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[Vancouver Canucks]

Ex-Canuck Daniel Sprong signs one-year deal in the KHL with CSKA Moscow

A former member of the Vancouver Canucks is heading overseas.

On Wednesday, HC CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League announced that the team has signed forward Daniel Sprong to a one-year contract.

This will be Sprong’s first endeavor into the European ranks of professional hockey. He has spent his entire career in North America, coming up through the ranks with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League before spending the past eight seasons in the NHL and American Hockey League.

Sprong’s tenure with the Canucks was brief and tumultuous. The Netherlands native signed a one-year, $975,000 contract with the team last July, hoping to bring some offensive punch to a team that had just won the Pacific Division the previous year. However, his defensive woes on a team run by then-head coach Rick Tocchet were not going to fly. In early November, Sprong was traded to the Seattle Kraken for future considerations after just nine games with Vancouver. He scored a goal and two assists for three points, with a plus/minus of -2 while averaging 11:39 of ice time with the Canucks.

Sprong continued to bounce around for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. After splitting time between the Kraken and their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the 28-year-old was traded to the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 seventh-round pick right before the trade deadline.

In total, Sprong appeared in 30 NHL games, scoring two goals and five assists for 7 points, with a -1 rating. He played in one playoff game for the Devils during their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Across his eight years in the NHL, which saw him have stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings, Sprong has appeared in 374 regular-season games, scoring 87 goals and 79 assists for 166 points. In 14 Stanley Cup Playoff affairs, he notched a goal and three points.

Sprong joins a CSKA squad that is three seasons removed from winning back-to-back Gagarin Cups. However, Moscow has been bounced in the conference quarterfinals in each of the past two years.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/ex-vancouver-canuck-daniel-sprong-signs-one-year-deal-khl-cska-moscow

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #6 Arshdeep Bains

We are back with the 2025 summer edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

Today, we present to you our sixth-ranked player in the system, an undrafted local product who’s played a significant part in the Abbotsford Canucks’ success.

Our previously ranked prospects:

• #20 – Ilya Safonov
• #19 – Aku Koskenvuo
• #18 – Parker Alcos
• #17 – Wilson Björck
• #16 – Anri Ravinskis
• #15 – Josh Bloom
• #14 – Kieren Dervin
• #13 – Danila Klimovich
• #12 – Riley Patterson
• #11 – Anthony Romani
• # 10 – Vilmer Alriksson
• # 9 – Ty Young
• # 8 – Ty Mueller
• # 7 – Sawyer Mynio

If you’re curious about our ranking criteria, you can find them in our HM installment.

Arshdeep Bains

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Age: 24 | Position: Left Wing | Height: 6’0″ | Weight: 183 lbs | Shoots: Left | Drafted: Undrafted | Mid-season rank: 7

With 21 games of NHL experience and nearly 25 years old, this will be Arshdeep Bains’ final appearance in our prospect rankings.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, the Surrey native has become a heart-and-soul leader in Abbotsford.

Thanks to an incredible run where he played a pivotal role in his Abbotsford Canucks taking home the franchise’s first AHL Calder Cup, he goes out with a bang to jump a spot to take our sixth spot.

His postseason performance was as impressive as they come, finishing second in the league with 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) while leading all players with 17 assists.

While it took until the sixth game of the Conference Finals for his first goal, Bains stepped up big when his team needed it the most to erupt for seven goals and 13 points in his final eight games.

Even before the goals came pouring in, he was doing all the little things right, providing consistent effort and stepping up in other areas. His combination of offensive production, smart habits, and relentless energy made him a driving force in Abbotsford’s championship run.

Looking back to the regular season, he led the Abbotsford Canucks with 43 points (11 goals, 32 assists) in 50 games while leading the forward group with a plus-8 on the year. That’s two years of being in the top two in team scoring.

He’s now second in franchise history with 136 points (40 goals, 96 assists) in 175 games.

Bains’ game is defined by an ability to step when needed. At least, that’s the case while competing at the AHL level. He’s a tenacious worker, drives play, and creates opportunities with a knack for making the correct passes.

Arshdeep Bains finds Linus Karlsson!!

Enjoy this entire shift, as the Canucks dominate to find the go-ahead goal late in the second period. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/5xbhvyUhjc

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) June 24, 2025

His skating, although not elite, is strong enough to compete at the AHL level, enabling him to win out battles, beat out defenders and contribute in all situations. Bains’ leadership shines through in his ability to elevate linemates and provide a necessary spark when his team needs it. Whether that’s the penalty kill, power play or critical moments, he’s a go-to option in every sense for the affiliated Canucks.

The big question now is whether he can do that at the NHL level, or is he a classic “tweener” who falls somewhere in the middle.

It’s no secret that in the 21 games he’s played with the big club, that same strong game displayed in the minors has yet to present itself fully. Adjusting to the NHL’s speed and physicality has been noticeable. Still, with another summer of training under his belt, the goal is to make the Vancouver Canucks out of training camp.

And now heading into his fourth season with the club, Bains will be given a chance to make Vancouver’s roster out of training camp. Especially given his waiver-eligible status.

With the club offering a two-year extension to stay in the organization, it’s clear that this regime believes he can get to that level in the NHL.

“Arshdeep had another solid season in Abbotsford as he continues to develop and mature,” General Manager Patrik Allvin mentioned in the initial team press release. “His game found another gear late in the AHL playoffs when he stepped up and helped lead the way offensively with several big goals. Arsh is now familiar with our system and style of play, and we expect him to push hard for a spot in September.”

Ceiling: Although his NHL tenure hasn’t been glowing, we still believe there is a player worthy of top-nine deployment. If he could adjust to the physicality and speed of the game, his combination of skill and work ethic has the potential to become a two-way contributor with the Canucks.

Floor: At the very least, he has proven he can be a productive AHL forward—his ability to drive play and contribute offensively at the AHL level.

ETA: With a solid Calder Cup run on his resume and a new contract in hand, the time for Bains to crack the roster full-time is now. His waiver status will make things tricky throughout the season, but he’ll be a candidate all year long.

That’s our #6 spot.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/cas-top-20-canucks-summer-prospect-rankings-6-arshdeep-bains

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

8 centres with upside the Canucks could look to pluck from preseason waivers

It’s getting to be late in July, and the Vancouver Canucks are still, by all reports, looking to add to their forward corps.

Specifically, GM Patrik Allvin and Co. are on the lookout for at least one additional centre. Unfortunately, the stocks of potentially available centres started low and have since dwindled.

There are a handful available through free agency still, but they’re either not exactly difference-makers or not exactly centres (see: Jack Roslovic). There are some intriguing RFA centres still without contracts, like Marco Rossi and Mason McTavish, but the cost of acquisitions seems out of line with what the Canucks are ready and willing to pay.

If there’s one thing the Canucks do have on hand, it’s a little bit of cap space. We wrote last week about the potential benefits of their standing pat with that cap space, despite the general unlikelihood of that actually happening with the ongoing search for a centre.

But if the Canucks could accomplish both things? What if they could bring in a centre with high upside but low salary, deepening their depth and keeping costs down at the same time?

That’s no longer possible through free agency. We’re not sure it’d be possible through trade. But it might just be possible through the waiver wire.

Every year, good players go through waivers because their own teams don’t have space for them yet. Sometimes, these players get picked up – Gustav Forsling to Florida comes to mind – and sometimes they don’t, like the time the Canucks got away with waiving Jacob Markstrom.

As we look out at various NHL rosters heading into 2025/26, we can spot a handful of young centres that have run out of waiver-exemption time but are still not guaranteed to make the cut in Training Camp 2025.

Are any of these players of potential interest to the Canucks? Or are they best to stick with their in-house options, like Aatu Räty, Max Sasson, and Ty Mueller?

Hendrix Lapierre, Washington Capitals​

C, 23, 6’0”, 180lb, $850K (until 2026)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	27	0	8	8
AHL	32	7	25	32

Well, the Canucks have certainly had okay luck with Lapierres before.

Though he’s of no relation to Maxim and does not play anywhere near the same style, Hendrix Lapierre is a player with an apparent NHL future. Drafted at 22nd overall in 2020, he’s struggled to consistently break into a deep Washington forward corps that has been more concerned with helping Alex Ovechkin chase the goal record than developing their internal prospects.

Still, Lapierre has come to be a dominant playmaker at the AHL level, and his run of production in limited NHL minutes isn’t half-bad, either.

If the predicted happens and Lapierre is a late cut in Washington, he’ll be one of the best options to hit the waiver wire this year.

Nikita Alexandrov, St. Louis Blues​

C, 24, 6’1”, 185lb, RFA

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	0	0	0	0
AHL	48	21	28	49

Alexandrov is a former second-round pick of the Blues from 2019 who has had okay success at each step along the way, but who has recently gotten lost in the shuffle of newer, shinier St. Louis prospects. He went from 28 NHL games in 2022/23 to 23 in 2023/24 to zero last year, and with him currently unsigned, there are reasonable worries that he may take his talents back to Russia.

The Russian forward establishes his reputation with his feet and is said to possess a lot of speed in his game, as well as a willingness to utilize it at both ends. He’s really figured out the goal-scoring and playmaking at the AHL level, and there is potential for him to display that at the next level, too – so long as he gets under contract (uncertain) and then hits waivers (pretty likely).

Oskar Back, Dallas Stars​

C, 25, 6’4”, 202lb, $850K (until 2027)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	73	4	12	16
AHL	0	0	0	0

You always want to try to steal players from the deepest organizations, and there aren’t many deeper forward corps out there than the one in Dallas.

Back played his first NHL games for the Stars last year and managed to stay up for the entire season and into the playoffs. But Back didn’t put up the kind of numbers that give him much staying power, and with other, younger prospects always looking to break through, it’s distinctly possible that Back loses his Dallas gig after just one year.

He has never been a prolific point producer, but gets by on his size and willingness to use it to protect the puck. He’s been getting better and better at distributing it from there, and is said to be quite good at utilizing his teammates. He could be someone who could score more in a better situation, and at worst, seems like someone capable of holding down a bottom-line career for a long time.

Jack Finley, Tampa Bay Lightning ​

C, 22, 6’6”, 220lb, $775K (until 2028)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	1	0	0	0
AHL	40	14	14	28

It probably doesn’t take much to figure out why Finley is intriguing. He’s 6’6”, he plays centre, and he’s right-handed. The former second-round pick was drafted for those immutable characteristics, but he’s also developed well enough in the Tampa Bay organization since then. There’s just never a lot of room to break through in Tampa, so Finley has been limited to just one game so far.

Still, he’s very young for a waiver-eligible player, and that should mean lots of upside left in him. He’s developing a real defensive presence down the middle, and his numbers at the AHL level keep climbing. Finley has all the markings of a classic sizeable late-bloomer, and could be someone worth taking a chance on.

