46 shots. He was named the third star of the game in the building.

As they look to rebound from Thursday’s setback, the Stars will try to draw on the fact that they have not lost consecutive games in the playoffs.

Around the AHL Playoffs​

Charlotte holds a 2-0 lead on Laval in the Eastern Final. The Checkers took the first two games of the series on the road. Game 3 is tomorrow in North Carolina.

Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...n-final-with-another-home-ice-win-texas-stars

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Texas Stars head coach lashes out on officiating after Game 2 loss to Abbotsford Canucks

Following the 1-0 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks, Texas Stars head coach, Neil Graham, met with the media and had some choice words toward the league regarding the officiating in Game 2.

With under three minutes to play in the third period, the Stars thought they had tied the game. Richmond native Trey Taylor takes a soft backhand shot toward the net, with Stars captain Curtis McKenzie picks it up and tries to fire a backhand through Arturs Silovs‘ five-hole.

The puck gets stuck under Silovs’ pad, where McKenzie continues to dig add it, pushing Silovs’ pad and the puck into the net.

Silovs gets up and immediately chases after the ref to state his case that his pad was pushed in on the goal. And after a few minutes of deliberating, the head referee waved off the goal, and the Stars were not too pleased:

“In the American Hockey League, not everything’s reviewable. So that’s where the decision on the ice is extremely important,” Graham said postgame. “You call the goal on the ice, and at that point, you need to have conclusive evidence to overturn that call. They huddled, they made a decision, and essentially told me they should have blown it down, which they didn’t. I have a tough time living with that one. At the end of the day, it’s a live play until you blow it. The puck goes in the net, no whistle. The league needs to look at it. The league needs to do better.”

Here was the overturned goal:

Texas almost tied it up but the call was overturned and it remains a 1-0 Abbotsford lead #AHL #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/FYkxndBER7

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 1, 2025

Here’s a closer look at the Stars captain pushing Silovs’ pad:

The Texas Stars thought they had tied the game late in the third period, delivering a dagger.

After a second look, however, the referees made the call…

NO GOAL! pic.twitter.com/hQBaqyu8Qo

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) June 1, 2025

But wait, there’s more.

Shortly after taking the lead, there was a faceoff outside the Canucks’ zone. Former Canuck draft pick Kole Lind had been getting under the skin of Silovs and the rest of the team. Phil Di Giuseppe and Lind were lined up beside one another for the faceoff, exchanging pleasantries, of course.

Once the puck dropped, Di Giuseppe stood up and faced Lind. Lind stands up, looks at Di Giuseppe, looking as though he’ll engage in the fight.

Di Giuseppe then drops his gloves and grabs Lind. However, Lind glued his gloves to his hands, as if to try and draw the penalty. We’ll give it to Lind, smart play to try and draw the penalty and send his team to the man-advantage.

But the refs did not see it that way. Again, after much deliberation, the refs assessed both players an unsportsmanlike penalty.

Graham had more words regarding that:

“Well, the tough part is, I wasn’t going to be afforded an explanation. When you see a player drop his gloves and go after one of your guys, and then it’s an evened-up call? I think an explanation is only warranted. They believe that our player used words to engage. For me, I don’t see the penalty there. So it’s a tough one, but at the end of the day, this is playoff hockey. We’re down in the series 2-0. We’re going to regroup as a team, and we’ll be ready for the next one.”

Here was the play:

Phillip Di Giuseppe and Kole Lind getting a little fired up in the third period. pic.twitter.com/UmqhzkWZQj

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) June 1, 2025

After the game, the two teams were clearly frustrated with each other. Lind took another run at Silovs as the game concluded, and the rough stuff continued with a few Canucks getting into it with the Stars bench:

OH BABY! #Canucks pic.twitter.com/OtpgRDxSCU

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) June 1, 2025

You can watch Graham’s full media availability here:

Hear from Head Coach Neil Graham following Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/8kt8DQTcrc

— x – Texas Stars (@TexasStars) June 1, 2025

Graham and the Stars are not too pleased with the officiating and want the league to take a look into it and take action. Regardless of the outcome, the series now shifts to Texas for Games 3, 4 and 5, with the Abbotsford Canucks two wins away from a trip to the Calder Cup Finals.