Marat Khusnutdinov, Boston Bruins​

C, 23, 5’11”, 176lb, $925K (until 2027)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	75	5	7	12
AHL	0	0	0	0

A high-talent player with a relentless motor, Khusnutdinov came over from Russia three seasons ago and has yet to play a game in the AHL.

Unfortunately, that’s led to him failing to really get his feet under him at the NHL level. A trade sent him from Minnesota to Boston last season, and he finished pretty well for the Bruins with five points in 18 games.

Still, Khusnutdinov is out of waiver exemption and may not be guaranteed the same spot in 2026/27. This is still a player who was drafted in the early second round and put up 20 points in the KHL at the age of 20. There’s upside here, and Khusnutdinov’s two-way commitment makes it all the more likely he’ll hit it.

Xavier Bourgault, Ottawa Senators​

C, 22, 5’11”, 179lb, $775K (until 2026)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	0	0	0	0
AHL	61	12	14	26

Upon reflection, we’re not sure Bourgault belongs on this list. There’s plenty to like about a former 22OA pick from as recently as 2021 being available for free, and Bourgault is definitely young for someone no longer waiver-exempt. But that’s also because he’s spent three full seasons of relatively unsuccessful AHL hockey.

Bourgault was traded in a prospect swap from Edmonton to Ottawa last year and only managed 26 points in 61 AHL games for Belleville. That’s just not that exciting for an offensive talent. Unless the pro scouts see something more there, he’s probably destined to top out in the minor leagues.

Thomas Bordeleau, New Jersey Devils​

C, 23, 5’10”, 180lb, RFA

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	1	0	0	0
AHL	59	14	24	38

A player with a similar profile to Bourgault is Bordeleau. He was drafted early in the second round in 2020 and was said to have great offensive vision, but hasn’t been able to translate that into much pro scoring.

So why is he on the list? For whatever reason, Bordeleau’s results at the NHL level haven’t been half-bad. He scored 11 points in 27 games for the league-worst Sharks in 2023/24, and while he hasn’t got a lot of NHL action since, that’s at least something.

Truthfully, we’ve arrived at the dregs of the list, and like Bourgault, unless the scouts see something here, Bordeleau is probably best skipped.

Ryan Suzuki, Carolina Hurricanes ​

C, 24, 6’1”, 196lb, $775K (until 2026)

2024/25	Games	Goals	Assists	Points
NHL	2	0	0	0
AHL	69	12	47	59

We may be in the dregs, but we’ve saved an intriguing name for last.

And we do mean ‘name.’ Ryan Suzuki is the younger brother of Nick Suzuki, captain and 1C of the Montreal Canadiens. Both were drafted in the first round, with Nick going 13OA in 2017 and Ryan following at 28OA in 2019.

Nick had a slow start to his NHL career before becoming the player he is today. Ryan, on the other hand, has had a slow start to his pro career in general. But, of the two, Ryan is a couple of inches larger. And he did really seem to figure it out with the Chicago Wolves last year, raising his numbers to a career high of 59 points in 69 games, including a stand-out 47 assists.

Will he ever become his brother? No, but the door’s not quite closed on Ryan becoming a full-time NHLer. He already cleared waivers last year, but perhaps he won’t this time around after a breakout campaign at the minor level.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/8-cent...nucks-could-look-pluck-from-preseason-waivers

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks: 6 years later, how does Nils Hoglander stack up to the rest of the 2019 draft class?

Welcome back to the next instalment of our NHL Draft lookbacks here at CanucksArmy. So far this offseason, we’ve looked at Brock Boeser (10 years later), Quinn Hughes (8 years later), and are more than open to suggestions of who else we should tackle!

Next up is Nils Höglander, who the Canucks selected with the 40th overall pick at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver.

Some Key First Round Misses​

This was fittingly known as the Jack Hughes draft. The New Jersey Devils selected the middle Hughes brother at first overall, and the New York Rangers grabbed Kaapo Kakko at second overall.

In comparison to the other draft classes we’ve looked at, 2019 was a fairly disappointing one. There were some key misses, such as LA taking Alex Turcotte fifth overall, Victor Soderstrom going to Arizona at 11th, and yes, the Canucks selecting Vasily Podkolzin at 10th overall. In a redraft, Matt Boldy, selected 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild, likely goes second overall.

Value in the Second Round​

Thankfully for the Canucks — as well as many other teams, actually — they were able to find some value in the second round of this draft class. While the Canucks took Nils Höglander at 40th overall, nine other teams were more than happy with their second round selections.

There were eight players selected in the first round who have yet to play over 100 NHL games. Meanwhile, in the second round, there were 20 (not including goalies) who haven’t yet played 100 NHL games. To put that into perspective, just seven players from the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft have yet to play 100 NHL games. In the second round, however, just five players have reached that mark.

For whatever reason, there was more value found in the second round of the 2019 Draft than we’re typically used to seeing. Some names taken in the second round: Shane Pinto, Arthur Kaliyev, Bobby Brink, Pyotr Kochetkov, Jackson LaCombe, Alex Vlasic, Nicholas Robertson, and Brett Leason.

How Höglander stacks up​

Despite spending most of the 2022-23 season with the Abbotsford Canucks, Höglander has played the seventh-most NHL games of anyone taken in the 2019 draft. His 293 games is more than anyone taken outside of the first round has played, with Matias Maccelli (93rd overall to Arizona) bringing up the rear in that category with 224 games under his belt.

Höglander also ranks seventh in NHL goals among this draft class with 58. His 115 points is the 11th-highest total of the class.

These stats are perhaps even more impressive given the context of Höglander’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign, where after scoring 24 even-strength goals in 2023-24, Höglander tallied just eight goals and 17 assists this past season.

The list of players taken ahead of Höglander who have played fewer games than him is too long to write out, so we’ll shorten it to the amount of players drafted higher than him who have logged under 200 NHL games (not including goalies): Alex Turcotte, Philip Broberg, Victor Soderstrom, Thomas Harley, Lassi Thomson, Ville Heinola, Sam Poulin, Tobias Bjornfot, Jakob Pelletier, Nolan Foote, Ryan Suzuki, Brayden Tracey, John Beecher, Ryan Johnson, Bobby Brink, Antti Tuomisto, Raphael Lavoie, and Jackson LaCombe.

Conclusion​

While it may have been a down year for Höglander, the Canucks still did extremely well when they drafted him at 40th overall. Finding value outside of the first round is important for teams, and if Höglander can bounce back and be a 20-goal scorer once again, he’ll continue to separate himself from what turned out to be a fairly weak draft class.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...nils-hoglander-stack-up-rest-2019-draft-class

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #46 – Jannik Hansen

Join us this summer as we count down the top 50 Vancouver Canucks players of all time! #46: Jannik Hansen.

The winger was born in Rødovre, a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark. Growing up, he played for his local team, the Rødovre Mighty Bulls, making his professional debut at the age of 16.

Following his second season with his hometown team, the Canucks selected Hansen in the ninth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. Being a ninth-round pick, it was a long shot for Hansen to ever play in the NHL. Despite the odds, he made his debut three years later during the 2006-07 season.

Making his professional debut in the 2007 NHL playoffs, Hansen recorded his first career point, becoming the first Dane to record a playoff point in the NHL. This came in Game 3 of the first round against the Dallas Stars, assisting a goal scored by Jan Bulis.

For the majority of Hansen’s career as a Canuck, he became a fan favourite for being the underdog, who beat the odds and made it. His work ethic showed on the ice, being a player who brought so much energy into the team’s middle six, which earned him roles in the top six, skating alongside the Sedin’s or with Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond. He was always a workhorse who filled any role needed in the lineup.

The 2010-11 season demonstrated his significance to the team, as he captured the team’s unsung hero award ahead of the Stanley Cup Final run. During those playoffs, Hansen scored three and registered six assists for nine points through the 25 games.

The following season, Hansen recorded a career-high point total of 39, scoring 16 goals and 23 assists through 82 games. This was one of two seasons during his career in which he played a full 82-game season.

On March 1st, 2017, Hansen’s time as a Canuck came to an end as he was traded to the San Jose Sharks for Nikolai Goldobin and a fourth-round pick. He went on to finish out that year and one more as a Shark before leaving the NHL and playing his last year of professional hockey in Russia.

Though Hansen suffered injury problems during a large part of his tenure as a Canuck, he still was a fan favourite, known for his tenacity, speed, and forechecking ability, as well as his prowess on the penalty kill. The Danish winger could truly play on any of the team’s four lines. The work ethic he displayed night in and night out allowed him to beat the odds of going from a ninth-round NHL Draft pick to the 46th player of all time in Canucks history.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all-time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/top-50-vancouver-canucks-players-all-time-46-jannik-hansen

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

How the Canucks will use one last year of the ‘Abbotsford Shuffle’ to accrue cap space

As of right now, the Vancouver Canucks have a decent amount of cap space available. And if they play their cards right – and in the same general way they’ve played them in recent years – they’ll eventually have even more cap space, too.

Currently, the Canucks have a little more than $3 million available against their projected cap spending for the 2025-26 season. It might not sound like a lot, but it does leave the Canucks with the 20th-most cap space in the league. That might not sound like much, either, but it’s more than the Canucks have traditionally had available in the offseason.

We know that some of this space will eventually be allocated to new additions to the team, whether that be a late-summer free agent signing or a trade at some point in the next couple of months. But we also know that, regardless of what moves they make, the Canucks should still find themselves under the new, $95.5 million cap ceiling for the 2025-26 season. Because they have to. With no current injuries to worry about – knock on wood – the Canucks won’t have the opportunity for any LTIR shenaniganry this time around. Whether it’s this same $3 million or so, or whether it’s only a few thousand dollars, the Canucks will be at least a little under the cap to start the year.

So where do they go from there?

You may have heard that the newest collective bargaining agreement reached between the NHL and NHLPA has ended the process of ‘papering’ players down to the minors. This refers to re-assigning players to minor league teams, like the Abbotsford Canucks, on off-days to temporarily remove that player’s daily cap hit from the NHL books – without any intention of having that player play for the minor league team.

It’s true that this process is ending with the new CBA…but not yet. The new CBA doesn’t take effect until the 2026-27 season.

Which is good news in Vancouver, because it’s something the Canucks utilized a lot in 2024-25, especially in the early going. They were blessed by a number of players on the fringes of their roster being waiver-exempt, meaning they could be freely brought back and forth between Abbotsford and Vancouver without any risk of another team claiming them. And back and forth they went!

Folks like Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson got really used to being papered back and forth last year. And the Canucks benefitted from the process – to an extent.
In short, it works like this:

-Teams have a yearly cap ceiling, a maximum amount they can spend on their roster for the entire year. This is the cap ceiling you hear about most frequently – the one set at $95.5 million for this upcoming season.

-Teams also have a daily spending limit. In essence, this means they’re never allowed to compose a roster that, if left unchanged, would eventually cross the yearly spending threshold. This is where talk of players’ ‘cap hits’ comes from.

-When a team doesn’t spend its maximum daily amount, it essentially leaves spending room available from that year-long total. And the longer they let that amount of ‘accrued cap space’ grow, the more they can do with it.

-Player cap hits are tallied daily, too. The basic formula is to take the yearly cap hit, or AAV, and divide it by the number of ‘days’ in the NHL schedule. Last year, it was 192. Where the cap limit comes in is in ensuring that the players on the roster’s daily cap hits don’t add up to something higher than the yearly cap when applied to all remaining days.

-Therefore, the fewer days remaining on the schedule, the less of that yearly cap needs to be kept available for new additions. This is why cap space accrues, because the longer it stays open, the more AAV it can accommodate.

-To give a concrete example, here, a team that has kept $1 million in cap space open (meaning they’re projected to spend $1 million less than the $95.5 million total) for the first three-quarters of the season can use that cap space to add a player with a $4 million cap hit for the last quarter of the season, because there’s only $1 million worth of daily cap hits left on that player’s compensation for the year.

It’s all a little counter-intuitive. If you’d like a more in-depth explanation, refer to our piece from last October, found here.

The Canucks used this method to accrue several millions in cap space for the 2024-25 season. That would have allowed them to bring in essentially whatever new cap hits they wished at the 2025 Trade Deadline. In the end, the Canucks did not acquire anyone, and that cap space remained unspent. At the end of the day, the Canucks used their cap-saving techniques to effectively save money last year, ultimately spending less than the maximum $88 million in player salary they were allowed.

For fans paying some of the highest ticket prices in the league, this fact could be met with some chagrin. Of course, had the team been in a more competitive space at the deadline, that money probably would have been spent. Saving money to spend later remains the plan.

Anyway, accrual isn’t going anywhere. What is changing is that aforementioned ability to ‘paper’ players down the minors on off-days. Those off-days count as days in the schedule, too, so the ability to send a player down for even a day took their daily cap hit off the books, and left more room for accrual. In the future, teams will have to actually assign those players to their minor league teams for at least one game, which greatly complicates the process, especially with the AHL’s weekend-heavy schedule.

But, again, that change doesn’t take effect until 2026-27. For the 2025-26 season, the Canucks will – for the last time – still be able to utilize the ‘Abbotsford Shuffle’ to accrue cap space on off-days and, ideally, build up their ability to acquire players closer to the 2026 Deadline.

It just won’t be as easy.

As we said earlier, the Canucks were blessed with an inordinate number of waiver-exempt players on the fringes of their roster last year. Bains, Karlsson, Aatu Räty, Arturs Silovs, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Max Sasson, and etcetera. All were free to go back and forth to Abbotsford as much as the team wanted them to.

But of that list, only Lekkerimäki and Sasson’s waiver exemption remains into the 2025-26 season. And when we look at the projected roster of the 2025-26 Canucks, we see a very different picture when it comes to waivers.

DeBrusk ($5.5M) – Pettersson ($11.6M) – Boeser ($7.25M)

Höglander ($3M) – Chytil ($4.44M) – Kane ($5.13M)

O’Connor ($2.5M) – Blueger ($1.8M – Garland ($4.95M)

Karlsson ($775K) – Räty ($775K) – Sherwood ($1.5M)

Bains ($775K)

Hughes ($7.85M) – Hronek ($7.25M)

M. Pettersson ($5.5M) – Myers ($3M)

E. Pettersson ($838K)* – Willander ($950K)*

Forbort ($2M) – Mancini ($870K)*

Demko ($5M)

Lankinen ($4.5M)

Only the players listed with asterisks up there are waiver-exempt for the 2025-26 season. And, yes, that is a list that only includes the younger Elias Pettersson, Tom Willander, and Victor Mancini – at least one of whom is almost certainly going to start the year in Abbotsford, anyway.

It’s a much less flexible roster than was the previous year’s. But it’s still set up for the Abbotsford Shuffle if the Canucks choose to utilize that tactic again this season – and we suspect they will.

How it will work is this: on off-days, the Canucks will likely paper two or three of Pettersson, Willander, and/or Mancini down to Abbotsford. This removes their daily cap hits (their AAV/number of days in schedule) from the books for however long they’re re-assigned, and that amount contributes to the effective accrual of cap for the year.

Again, for just this one last season, these players won’t have to actually suit up in Abbotsford.

The Canucks must maintain a minimum roster of 20 players at all times. But that still allows for them to send up to three players down on their off-days.

If the team were ever to be carrying all three of Pettersson, Willander, and Mancini at one time, they could send them all down and maximize the accrual. It seems likely that it will be more often the case that it’s just two of the three, but that still adds up. Oftentimes, the Canucks were papering down just Bains and/or Karlsson last year, and accrual still occurred to a meaningful degree.

There’s been speculation that the Canucks will either roll with a 22-player roster to accrue cap space on a more permanent basis (accomplished by cutting one of Willander or Mancini from the above roster). That’s definitely possible, but might leave the Canucks a little shorthanded on the injury-coverage front.

It’s also possible that the Canucks bring in a more veteran 8D to hold down that extra spot on the blueline, either via a signing or the promotion of someone internal like Jett Woo. In that case, it’s also possible the team gets a little accrual done on off-days by waiving that extra player down to Abbotsford. It’s something they did a bit with Mark Friedman last year.

In any case, despite the vast reduction in waiver-exempt players between last season and this one, the Canucks are still set up to accrue via the Abbotsford Shuffle to essentially the same degree they were in 2024-25 – one or two players at a time, bit by bit.

One only hopes they’ll find a way to spend that accrued cap in 2025-26, as opposed to just sitting on it.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-use-last-year-abbotsford-shuffle-accrue-cap-space

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #2 Jonathan Lekkerimäki

We are back with the 2025 summer edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

We’ve officially hit our final two ranked prospects. Today, we bring you an elite scoring winger who’s fresh off his first official season as a North American skater. While it came with its share of bumps along the way, he showcased why he’s one of the system’s most exciting young prospects.

Our previously ranked prospects:

• #20 – Ilya Safonov
• #19 – Aku Koskenvuo
• #18 – Parker Alcos
• #17 – Wilson Björck
• #16 – Anri Ravinskis
• #15 – Josh Bloom
• #14 – Kieren Dervin
• #13 – Danila Klimovich
• #12 – Riley Patterson
• #11 – Anthony Romani
• # 10 – Vilmer Alriksson
• # 9 – Ty Young
• # 8 – Ty Mueller
• # 7 – Sawyer Mynio
• # 6 – Arshdeep Bains
• # 5 – Kirill Kudryavtsev
• # 4 – Aleksei Medvedev
• # 3 – Braeden Cootes

If you’re curious about our ranking criteria, you can find them in our HM installment.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki​

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Age: 21 | Position: Right Wing | Height: 5’11″ | Weight: 172 lbs | Shoots: Right | Drafted: Firth round, 15 overall, 2022 | Mid-season rank: 1

For the first time in many CanucksArmy ranking installments, Jonathan Lekkerimäki has given up his crown as our top-ranked prospect.

But don’t let that fool you — the young Swedish sharpshooter remains a tantalizing talent with high scoring potential.

This past season, Canucks fans finally got a glimpse of Lekkerimäki on North American ice after patiently waiting for him to develop overseas. While his rookie campaign showed flashes of brilliance, it also highlighted areas for growth.

Despite missing time throughout the campaign due to injuries and promotions to Vancouver, Lekkerimäki thrived in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks.

In just 36 games, he scored 19 goals — seventh highest among AHL rookies — averaging over half a goal per game (53%) while ranking third on his team in goals. Among that list of rookies ahead of him, he finished second with that 53% goals-per-game clip. Meanwhile, his 121 shots on goal translated to a 15.7% shooting percentage.

But it wasn’t just the totals that we liked, but the variety in which he was finding them. Known for his lethal perimeter shot, Lekkerimäki proved he’s more than a one-trick pony.

He scored from distance with his trademark release, battled at the net-front for deflections and tap-ins, and showed a willingness to mix it up in the gritty areas despite his slight frame.

But who are we kidding? It’s his incredible release that sets him apart from the pack. He can whip it on a dime, releasing it as quickly as it lands on his stick.

He showed off that release at the top level, scoring three goals in 24 games with Vancouver. While his time in the big leagues wasn’t always glamorous, he flashed potential, particularly on the power play. The poise displayed with the puck on his stick, combined with the vision and patience from the half-wall, added dynamism to an otherwise stagnant unit.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki

490th player to score a goal in a #Canucks uniform pic.twitter.com/xaJqbkwxRV

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 15, 2024

His ability to move the puck and create plays from his spot was a bright spot at both the NHL and AHL levels.

Then came the playoffs, which is where his season took a slight hit. Navigating through the longest hockey season of his young career, while transitioning to the North American game at both the AHL and NHL levels, Lekkerimäki struggled to find form through his team’s impressive Calder Cup run. Much like his NHL stint, he showed glimpses of the high-level producer we had seen earlier in the year, but his game appeared to lack its typical gusto.

His consistency waned, his shot volume dipped to uncharacteristic lows, and his confidence dropped to a season low. As a result, he was forced to catch games from the pressbox, working with the coaching staff to iron out the kinks.

Though he bounced back with a standout two-goal performance in a pivotal AHL Finals game, he never quite hit his regular-season form fully. Chalk it up to fatigue from a long season, a potential injury, or simply low confidence; he failed to become the constant top-six threat we know he can be.

Late-season struggles or not, the promise remains undeniable, and Lekkerimäki’s inaugural North American season provided a clear roadmap for improvement. Strength is a key area to address, as his slight build needs to be bolstered to handle the physical demands of the NHL. Consistency will also be critical as he refines his game. But with elite offensive flashes and a release that few possess, his upside remains high.

“The kid has ice in his veins.” Manny Malhotra told the media after his two-goal Calder Cup Final performance. “He doesn’t shy away from big moments, and tonight he had two quality looks and made them count. That’s the type of player he is when given the opportunity and put in the right spot.”

For those who’ve lost faith after just one season, remember that he just turned 21 on July 24, 2025.

Ceiling: Lekkerimäki has the potential to be a top-six NHL forward, capable of scoring 30-plus goals. His elite shot, growing versatility, and deadly scoring instincts make him a dynamic offensive threat. He could become a cornerstone power-play contributor and a reliable scoring option in all situations.

Floor: We firmly believe that his skillset should translate to an NHL career. Yet, if he fails to translate to the physical demands of North American hockey, he could eventually cross the pond to live out a potent SHL career. But that’s far from a conversation worth having at this point in time.