This series is starting to heat up. You can watch the Canucks back in action on Monday, June 2, when they try to push the Stars to the brink of elimination.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/texas-...iciating-after-game-2-loss-abbotsford-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks Game Day: Looking to push Texas to the brink with a third straight win in AHL Western Final

The Abbotsford Canucks can grab a 3-0 stranglehold on their best of seven American Hockey League Western Conference Final when they face the Texas Stars at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

The Canucks protected home ice with a pair of wins to start the series and will now try to push Texas to the brink of elimination with a road win in tonight’s 5 pm PT showdown.

What we know​

Akito Hirose scored the only goal, and Arturs Silovs made 26 saves as Abbotsford held off Texas 1-0 on Saturday night. Hirose became the 18th different Canucks skater to score in these playoffs. His goal at 7:39 of the third period broke the scoreless deadlock and propelled Abbotsford to its second one-goal win of this series.

Silovs posted his fifth shutout of the postseason and has allowed just two goals in his last three games. His playoff numbers are scintillating: a 10-3 record with a 1.61 GAA and a .941 save percentage. The Canucks as a team have allowed 12 goals in their last nine outings and one of those was an empty net goal in a Game 2 loss to Colorado in the previous round.

Abbotsford’s depth has been a huge part of the team’s success story in the playoffs. Already in this series, defencemen have accounted for three of the four goals the Canucks have scored (Hirose, Wolanin & Brisebois). Meanwhile, forward Linus Karlsson had a helper on Saturday and has had a hand in three of the team’s four goals in the series.

While he is still looking for his first playoff goal this spring, Arshdeep Bains has the team lead in assists with nine through 14 games. Bains has four points in his last three outings, including points in both games against Texas.

Aatu Räty returned to the Abbotsford lineup on Saturday for the first time since the second game of the second round. However, he left after just 14 minutes and did not return. His status for the remainder of this series is uncertain.

As the scene shifts to the Lone Star State, Abbotsford is 3-2 on the road in these playoffs, outscoring opponents 16-11. During the regular season, the Canucks were 20-13-2-1 as the visitors.

The opponent​

The Stars have a goalie with a .947 save percentage in this series and yet find themselves trailing 2-0. Remi Poirier has stopped 71 of the 75 shots he’s faced so far. He’s allowed four goals, but has come out on the wrong end of the decision in both games.

Justin Hryckowian, who entered this series riding a five-game goal scoring streak and had a point in the first eight Stars playoff games, has yet to find the scoresheet in the first two games against the Canucks. And Matej Blumel, who led the AHL with 39 goals in the regular season, has not found the back of the net on any of his seven shots in this series.

So far, the Stars’ two goal scorers are Kole Lind and Antonio Stranges. Since Stranges scored in the middle of the second period on Thursday, Texas has gone 93:41 without a goal. And since Lind opened the scoring in the series, the Stars have been outscored 4-1.

Texas was 19-14-3 on home ice during the regular season. Remarkably, this deep into the playoffs, the Stars have played just three home playoff games and are 2-1 so far. They have not played in the 8,000 H-E-B Center since May 18th.

On Sunday, the Dallas Stars returned veteran blueliner Alex Petrovic from the NHL. The 33-year-old appeared in 58 AHL games this season and suited up for 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games this spring. Petrovic is eligible to join the Texas lineup tonight.

Series at a glance​

Game 1: Abbotsford 3, Texas 2 (OT)

Game 2: Abbotsford 1, Texas 0

Linus Karlsson leads all players in the series with three points. Abbotsford is 0/2 on the power play while Texas is 0/5. The Canucks hold a 75-64 edge in shots on goal.

Around the AHL Playoffs​

Charlotte holds a 3-0 lead on Laval in the Eastern Final. The Checkers took the first two games of the series on the road and then posted a 5-1 win on home ice on Sunday afternoon.

Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...ink-with-third-straight-win-ahl-western-final

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

‘They play a simple and direct game’: Canucks’ Malhotra has found something in this Bains-Mueller-Karlsson trio

After Game 3’s loss, the Abbotsford Canucks still hold a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals after sweeping the first two games at home.

With Texas now showing signs of life in this series, the Canucks have a chance to push them to the brink of elimination with a win on Wednesday night in Game 4.

If they’re going to do so, they’re going to need to rely on their top line of Arshdeep Bains, Ty Mueller and Linus Karlsson, as these three are doing all of the heavy lifting in the offensive zone.