ETA: Full-time NHL deployment is on the horizon. While he may start the 2025-26 season in Abbotsford, Lekkerimäki is a prime candidate for call-ups. If he doesn’t secure a permanent roster spot this fall, expect him to don a Canucks jersey at some point during the season.

That’s our #2 spot. Stay tuned for our top-ranked prospect tomorrow here at CanucksArmy.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/cas-to...mmer-prospect-rankings-2-jonathan-lekkerimaki

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

A complete ranking of the Canucks’ top 20 prospects: Summer 2025 edition

Yesterday, we wrote our final profile as we counted down our top 20 list of Vancouver Canucks prospects.

To put a bow on it, we’ve decided to put the entire list in one place, with an excerpt from each of our profiles on each player. To read a profile in full, just click or tap on the player’s name! Let’s dive in.

20: Ilya Safonov C/LW

“Safonov is a heavy-set, two-way responsible player who carries a 53.3% faceoff percentage through 322 KHL games (regular season and playoffs), who came at the reasonable price of future considerations. Suiting up within Ak Bars’ middle-six, he’s had seasons as high as 58.6%, which happened to be his longest season at 67 games played. He’s known to be a relatively smart player and is a huge contributor to his team’s penalty kill. Despite his towering size, he still manages to move the ice with relative ease and shows dependable hands in tight situations. And judging by the 13 goals he scored in the KHL this past season, the game plan feels as easy as “put him in front of the net, and he’ll do the rest.”

19: Aku Koskenvuo G

“Koskenvuo fits the same profile that most of the goaltenders the Canucks have drafted under the watchful eye of Ian Clark (including Ty Young). He’s big, he’s got long limbs and solid mobility, and comes with plenty of raw tools. Koskenvuo will follow in the footsteps of fellow prospect goaltender Ty Young when he joins the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings next season. Young absolutely ran with that opportunity and is set to be a main piece of the Abbotsford Canucks’ plans next season as a result. Can Koskenvuo do the same with the chances he’ll be given in Kalamazoo?”

18: Parker Alcos RD

“At 6-foot-3, Alcos brings a compelling mix of size and skating to the ice. Judging by his second half of 2024-25, along with his performance at this year’s Development Camp, his game is steadily growing. While still very much a raw talent, Alcos’ steady improvements in the Western Hockey League keep him firmly in the conversation as a prospect to follow closely. Alcos has made notable strides in his third WHL season with the Oil Kings, cementing his role as a reliable top-four defenceman. After starting 2024-25 on the third pairing, he earned the trust of his coaches, eventually landing close to 20 minutes per game with several games eclipsing that mark. His expanded role included significant time on the penalty kill and was even tasked to run the power play on occasion. Heading into his third official season in the Western League, Alcos is expected to continue that same deployment within the Oil Kings’ top four.”

17: Wilson Björck C

“His motor always seems to be on, and he plays the game with a bit of an edge. Despite being a smaller set forward, he doesn’t shy away from going to the hard areas of the ice and fighting for possession. While his shot lacks elite power, he compensates with a fearless drive to the net, scoring many of his goals from close to mid-range. His high-energy style makes him a constant threat, whether he’s setting up teammates with precise passes or fighting for position in the slot. If there’s any one area that’s going to carry his point production to the next level, however, it’s his playmaking ability. If there was a knock on his game, it’s his slight 165-pound frame, which is a notable weakness. He’ll need to add significant muscle to handle the physicality and size of North American professional hockey.”

16: Anri Ravinskis RW

“Undrafted but signed as a free agent earlier this spring, this right-shot forward has carved a unique path through his young hockey career. He eventually caught the Canucks’ attention with his physicality, relentless work ethic, and untapped potential. Ravinskis’ game is built on his imposing frame and relentless energy. At 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, he commands attention, using his size to dominate along the boards and protect the puck with his long reach. Although not elite, his skating is strong for a player of his size, characterized by powerful strides and surprising agility that enable him to make quick cuts or burst up the ice.”

15: Josh Bloom LW

“What has stood out to us with his game is how he generates his production. He’s a relentless competitor who thrives in the gritty areas, digging for pucks and battling at the net front to create scoring chances. While his power play work on the half-wall highlights a quick, accurate shot that could beat ECHL netminders, it’s always his hustle that stands out as his true calling card. At the ECHL level, Bloom’s speed is a significant asset. It allowed him to exploit defenders in transition, win footraces, and generate breakaways. His ability to combine agility with a never-quit attitude makes him a constant threat, whether he’s crashing the net or chasing down loose pucks. Can he translate that to consistent production at the AHL level in 2025-26? Time will tell. But even when he hasn’t cracked meaningful minutes in Abbotsofrd, his hustle is always one thing you can count on.”

14: Kieren Dervin C

“Although his offensive upside may come slightly lower than some third-round products, the Ontario native’s unique development path and flashes of two-way potential make him an intriguing addition to Vancouver’s prospect pool. Despite some growing pains, Dervin’s strengths offer plenty of optimism. At 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds, he has a solid frame for a young and developing centre, with room to add strength as he matures. His offensive game, while not elite, shows promise through smart positioning and playmaking in the attacking zone. He creates chances with quick passes and has a knack for finding open ice, though his finishing needs refinement. From time to time, he would show flashes of soft hands mixed with power elements to make for some excellent bursts.”

13: Danila Klimovich RW

“With four years of Abbotsford hockey now under his belt, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound right-shot forward enjoys a slight turnaround to revitalize his prospect status with a breakout 2024-25 season. Previously on a downward trajectory due to limited minutes, he thrived with a larger role under new Head Coach Manny Malhotra, posting career highs across the board: 25 goals, 13 assists, and 38 points in 66 games, along with 178 shots and 59 penalty minutes. However, fighting for a spot in and out of the lineup reflects his ongoing challenges in earning consistent trust from coaches—a hurdle he continues to face, regardless of the coach behind the bench. When at his best, however, Klimovich’s pure scoring ability is what sets him apart from the pack. His potent snapshot combines power and precision, making him a constant threat both off the rush and from his office on the half-wall.”

12: Riley Patterson C/RW

“Despite a slight dip in production, Riley Patterson’s responsible 200-foot game, crafty offensive instincts, and gritty net-front presence make him a prospect with a strong foundation and middle-six NHL potential. Despite the modest numbers, he remained a key offensive contributor while playing top-six minutes, anchoring the top penalty-kill unit, and logging significant power-play time. Versatility is Patterson’s hallmark. Comfortable at both centre and right wing, he took on the majority of Barrie’s defensive-zone and special-teams faceoffs, hovering around a 51% win rate in 2024-25.”

11: Anthony Romani RW

“Romani is a lethal threat in the offensive zone, utilizing an incredible release to beat the netminder with ease. He understands how to leverage his space, and manipulate screens and netminder before finding small spots in the corners. He’s an incredible catch-and-release shooter and has a knack for changing things up and finishing in a variety of ways. His tools aren’t one-dimensional, either. Beyond his shot, he’s an intelligent playmaker who sees the ice well, using give-and-goes and quick reads to navigate the offensive zone. With his opposition forced to respect his shot, he opens up lanes by selling a shot before threading a quick cross-ice feed across the ice.”

10: Vilmer Alriksson LW

“At 6-foot-6 and 234 pounds, he’s a towering presence, using his long reach and strength to dominate board battles and protect the puck. His soft hands allow him to weave through traffic, creating space for himself and teammates with deft moves that belie his massive frame. While not a dynamic scorer, he’s a dual-threat forward, capable of finishing from distance or in tight, with most goals coming around the net. Although his game could use some more edge, his physical frame stands out each shift. His hits and one-on-one battles make him a force, and his board work is among the best in Vancouver’s prospect pool. Canucks fans, familiar with the value of strong board play, will appreciate his ability to win puck battles and maintain possession.”

9: Ty Young G

“Young spent most of his time this past season in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings. There, he amassed a .926 save percentage through 22 ECHL games, the highest save percentage of any goaltender in the Canucks’ organization. He also spent some time with AHL Abbotsford, where he put up similarly impressive results, posting a .904 save percentage through 11 games as one of the youngest players — no pun intended — to suit up for AHL games. Young fits the mould of goalies teams draft when they have Ian Clark in their ear. He’s big, mobile, and hungry to improve on some very promising raw talent. Young naturally seals off the bottom of the net very well and has improved plenty on his crease navigation and post integration. The big question now is: How will he follow up on a phenomenal rookie campaign?”

8: Ty Mueller C

“His game isn’t flashy; instead, it’s a Swiss Army knife-type, capable of playing heavy minutes in any situation. While his 39 points don’t scream offensive dynamo, his production is steady, with points coming from smart plays and hard work in tight areas. Mueller finished tied for third on the team with 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 64 games, second with a plus–15 rating, and maintained a 52% faceoff win rate. By season’s end, he added a 2024-25 AHL All-Star Game appearance, Abbotsford’s Unsung Hero Award, and a Calder Cup to his resume. Not bad.”

7: Sawyer Mynio LD

“Thought to be drafted as a top-notch penalty killer, it’s clear that the added responsibility and ice-time have brought out budding offensive potential. Thanks to his plus-rated skating, he navigates the ice with incredible ease and can transport the puck to kick-start plays up the ice. One of his best tools in his offensive toolkit is his booming shot, which he can unleash with a heavy one-timer or quick and accurate snap shot. That one-timer has become a staple of Mynio’s game, and a weapon that should translate as he grows.”

6: Arshdeep Bains LW

“His skating, although not elite, is strong enough to compete at the AHL level, enabling him to win out battles, beat out defenders and contribute in all situations. Bains’ leadership shines through in his ability to elevate linemates and provide a necessary spark when his team needs it. Whether that’s the penalty kill, power play or critical moments, he’s a go-to option in every sense for the affiliated Canucks. The big question now is whether he can do that at the NHL level, or is he a classic “tweener” who falls somewhere in the middle.”

5: Kirill Kudryavtsev LD

“At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Kudryavtsev is stocky, but his sub-6-foot frame remains a point of scrutiny for his NHL aspirations. Still, he’s answered doubters with exceptional stick work and hockey sense through the regular season and five hard-fought playoff matchups. Though not the most physical player, he utilizes an incredibly active stick in the defensive end to pressure opponents, forcing turnovers and untimely mistakes. Whether clogging up lanes, swiping pucks aside, or just placing it in the general vicinity of the player, his work with his stick is a masterclass. Offensively, Kudryavtsev displays excellent vision, utilizing his accurate stretch pass to quickly move the puck up and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He confidently executes give-and-go plays in the offensive zone and displays a unique poise when connecting with these plays.”

4: Aleksei Medvedev G

“Medvedev now has a clear path to being “the guy” on what’s sure to be a dominant London Knights team in the OHL. This past year (his first in the OHL), Medvedev split starts and wasn’t used in playoff games as London captured their second straight OHL Championship and added a Memorial Cup Championship as well. That team is going to be great once again, and Medvedev is going to be the one backstopping them to wins. Medvedev has all the tools to be an elite NHL netminder and brings an intriguing blend of natural traits and abilities along with some structure that should only improve as he gains more and more experience.”

3: Braeden Cootes C

“The Sherwood Park native’s relentless compete level, two-way acumen, and leadership make him an instant standout, with the Canucks banking on his ability to develop into a steady top-six NHL pivot. Despite the Thunderbirds’ middling season, finishing in the bottom six in goals scored and just squeaking into the final playoff position, Cootes’ return would see him produce 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games to finish at over a point-per-game pace on a team with limited offensive support. If surrounded by a better cast, we do believe that there is more to his offensive game than his draft-minus-one season indicates. Offensive numbers aside, the real intrigue in his game comes in the details of his all-around profile. Cootes’ game is defined by a “hate to play, love to have” mentality. His relentless motor drives a ferocious forecheck, hounding puck-carriers, disrupting breakouts, and winning battles in corners and along the boards.”

2: Jonathan Lekkerimäki RW

“This past season, Canucks fans finally got a glimpse of Lekkerimäki on North American ice after patiently waiting for him to develop overseas. While his rookie campaign showed flashes of brilliance, it also highlighted areas for growth. Despite missing time throughout the campaign due to injuries and promotions to Vancouver, Lekkerimäki thrived in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In just 36 games, he scored 19 goals — seventh highest among AHL rookies — averaging over half a goal per game (53%) while ranking third on his team in goals. Among that list of rookies ahead of him, he finished second with that 53% goals-per-game clip. Meanwhile, his 121 shots on goal translated to a 15.7% shooting percentage. Known for his lethal perimeter shot, Lekkerimäki proved he’s more than a one-trick pony. He scored from distance with his trademark release, battled at the net-front for deflections and tap-ins, and showed a willingness to mix it up in the gritty areas despite his slight frame.”

1: Tom Willander RD

“Willander logged heavy minutes in all situations, averaging roughly 23 minutes per game. He was BU’s second-most utilized skater on the penalty kill and third overall, often anchoring the second defensive pairing while facing opponents’ top lines. With those minutes, he helped his team go on a deep run, which included some big wins along the way. His offensive output — 24 points (2 goals, 22 assists) in 39 games— nearly matched his freshman year’s total to maintain solid consistency, but his overall game took a significant leap forward. Now heading to his rookie professional season, he brings an elite level of skating ability. No matter which zone, he navigates the ice with tremendous ease, and is now instantly considered one of the team’s – whether that’s Vancouver or Abbotsford – best skaters. While his offensive game may not translate to a heavy point-producing defender, his elite shutdown prowess and ability to kill penalties will be a major contributor to Vancouver’s future.”

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/canuck...ncouver-canucks-prospects-summer-2025-edition

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

WDYTT: Your personal top 5 Canucks of all time

Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet to consistently preside over a court of controversy.

Speaking of courting controversy, that was probably inevitable when the good folks at CanucksArmy set out to fill in the summer months with our Top 50 Canucks of All Time series. By now, you’ve read at least the Top 40 or so, and your responses have been colourful and varied.

This is evidence of at least three things. First, all such lists are subjective and will always lead to some disagreement. Second, fans of the Vancouver Canucks are particularly passionate about their team and their history.

And thirdly, there’s a real need to let you all sound off on your opinions on this subject in a more formal setting.

Well, what more formal a setting to sound off in than the weekly WDYTT?

Obviously, we don’t have the space to give everyone their own Top 50. But we can give you 10% of that!

A top five feels about right for our purposes, too. When it comes to naming the top-five Canucks of all time, the vast majority of us are going to have the same three players on the list – two Swedish twins and a Russian Rocket.

But the other two spots are decidedly more up for grabs. And so, too, is the exact order of placement within that top five.

PS: If this isn’t enough of a sound-off on our Top 50 list for you, worry not. We’ve got plans to ask you about the most underrated and overrated Canucks of all time in future editions, so you’ll have the opportunity to share all your related opinions eventually.

For now, this week, we’re asking:

What is your personal list of the top five Vancouver Canucks of all time?​

Let it be known in the comment section.

Last week, we asked:

What was the best Canucks game of the past five years (since January 1, 2020)?​

You answered below!

bill nazzy:

That April 8th game against Dallas this season was pretty awesome, especially for those of us that didn’t change the channel…

T.D.:

It likely wasn’t their “best” game, but it sure was fun to watch the night that Luongo was honored in Vancouver. Thatcher took the reins and recorded a shutout with the Canucks spanking the defending Cup champ Panthers 4-0.

Jibsys:

For me, it has to be a game that actually mattered which rules out the comeback against Dallas last season.

April 28, 2024 the Canucks performed a comeback against Nashville in the playoffs. They were behind 3-1 early in the third period and then Brock Boeser popped of with two goals in the final three minutes for the tie and to secure a hat trick. Lindholm got the winner in OT and JT Miller had three points for the game and Silovs got his first playoff win.

That was a great game, especially after Demko going down early in the series and DeGoalie not being able to play, it seemed the Canucks were cooked.

Noteworthy was that on the other team, Sherwood had five hits against Canuck players.

Chris the Curmudgeon:

(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)

For me, there can be only one answer. The best game of the past five years was on April 21st, 2024, when the team made their return to the playoffs for Game 1 against Nashville. To be sure, it was an incredible game, with a quick two-goal burst from Suter and Joshua in the third period, powering a thrilling comeback victory for the home team. But the reason it tops the list is the cathartic feeling of watching playoff hockey at GM Place again, with actual fans in the stands, pushing the decibels to levels not seen in almost a decade, and seeing the players respond with a heartfelt effort in victory. After a seemingly interminable era when being a Canucks fan was broadly depressing without much relief, we needed that.

Dark Matter:

Outside of the obvious games that everyone else will bring up, I’m gonna mention the Panthers. For some reason, those couple games in the last two seasons I believe ended up with the Canucks having two shutouts. Highly entertaining games surprisingly, from what I remembered. They don’t face them that much of course, but we’ve kinda had their number since the Panthers have been on their run.

West Coaster:
Got to be that 8-1 game against the Oilers two years ago on opening night, but this team is a lot different now…

RDster:

I’m out on this one, they had the odd game in 2023/24 that had a playoff feel, they even beat LA Kings … once, and there were a couple of good games with “Bruce, there he goes …” but can’t think of a single “team retool” game in the last five years that stands out as worth remembering.

CRobinson:

The Nashville series had a couple really good games, but I’m going off the board when the Canucks played the Rangers about a quarter way through the regular season in 23/24. No idea what the date was, and I’m pretty sure they lost, but I remember it was one of the best games I’ve seen the Canucks play.

kanucked:

I’m going to go with Game 6 in the 2020 bubble playoffs against Vegas. They shut out the Knights and tied the series with a 4 – 0 win. They scored three third period goals. It was peak bubble Demko. Miller, Hughes, and Horvat scored and it seemed like the young team was really going to do something special. Pettersson was scoring. Even Virtanen scored in the playoffs. We all know what happened next. But I like the feeling of promise. Almost like Spring. It’s very different from the cold, dark days we normally experience as Canucks’ fans.

RagnarokOroboros:

I will go with the two games I remember.

Like when Dallas allowed Vancouver to score three goals in the final minute of play to tie the game, and then lost it to the Canucks in overtime, 6-5.

Like when Nashville allowed Vancouver to score two goals in the final minute, to tie the game and then win it in overtime 4-3 in the playoffs. It was a devastating loss to Nashville and paved the way for the Canucks to advance to the next round.

Bond:

8-1 game against the Oilers two years ago. That was awesome.

Most favorite shift of the decade:

Six years ago tied 2-2 with LA.

Boeser and Pettersson on the ice and Hughes steps over the boards for his first OT in the NHL. Although Boeser didn’t score on the one timer, the young Canucks were peppering LA goalie for that shift. Super exciting.

Hockey Fan in Mexico:

I am going off the board on this one and say the first game of the 2023/2024 season vs Edmonton. Tocchet coaching after having a solid pr season and training camp. Coming off the debacle of the previous season, the Canucks came out flying against the consensus pick to win the Cup. Gave Edmonton the beat down they deserved, but also showed what coaching and a plan could do. Canucks went on to win 8-1 with four goals by Boeser and then win 12 of the next 16 games. That game set the tone for the season and finally we could enjoy spring hockey after standing on the wall for years waiting for Winter.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/wdytt-your-personal-top-5-vancouver-canucks-all-time

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks: Could Evander Kane find Joshua-like chemistry with Conor Garland?

The Dakota Joshua trade can be viewed from multiple perspectives by Vancouver Canucks fans.

Many view the bleak return (fourth-round pick) as a negative for the Canucks, as Joshua was so beloved by the fan base for his physicality and offensive breakout in 2023-2024. However, others are holding their judgment until they see what the Canucks do with their now freed-up $3.25 million in cap space, i.e. signing another centre.

But one of the other, less spoken about topics is what it means for his old linemate, Conor Garland.

Garland and Joshua were a dynamic duo in 2023-2024. No matter who they had in between them (Pius Suter or Teddy Blueger), the two were inseparable because of how they gelled on the ice. The way they worked along the boards in the cycle game together led to their success, recognizing them as one of the best third lines in the league.

Last offseason, however, Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which affected his summer training and held him out for the first month of the season. But Garland was still pegged as a third line forward entering the year, waiting for Joshua to return in hopes of recreating the magic they had one season ago.

We all know that that did not happen, and Garland was ready to graduate to the top six. Yet, the duo were still somewhat linked together throughout the year. When Joshua wasn’t playing well, many observers believed he needed to play with Garland to regain his success.

But now that Joshua’s on to Toronto, that frees up Garland to blossom higher in the lineup. That’s not to say that Joshua was holding Garland back, but Joshua is best as a third line winger, whereas Garland is ready for the promotion.

In saying this, Joshua’s skill set fits well with a smaller-statured playermaker like Garland. Well, the Canucks acquired a proven top six player with a similar player type to Joshua earlier in the offseason: Evander Kane.

Can Evander Kane and Conor Garland have similar chemistry?​

To answer this question, we must compare the player types of Joshua and Kane.

*We will primarily use each player’s stats from the 2023-2024 season, given that was Joshua’s breakout year, and Kane’s last regular season after he missed the 2024-2025 campaign.

Joshua, 29, is a 6-foot-3, 206-pound left winger who can be defined as a defensive power forward. While not used as often on the penalty kill as he was in 2023-2024 (averaging 1:49), Joshua still averaged 31 seconds per game shorthanded. Not only was he utilized on the penalty kill, former head coach Rick Tocchet trusted the stellar third line in a matchup role against the opposition’s top line and in the dying minutes to protect the lead.