Since Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra put this trio together for Game 5 against the Colorado Eagles, they have 17 points together (Karlsson seven, Bains six, Mueller four).

And if we’re just to focus on this series against the Texas Stars, this trio has 11 of the 13 points by Canucks forwards. There has been just one of the six goals where none of this trio contributed on. Including Karlsson and Mueller connecting on this beautiful play to take the lead in Game 1:

Ty Mueller collects the one-handed redirect to give the Abbotsford #Canucks their first lead of the series!

Both Mueller and Linus Karlsson have two points. pic.twitter.com/uyRQWaSHiO

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) May 30, 2025

“I think the biggest thing is the mindset that they have,” Malhotra said regarding this trio following Game 2. “They play a very simple and direct game, and that’s what’s giving them success. When they get pucks in and they play that simple style, then the skill comes out, and they’re able to make plays. But more so, I’m impressed with how heavy and hard they are on pucks. I put them out in key situations knowing that they’re gonna get the job done.”

It’s truly an all-situations type of trust Malhotra has in his top line this series.

After the Stars ice the puck in the third period of Game 2, Malhotra sent the trio back out onto the ice for the offensive zone faceoff. Mueller wins the draw, and after some passing, Karlsson finds Akito Hirose for the game-winning goal.

AKITO HIROSE!

The Canucks take advantage of a dead-tired Stars team, after being forced to ice the puck in the earlier sequence.

Hirose snaps the point shot, which trickles past a sliding Poirier. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/BaZ02Hz6Hn

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) June 1, 2025

And later in the period when the Stars pulled their goalie, Malhotra again turned to Bains, Mueller and Karlsson to go out and ice the game. They did just that, only solidifying the trust their coach has in them. Earning more trust with the coach leads to more ice time for the three to continue to develop their chemistry.

“Yeah, I think we just do a good job of knowing where we are,” Bains said about his line [We’re] hard on forechecks, coming back and reloading. It’s just hard to play against. We keep it simple, and then at times we can get creative. So it’s been a lot of fun, and hopefully, keep it going.”

While Bains has found the scoresheet 11 times this postseason, he has yet to light the lamp through 15 games. However, Bains likely doesn’t care as long as somebody is putting them in the net for the Canucks.

The Abbotsford Canucks are going to need them to continue to roll this series as they are not getting any secondary scoring from the rest of the forward groups. Max Sasson, Sammy Blais, Phil Di Giuseppe and Jonathan Lekkerimäki are all pointless in this series. If they can get some secondary scoring with how this top line is gelling right now, they could be in for a big bounceback for Game 4.

Puck drops for Game 4 tonight at 5 PM PST. Following the game, you can find Irfaan Gaffar and I on Rink Wide!

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/they-p...a-found-something-bains-mueller-karlsson-trio

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Foote pulls back curtain on plans for managing Canucks’ young defencemen

If you’ve been paying attention to the Abbotsford Canucks‘ playoff run, you’ll know by now that the Canucks’ young defencemen have been standing out in a big way. 23-year-old Victor Mancini looks like he’s on another level down in the AHL, and has arguably been Abbotsford’s best defenceman. Not to mention 21-year-old Kirill Kudryavtsev, who is impressing just as much in the playoffs as he did in his first regular season of pro hockey.

While Mancini is the only one of those two expected to challenge for a full-time NHL job next season, the Canucks are going to have more than one promising young defenceman who fits that billing when training camp kicks off this fall.

There’s Tom Willander, the club’s prized right shot defence prospect who signed but elected not to join an Abbotsford playoff run that was already in progress when he finally put pen to paper. And who could forget Elias Pettersson, who kicked down the door to an NHL opportunity this past season and never looked back?

The point is, the Canucks will have some healthy competition for spots at training camp, and realistically could have two or three defencemen with less than 100 games played in their lineup on any given night next season.

And if there’s one thing new Canucks head coach Adam Foote knows, it’s what it takes to be an everyday defenceman in the NHL. Foote, who was one of the greatest shut-down defencemen of his generation, played in over 1300 NHL games and won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

After running the Canucks’ improved defence and penalty kill for the past two and a half seasons, Foote steps in as Canucks head coach following Rick Tocchet’s departure.