Physically, Joshua is not afraid to throw the body. Going back to 2023-2024 in his healthy season, Joshua landed 244 hits in 63 games. To put that into perspective, his 82-game pace would have him finishing with 318 hits. That would rank him third in the NHL in hits.

Kane, who will be 34 to start next season, is a 6-foot-2, 218-pound left winger who is more of an offensive power forward than Joshua. The Vancouver native is no slouch in the physicality game. In 2023-2024, Kane landed 250 hits in 77 games, amounting to an 82-game pace of 266. At his older age, he may not have the hit totals like Joshua, but Kane brings an added bite to his game, whether it’s dropping the gloves or getting under his opponent’s skin after the whistle.

Joshua brought a defensive element to his game, one that Kane won’t be able to match. However, comparing the two offensively is much greater than the defensive gap.

Offensively, Joshua took a step back in 2024-2025. After a breakout 18-goal, 32-point 2023-2024, Joshua scored just seven goals and 14 points in 57 games. Given what he had to deal with in the offseason, many fans were willing to forgive him and were confident in a bounce-back campaign.

Throughout Kane’s 15 regular seasons, he has surpassed a 0.50 point-per-game pace in every year since his rookie campaign. So, it’s fair to set a reasonable floor of a 41-point pace given his previous track record. On the other hand, Joshua has had just one season of over a 0.50 point-per-game pace, which he did playing alongside Garland in 2023-2024.

Now, of course, Kane’s numbers are going to be better than Joshua’s over the past few years, given that he spent most of his time in Edmonton either skating on a line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

But let’s dive into some NHL Edge data to compare some of their individual stats.

If you look at Joshua’s season, the only edge he had over Kane was a high shooting percentage, which, as we know, is not normally sustainable year after year. Kane had the better top shot speed, more shot volume and better overall skating numbers – just compare the graphs on the right.

Now, let’s look into where on the ice each player was finding most of their production.

Both Joshua and Kane scored the majority of their goals at the net front. Which is expected given their frame and how they play the game.

Now, Kane has always been the higher-profile player throughout his career. But as he gets older, you can expect him to decline a bit, especially after missing the entire 2024-2025 regular season. However, it’s still an upgrade overall on Joshua’s offensive game.

And the Joshua-Garland duo made their best plays when they were battling along the boards on the forecheck and in the cycle game. Kane has been known to not shy away from entering the dirty areas along the boards to win those puck battles and retrieve the puck for his playmaking linemates. Which is to a tee the best element Joshua brought to that line.

We know how well Garland works with a big-bodied power forward, as he displayed in 2023-2024. But now, he’ll have an opportunity to do it higher in the lineup and with a more established top six winger.

Since joining the Canucks in 2021-2022, Garland has always finished around the 50-point mark. While his best point totals didn’t come while playing alongside Joshua, it was undoubtedly his most impactful season.

Could attaching him to Kane early on and developing that Joshua-like chemistry help Garland break through that threshold and elevate him to another level? Only time will tell. But considering how similar Joshua and Kane are as player types, along with the upgraded offensive game Kane possesses, could be the answer to raise the bar from what Canucks fans saw in 2023-2024.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Would you like to see the Canucks put Kane and Garland together in hopes of re-finding that chemistry Joshua and Garland shared? Let us know in the comments below.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...find-joshua-like-chemistry-with-conor-garland

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Dakota Joshua talks frustrations and opportunity ahead after trade from Canucks to Maple Leafs

Dakota Joshua is ready to put his 2024-25 season behind him. Only now, he’ll attempt to do that as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs instead of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks dealt Joshua to the Leafs following a disappointing season that began with a testicular cancer diagnosis that kept Joshua out for training camp and the first month and a half of the season. Upon returning, Joshua attempted to find his footing, and just when it seemed like he’d begun to turn the corner, he then has to miss more time with a lower-body injury. The end result was 14 points through 57 games, in a year Joshua called a “setback.”

In conversation with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill of Leafs Morning Take, Joshua talked about the frustrations of this past season, and expressed his excitement about joining the Leafs.

“That was a tough situation to go through. I was getting ready for training camp and had a good summer behind me. To go through that, especially after signing a new deal, was tough. There was a little bit of a period where I’m not sure how to go about it mentally, and then obviously it’s tough news to break to everybody… My teammates at the time were very helpful and supportive, which made it easier, but just having to miss training camp and then being behind the 8-ball from the start didn’t really do me any good. It felt like I was playing catch-up the whole season. I’m definitely tougher for the situation and facing that adversity for sure, but also, [it’s] a year I want to put behind me and keep moving forward. I’m very happy and thankful to be in good health now and once again try to build my career and keep going.”

Joshua now prepares to turn the page and help the Leafs slay some playoff demons.

“I feel like for myself, adding to the depth of the team will help a lot.  Not just relying so much on the top-end guys to pull through and get the job done in the end — you need everybody. You’ve seen it with the last few Stanley Cup champions: it’s a full team effort. You need everybody pitching in at the end of the year when push comes to shove.”

The Leafs originally drafted Joshua in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but he never suited up for an NHL game for the club before they traded him to the St. Louis Blues. Joshua’s NHL career took off in Vancouver, and after a 32-point 2023-24 campaign, the Canucks re-signed Joshua to a four-year deal with a $3.25 million AAV.

“I think the biggest thing, no doubt, is the confidence of it all,” said Joshua when talking about what kind of player he is now compared to when he was last part of the Leafs’ organization. “Starting off and kind of finding out how it works, and you gotta find your niche and what’s gonna keep you in the lineup every night on any level really was a big part of me. Early on, maybe I didn’t understand fully what I needed to do or what it took to be an everyday NHL player. But over the years, that’s come along, and the last few years in Vancouver getting to play out the full seasons and knowing what it takes night in and night out has done me good and prepared me to keep progressing.”

You can watch the full Leafs Morning Take interview with Joshua below!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/dakota...y-trade-vancouver-canucks-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

World Junior Summer Showcase: Canucks’ Wilson Björck scores first goal to lead Sweden to dominant victory over Canada

The World Junior Summer Showcase continued on Thursday, featuring an anticipated matchup here at CanucksArmy between Team Canada and Team Sweden — two rosters that each featured a Vancouver Canucks prospect.

Unfortunately, Canadian forward Braeden Cootes did not dress for the game. While no official update was provided, NHL.com Managing Editor Adam Kimelman suggested that both Cootes and top 2025 prospect Michael Misa are currently “banged up.”

Canada and Sweden lineups for today's game at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Michael Misa, Braeden Cootes, Henry Mews and Harrison Brunicke are out. Misa and Cootes are just banged up, and Brunicke is sick pic.twitter.com/trGpiZOSi0

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 1, 2025

Kimelman later reported that Cootes’ injury was “light” and that he should be a game-time decision for Canada’s final game on Saturday.

Canada coach Dale Hunter described injuries to Michael Misa, Henry Mews and Braeden Cootes as "light stuff, not heavy stuff." He said there's a chance one of them, along with defenseman Harrison Brunicke (illness), could play tomorrow vs. the U.S. Will be a game-time decision.

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 1, 2025

That left all eyes on Wilson Björck, who continued to ride a strong tournament for Sweden. Playing on the wing again, he suited up for his fifth straight game and took top-line duties alongside his younger brother Viggo and projected 2026 top-5 pick Ivar Stenberg.

The Swedes came out flying and delivered their most dominant performance of the tournament, defeating Canada 8–4 to remain undefeated at 4–0. They will close out the event on Saturday against Team Finland at 11:0am PT.

Björck was once again productive, notching a goal and an assist to bring his total to six points in five games. That leaves him tied for the tournament lead, while his five assists are the most among all skaters.

The Canucks prospect earned his first goal of the event in the third period. Driving behind the net, he sent a cross-crease pass that deflected off a Canadian defender’s skate and snuck through the goaltender’s pads.

Through five games, Björck has been one of the premier players of the tournament and has made a strong pitch to earn a spot at the upcoming World Junior Championships. The chemistry that he displays with his younger brother, both internationally and during league play, adds an intriguing element heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

As for Canada, they will look to bounce back on Saturday when they wrap up their tournament against the United States at 2:30 p.m. PT.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/world-...goal-lead-sweden-dominant-victory-over-canada

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Goals and expectations for Evander Kane in first season with the Canucks in 2025-26

Opportunity is certainly knocking for Evander Kane.

The Vancouver Canucks simply don’t have anyone in their lineup who plays the game the way he does. The veteran winger has made a career of being aggressive and abrasive and has combined that with a knack for scoring goals. However, there are injury concerns after he missed all of last regular season, and there are legitimate questions about focus and discipline, too.

If Kane stays healthy and brings his best every night, there is no doubt he can help the Canucks in his first year with the hockey club and the final year of his current contract.

This is a player who has been a 20-goal scorer in nine different NHL seasons and a 40-point guy on nine occasions as well.

After missing all of last season to recover from multiple injuries, Kane stepped into the pressure cooker of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and scored six goals and added six assists in 21 games for the Edmonton Oilers. The 34-year-old believes avoiding the grind of a full regular season allowed his body to heal properly and feels that will help extend his career.

Acquired for a fourth-round pick in June, Kane handpicked his hometown as his destination of choice when the Oilers looked to shed salary this offseason. A former Vancouver Giant star nearly two decades ago, Kane will now have the chance to play for Vancouver’s NHL team, as well.

As it stands now, he could be tried as a left winger to add some size and aggression on a line with Elias Pettersson. Or he could shift over to the right side and skate with Filip Chytil. If he gets a top six assignment to open the season, Kane will need to find a way to be productive while staying out of the penalty box. The Canucks certainly want him to play with an edge, but he can’t cross that line as often as he did in the playoffs when he finished third in penalty minutes and second in minor penalties taken. Through the postseason, Kane took a dozen minors and was assessed a pair of misconducts.

When he stayed out of the box, Kane was effective in the playoffs. The Oilers outscored opponents 16-13 at 5-on-5 with Kane on the ice, and all 12 of his points came at even strength.

Throughout his career, Kane has been a volume shooter, racking up 250 or more shots on goal in five separate seasons. On four other occasions, he has reached the 200-shot mark. He is a career 10% shooter, meaning he’ll likely need to push for 200 shots again next season if he’s going to reach the 20-goal plateau. On a stacked Oilers team, he still managed 220 shots on goal in 2023-24 – his last full regular season.

Kane has never been a huge power play producer. His 14 goals with the man advantage in 64 games in San Jose during the 2019-20 season stand as an outlier with his second-best single-season total (six) coming early in his career in Winnipeg. So it remains to be seen how he figures in the Canucks plans on the power play.

The acquisition of Kane was a low-risk proposition for the Canucks. He is entering the final year of a contract that will see him paid $5.125M. If things go smoothly and he’s been a help, the Canucks can explore the notion of an extension later in the season. If they don’t go as planned, hopefully the club can flip Kane to a playoff-bound team closer to the NHL trade deadline.