Speaking to media from a Toronto Blue Jays game — it was a “Work from Dome” day at the Rogers Centre, after all — Foote spoke about the process of selecting his assistant coaches, which the Canucks officially unveiled earlier on Thursday. You can read more about that by clicking here.

But after one handsome and often thought to be younger than he actually is reporter asked Foote about the club’s re-signing of Derek Forbort, Foote chose to pull back the curtain on his plans for managing the Canucks’ young defencemen, and how the veteran Forbort plays a key role in those plans.

Here is his answer in full:

“Just stability. I mean, it gives the youth time. I mean, we have exciting youth. I mean, I don’t know what Willander will do. Everyone sees the athleticism in those three young D, and sees their sparks. And it’s really a fine… you know, seeing what they do at the AHL level, and going to the NHL when the temperature goes up, it’s two different monsters, for sure.

“You don’t want to throw a young guy in a situation that he may not be ready for. I mean, when we see him make a big splash and make a hell of a play, we all think that maybe he’s ready. And I think if you can put him in it… I wouldn’t say right term is baby steps, but you gotta be very careful, in my opinion, with young D and when they’re ready to take a full time job.

“Forbs just gives us depth. He’s a great penalty killer, he’s tough, he’s a great person, good leader. Brings a lot of energy. We don’t know if Forbs will play 82 games, we’re not sure, but it gives us depth, and we don’t want to rush the young guys. We’ll see how they are and how much they’re ready for as time goes by through training camp.”

What Foote’s answer tells us is that Forbort’s signing was an important one for him as a coach, as rolling out a defence corps that featured at least two young players being everyday players wasn’t going to be a realistic option.

There’s a slim chance that all of Willander, Mancini, and Pettersson are all can’t-miss NHL defencemen right out of camp next season, but the more realistic outcome is that one, two, or all three of them needs a bit more time to develop. In all likelihood, one or two of Pettersson, Mancini, and Willander will rotate in and out on the third pairing.

And if and when that happens, Forbort will be ready to provide a calming influence to whatever young player he skates with. And as Foote said in his answer, if Forbort goes down with an injury, well, the Canucks have three young defencemen knocking on the door and hungry for an opportunity to show their stuff.

READ NEXT: Adam Foote talks Canucks’ new assistant coach hirings, other candidates, and more​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/adam-foote-pulls-back-curtain-plans-vancouver-canucks-young-defencemen

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Report: Canucks ‘very interested’ in trading for Wild’s Marco Rossi

A pending restricted free agent is garnering a lot of attention from the Vancouver Canucks.

During an interview with Thomas Drance and Jamie Dodd on Sportsnet 650 on Thursday, Michael Russo of The Athletic stated that he believes the Canucks are taking a solid look at Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi.

“I definitely hear from really good sources that Vancouver really likes Marco and is very interested in Marco,” Russo said. “Does that mean a trade? Does that mean an offer sheet? One or the other? Who knows.”

Rossi is at the end of his entry-level contract, which had a cap hit of $863,333, with the AAV coming up to $1,713,333, thanks to $850,000 in performance bonuses.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin has reportedly made a couple of sizeable offers to Rossi’s camp to extend the young Austrian, including a bridge deal. However, according to his agent, Ian Pulver, a bridge contract was no longer appealing to his player after Rossi was buried in the lineup during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights.

With that, and the Wild seemingly uninterested in signing Rossi to a long-term contract, Russo believes Rossi’s tenure in the Twin Cities is nearing its end.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Russo mentioned on Thursday. “But I definitely get the impression that we’re going to see him getting a new change of address here by the end of the month.”

While there’s concern about his lack of size and how it translates to the style of play in the postseason, Rossi still has time to grow into a talented scorer that many saw coming up through the junior ranks with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s.

The 23-year-old has spent the last two seasons entirely with the Wild. After posting 40 points during the 2023-24 campaign, Rossi set career highs in goals (24), assists (36) and points (60), finishing second on the team in scoring behind Matt Boldy. He went on to score two goals and an assist in the six games against Vegas.

When it comes to the Canucks, they should have the space, both financially and roster-wise, to fit Rossi into the fold. According to CapWages, Vancouver has a little under $14 million in cap space. He could fit into a second or third-line centre role, providing a secondary scoring touch the Canucks need.

READ NEXT: Canucks offseason centre trade target: Marco Rossi​

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/report...nterested-trading-minnesota-wilds-marco-rossi