That’s all part of the big picture when it comes to Evander Kane. The narrower view is that he’s in a city he’s familiar with and with a team he wants to be a part of. And now he needs to show up at training camp and prove that he can be everything the Canucks believe he can still be at this late stage of his career.

Exceeding expectations

For Kane to go above and beyond expectations, he’ll need to push for 25 goals and 45 points. He’ll also need to limit the number of penalties he takes and keep the drama that has followed him throughout his career to a minimum.

Meeting expectations

Based on his career production, Evander Kane will meet expectations if he scores between 15 and 20 goals and brings a physical element on a nightly basis. He’s going to take penalties, but hopefully they are the result of his aggressive play and not reactionary or retaliatory. Also, for Kane to live up to expectations, he needs to stay healthy and play 70 or more games.

Below expectations

The Evander Kane experiment will not have panned out if he doesn’t score 15 goals and if he becomes a distraction in any way. The season could also go sideways if past injuries catch up to Kane and keep him out of the lineup for a significant amount of time.

The Canucks do not have the most robust group of forwards in the NHL, so Evander Kane certainly has a role to play in his first season in Vancouver. But he needs to straddle the fine line between being a thorn in the side of opponents and being a guy who hurts the hockey club with ill-timed penalties. Kane hopes that the move to the West Coast is another fresh start in a career that has had a few of them.

As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz ‘There’s no place like home.’ We’ll see if that holds true for Evander Kane in his first season with the Canucks.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/goals-expectations-evander-kane-first-season-vancouver-canucks-2025-26

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Canucks are one of many Pacific Division teams with goaltending question marks heading into 2025-26

This past week, we’ve been working away on an informal series in which we compare the Vancouver Canucks’ most important roster sections to those of their Pacific Division rivals.

So far, we’ve found that the Canucks’ top-four defence is arguably the class of the division.

We’ve also found that their top-nine forward corps is…not.

Now, for the sake of completion, it’s time to cover the crease. But it feels like a strange endeavour in the present moment, because it’s quite difficult to know exactly what the Canucks have in their crease right now.

Were everyone to be at maximum health, there’d be little doubt about who had the best goaltending in the Pacific. Thatcher Demko is one of three current Pacific goalies to ever be nominated for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. One of the others, Philipp Grubauer, has seen his career and performance crumble since then. The other, Darcy Kuemper, was just nominated last year, but is notorious for his inconsistent performances.

Then you add in Kevin Lankinen, a pseudo-starter in his own right who stands head and shoulders above the average backup goaltender on most nights.

But Demko might never be at maximum health again, and there’s still an ongoing question as to how much his recent injury struggles will impact his quality and frequency of play in the long run.

So, instead of doing it like we did our last couple of articles, we’re avoiding a direct head-to-head comparison. Instead, we’ll cover some of the other lingering question marks in the other creases around the Pacific – where those question marks exist – and then offer some additional thoughts and commentary at the end.

Anaheim Ducks​

Tandem: Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek

The John Gibson era is finally over in Anaheim.

With their oft-injured veteran starter traded to Detroit, the Ducks’ crease has been firmly handed over to the 25-year-old Dostal, who promptly signed a five-year, $6.5 million extension to mark the occasion.

The 2024-25 season was the second in a row that Dostal played the most games in Anaheim, and he’s maintained a save percentage above .900 in both of those campaigns despite the porousness of the team in front of him. Simply put, he’s one of the best young starters in the league.

To ensure he’s well-supported, the Ducks have two veteran backups on hand in Petr Mrazek and Ville Husso.

The question mark for the Ducks is how much Dostal will continue to grow into his role as starter. He’s not quite at that game-stealing, Vezina-talk level yet, but he’s also got a number of years to get there.

For now, we can call Anaheim one of the most stable goaltending situations in the division, but one whose ultimate potential is still yet unknown.

Calgary Flames​

Tandem: Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley

Dustin Wolf just had a rookie season that would have won him the Calder Trophy most years. Few goalies have come into the league in recent memory and made as strong an impression as did the 24-year-old Wolf, who posted a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 GAA in 53 games for a not-so-great Flames.

The only things the Flames have to worry about is the potential for a sophomore slump for Wolf, and whether they’ve supported him well enough with veteran tweener Cooley as his backup.

But if we said Anaheim has a bright and stable future in net, they’re still a step behind Calgary in that regard. Few teams in the entire league feel better about their long-term goaltending situation than do the Flames.

Edmonton Oilers​

Tandem: Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard

Do the Oilers have question marks in the crease? Is the Pope from Chicago?

All indications are that Edmonton is going to run back the duo of Skinner and Pickard that they’ve made it to two consecutive Finals largely in spite of.

We can kind of flip this one around in a fun way, because A LOT would have to go wrong in Vancouver for the Canucks to end up with worse goaltending than the Oilers in 2025-26.

There’s not much more to be said here, aside from perhaps a little schadenfreude. Skinner and Pickard very much are what they are at this point, and what they are is a big question mark on an otherwise contending team that isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

Los Angeles Kings​

Tandem: Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg

This is probably the toughest crease to call in the entire division.

Kuemper was a Vezina nominee last year. But he’s only ever rarely been a goaltender of that quality, especially over an entire season’s length. In fact, just the year prior, Kuemper was so bad for the Washington Capitals that they sent him to LA as an effective cap dump!

If Kuemper keeps his hot streak going, the Kings will be in good hands. But it’s the uncertainty of it all that leaves them with some major question marks, especially with a fairly ordinary veteran backup in Anton Forsberg added to the mix.

The Kings could again have the best goaltending in the division, or they could also reasonably have the worst. That’s the kind of swing in potential performance that the Canucks can relate to of late.

San Jose Sharks​

Tandem: Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic

The Sharks aren’t worried about their crease at all. They made a big move last year to acquire the top goaltending prospect in the world, Askarov, and the long-term plan is to build him up as the team’s full-time starter.

To help with that, the Sharks brought in the workmanlike Nedeljkovic; pretty much the perfect goalie to platoon with someone like Askarov without stealing too many starts from him.

There will be inevitable growing pains, of course. For Askarov to step in next and play as well as Wolf did last season would be a pleasant surprise, but a surprise all the same – especially behind that San Jose defence.

Suffice it to say that the Sharks probably won’t have the best goaltending in the division, but they won’t really care about that yet, anyway.

Seattle Kraken​

Tandem: Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer

The Kraken really lucked out in having Daccord break out unexpectedly into starter quality play. That’s allowed them to effectively work around the millstone that Grubauer’s contract – one of the first the franchise signed in free agency – has become.

Daccord is still a little new in the league to call him anything resembling a sure thing, but he’s got two very good years as the Seattle starter under his belt, including consecutive save percentages above .906.

There’s a serious cost inefficiency here in paying Grubauer a $5.9 million cap hit to be a shaky backup, especially since Daccord has now started his own $5 million extension. But the Kraken aren’t exactly hurting for cap space, so it’s not currently a major issue. As long as Daccord continues to play as well as he has, they’ll be reasonably satisfied, and they should have some of the best (starting) goaltending in the division.

Vegas Golden Knights​

Tandem: Adin Hill and Akira Schmid

The only team without any major question marks is, again, Vegas.

They’ve already won a Cup with Hill, and though he’s starting a new contract with a $6.25 million cap hit, there’s not much to indicate he won’t be worth it. He did have a poor playoffs last year, with a save percentage of just .887 through two rounds, but it’s hard to worry much about that when Hill’s already won a Stanley Cup as recently as 2023.

Hill has a cheap, newish backup with one of the coolest names in hockey in Akira Schmid. That’s a small potential question mark, but it’s not like the Golden Knights won’t be able to find a different backup somewhere else if Schmid isn’t up to snuff.

As this series has shown, the only real question the Vegas Golden Knights are facing is how much Alex Pietrangelo’s early retirement will affect them. Technically, that’s a question mark that will impact goaltending, but it’s not a goaltending question mark.

If Vegas doesn’t have the best goaltending in the division, expect them to at least get goaltending that doesn’t get in the way of their success (see: Edmonton).

Notes and Thoughts​

As of 2026-27, the Canucks will be paying the tandem of Demko and Lankinen a total of $13 million a year. But for 2025-26, Demko’s cap hit is still at $5 million, and so their total crease expenditure is $9.5 million.

That still puts them on the higher side of the Pacific pack, with Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vegas all paying less, and just Anaheim and Seattle paying more.

In other words, if the Canucks don’t get a better quality of goaltending in 2025-26 than they did in 2024-25, they’ll have introduced a new cost inefficiency to their roster that will really stand out from their intradivisional foes.

Should Demko regain his form, we’re confident putting him head-to-head with any other starter in this division.

And in terms of backups, it’s hard to find any second fiddle in this group that can hold a candle to Lankinen, save perhaps Nedeljkovic at his very best.

The questions all centre around Demko and his health. If he’s not back to 100% or close to it, how much will that continue to impact his performance? If he needs to miss time, how well will Lankinen handle an increased load (one that clearly got to him at times last season)?

These are the question marks facing the Canucks’ crease in 2025-26. They’re not unique in having question marks, as this article has plainly shown, but theirs might just be the biggest in the Pacific – and that makes predicting the Canucks’ ultimate fate extremely difficult.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...ms-goaltending-question-marks-heading-2025-26

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #39 – Thatcher Demko

Picking a player for the top 50 Vancouver Canucks of all time list who’s still an active part of the franchise is a unique challenge. Thatcher Demko’s legacy is one that’s still being written every year, and one that could change a lot in the future.

Demko was drafted in 2014, a second-round pick from Boston College that came right off the heels of Roberto Luongo’s departure to Florida. The Canucks’ future in goal was set to be left to Eddie Lack, Jacob Markstrom, and the new kid from San Diego.

Demko’s journey to the NHL wasn’t totally linear. When he signed his first pro contract in 2016, Demko immediately took over the reins as the Utica Comets starter, playing 100+ games for the AHL affiliate. But he wouldn’t see his first NHL ice time until March 31, 2018, a 5-4 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

When Demko was finally promoted to the big club for good in 2019-20 he started as Jacob Markstrom’s backup, though he played a fair chunk of games in the first half of the season. But after a late January injury to Markstrom thrust Demko into the starting role, he struggled to adapt to his now-monstrous workload. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the season in mid-March, some questioned if Demko was capable of being a regular #1 goaltender.

People only needed to wait until August to be proven wrong. During the 2020 playoffs, played in front of an empty Rogers Place in Edmonton, Demko took over for an injured Markstrom in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Over the next three games, Demko faced 125 shots on goal; only two beat him. Despite the Canucks being ousted by the Knights in Game 7, “Bubble Demko” provided a sign of hope for the future.

Demko’s play gave the Canucks enough confidence to let Jacob Markstrom walk in free agency, but they didn’t bank entirely on a three-game sample size. In the shortened 2021 season, Demko was expected to split the net with veteran Braden Holtby, but quickly took over the bulk of the games. His ability to play a structured game, while still incorporating the ability to make acrobatic stops on the fly, made him the Canucks’ best chance at winning.

From there, “Bubble Demko” graduated into a full-time NHL starter and then some. Over the last half-decade, arguably no player has meant more to the Canucks’ success than Demko. The number of victories the SoCal kid has stolen for the Canucks since 2021 is far too high to count, and his status as the third-winningest goalie in franchise history (tied with Richard Brodeur at 126) speaks for itself.

When he’s been healthy, the Canucks have routinely punched above their weight and found a wide range of success. When he’s played at less than 100 percent – or missed stretches of time due to regular injuries – his teammates have often struggled to tread water.

In fact, it’s the injury time that’s likely kept him this far down the list. If not for the number of ailments his legs have gone through, how many Vezina Trophies would be sitting on his shelf? How many more playoff trips might the Canucks have made? And the biggest question mark of the 2024 postseason is how far the Canucks might’ve gone had Demko not gotten injured in Game 1 against the Predators.

Where Demko ends up in the Greatest Canucks list in the future is anyone’s guess, but it will certainly change. By the time his recently-signed contract extension expires in 2029, Thatcher will be 33 and have been part of the Vancouver Canucks organization for 15 years. The legacy Demko leaves in this city, and the stamp he puts on this club, will be determined a lot by what kind of success the next four years bring.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/top-50-vancouver-canucks-players-all-time-39-thatcher-demko

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

A closer look at the San Jose Sharks: Canucks Pacific Previews

In today’s National Hockey League, the biggest hurdle to a playoff spot is besting the seven teams in your own division. The Canucks’ rivals in the Pacific Division, each at different points in their team’s evolution, will try to keep Vancouver out of the postseason party. And the only way to best your competition is by knowing them.

Every day this week, we’ll be looking at each of these Pacific Division teams and how they stack up compared to the Canucks.

Today, we’re starting with the San Jose Sharks.

On paper, the San Jose Sharks don’t look like a team that improved much in the last year. Since bottoming out in 2023-24, they added just one win and five points to those numbers in 2025, resulting in another last-place finish in the Pacific.

But that doesn’t mean things aren’t looking up for San Jose. Specifically, Macklin Celebrini is a legit superstar.

Celebrini was everything and more for the Sharks last season, leading the team with 63 points and setting the franchise record for most points by a rookie. If not for missing 12 games due to injuries, he might’ve beaten out Montreal’s Lane Hutson for the Calder Trophy. The Sharks may not have the richest history of major draft picks – no disrespect to Pat Falloon here – but it’s clear that Celebrini is a cut above the rest.

As far as the rest of the roster goes, Sharks GM Mike Grier is slowly assembling the nucleus of a good roster. William Eklund and Will Smith are leading the youth movement behind Celebrini, and soon they’ll be joined by recent second overall pick Michael Misa. In free agency, the Sharks brought in a barrage of veteran depth talent to fill out the bench; Jeff Skinner and John Klingberg signed one-year deals after reaching the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton, while Dmitry Orlov and former Canuck Adam Gaudette each accepted two-year deals to build off of.

The Canucks and Sharks met four times last season, and while Vancouver swept the season series 4-0, the scores were a lot closer than they’d probably care to admit. All four matchups were one-goal games, including two that the Canucks required OT to finish off. Those scores might be more indicative of how much the Canucks underperformed last season, but the Sharks are only going to be a stronger opponent in 2025-26.

The Canucks should still have the edge in nearly all categories, with the Sharks still years off from being in the playoff mix. But the one place San Jose can give the Canucks fits is with their youth and speed. Celebrini and Co. can play at a higher octane pace than Vancouver’s forward corps, and if their skill takes another step forward, that could make a difference in the playoff stretch.

Season Series​

November 28 @ SAP Center

December 27 @ Rogers Arena

January 27, 2026 @ Rogers Arena

April 11, 2026 @ SAP Center

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/closer-look-san-jose-sharks-vancouver-canucks-pacific-previews

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

A closer look at the Anaheim Ducks: Canucks Pacific Previews

In today’s National Hockey League, the biggest hurdle to a playoff spot is besting the seven teams in your own division. The Vancouver Canucks’ rivals in the Pacific Division, each at different points in their team’s evolution, will try to keep Vancouver out of the postseason party. And the only way to best your competition is by knowing them.

Every day this week, we’ll be looking at each of these Pacific Division teams and how they stack up compared to the Canucks.

Today, we’re looking at the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks are a franchise stuck between two worlds. On one side of the puck, the Ducks are young and learning, still growing into the team they’re supposed to be. But Ducks GM Pat Verbeek doesn’t seem to have much faith in the teardown he’s overseen, and is already making sweeping changes.

That started with the coach. Ducks fans and hockey analysts alike weren’t enamoured with Greg Cronin’s work behind the bench over the last two seasons. So Verbeek made the controversial call to replace him with Joel Quenneville, who hasn’t coached in the NHL since his involvement in the Chicago Blackhawks scandal came to light in 2021.

Trevor Zegras was supposed to be a big part of the Ducks’ next era. But that came to an end in June, when he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling and a pair of draft picks. Zegras wanted to be a centre; the Ducks traded him for… a centre, albeit a depth one.

Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish already take Anaheim’s top two centre slots for the foreseeable future, though McTavish’s name has found itself out in the trade market recently. McTavish and Carlsson were key to the Ducks’ success last season, putting up 52 and 45 points, respectively, and the team is going to live or die by their success. The same can be said about leading scorer Troy Terry and up-and-coming goalie Lukas Dostal, who’ll officially take the reins this year in the net from the departing John Gibson.

On defence, the Ducks have been working to insulate developing players Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov with veterans to eat up ice time. It started with new captain Radko Gudas’ signing in 2023, and was furthered by acquiring Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers last season. Veterans also surround the forward corps with names like Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund and recent trade pickup Chris Kreider.

A lot is going on around the Ducks these days, literally and metaphorically. As the young team builds towards a winning future on the ice, their owners are doing the same off the ice in the form of a $4 billion sports and entertainment district called OC Vibe. By the time the Olympics arrive in Los Angeles in 2028, the Honda Center will be surrounded by new hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. And that’s not even including the $1 billion worth of renovations for the arena itself, which opened two years before Rogers Arena in 1993.

Taking all of that into consideration, it’s safe to say the Ducks aren’t a team worried about now just yet. The Canucks are concerned about winning right now, and that’s probably why they’ve won 10 of their last 11 meetings. Anaheim finally got the better of them last season in a 5-2 victory, but Vancouver exacted some rude revenge in April, when they scored five goals in less than five minutes during their last matchup.

The Canucks should still have all the keys and advantages to beat the Ducks in their four-game season series this time around. The biggest X-factor will be just how much the Ducks can grow in an 82-game schedule under their new coaching staff. This team might not have enough firepower to compete for the Stanley Cup playoffs just yet, but if they can make life difficult for the Pacific teams above them, that might be seen as progress in the eyes of Ducks management and their fans.

Season Schedule​

November 26 @ Honda Center

January 29, 2026 @ Rogers Arena

March 24, 2026 @ Rogers Arena

April 12, 2026 @ Honda Center

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/closer-look-anaheim-ducks-vancouver-canucks-pacific-previews

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Ex-Abby Canuck Tristen Nielsen signs AHL contract with Colorado Eagles

A former member of the Vancouver Canucks organization is moving on.

On Saturday, the Colorado Eagles, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, announced that the team has signed forward Tristen Nielsen to an AHL contract for the 2025-26 season.

Nielsen had been with the Canucks franchise since 2021, joining Vancouver’s primary affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, after finishing his junior career in the area with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants.

After finding his footing during his rookie campaign in 2021-22, Nielsen became one of Abbotsford’s top offensive weapons the following year. With 41 points in 64 games, the Fort St. John native finished fourth on the team in scoring as well as posting a plus/minus of plus-nine. His play earned him a two-year, entry-level contract with Vancouver.

The 2022-23 season would be Nielsen’s best individual performance during his time with the Abby Canucks. He followed that up with a solid 35-point campaign in 2023-24, notching 28 points in 67 games this past year. Despite not being one of the team’s biggest scoring threats, Nielsen was able to contribute this past postseason, scoring nine points in 24 games as the Canucks defeated the Charlotte Checkers to claim the team’s first Calder Cup.

After the season, the big Canucks elected not to extend a qualifying offer to Nielsen, making him an unrestricted free agent. In 231 regular-season games with Abbotsford, he scored 52 goals and 63 assists for 115 points, totalling 185 penalty minutes along the way, along with a career rating of minus-15. The 25-year-old also scored 17 points in 36 playoff affairs.

Prior to turning pro, Nielsen played for both the Giants and Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. His best season came with Vancouver in 2019-20, when he set career highs in goals (30), assists (35) and points (65) while playing in front of current Eagles goaltender Trent Miner.

Nielsen joins an Eagles team that the Canucks defeated in the Pacific Division Final in five games. Colorado has made it as far as the third round of the postseason in three of the past five seasons.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/ex-abby-canuck-tristen-nielsen-signs-ahl-contract-colorado-eagles

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks sign Vitali Kravtsov to one-year contract after strong KHL season

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Vitali Kravtsov to a one-year, two-way contract. General manager Patrik Allvin made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have agreed to terms with F Vitali Kravtsov on a one-year, two-way contract.

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) August 5, 2025

Kravstov, 25, last NHL games were played as a member of the Canucks at the end of the 2022-23 season following a trade from the New York Rangers. Kravtsov spent last season with Chelyabinsk Traktor in the KHL, where he put up 27 goals and 31 assists through 66 games played. His 58 points ranked sixth in KHL scoring last season.

“Vitali had a strong season in the KHL and was an impact player for his team,” said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin via a statement. “In his two seasons in Russia, he has worked hard on his game, and we look forward to seeing where Vitali is at when he comes to training camp in Penticton.”

Kravtsov’s agent Dan Milstein confirmed the deal to CanucksArmy, adding that Kravtsov informed him of the decision to come back to Vancouver today and that the Canucks were very excited to get this deal done.

While the Canucks’ forward corps is fairly busy, they are set to have some interesting battles for final roster spots, and you can now throw Kravtsov’s name into the mix of players who could fill out the NHL roster. If Kravtsov doesn’t crack the Canucks’ NHL lineup, he should be able to help out plenty with the Abbotsford Canucks, who are coming off a Calder Cup Championship and should see at least a couple of players graduate to the big club this season.

According to Rick Dhaliwal, Kravtsov’s contract has an NHL cap hit of $750,000 and a minors salary of $450,000.

As we always feel the need to do whenever a two-way contract is signed, here is a brief explanation of what a two-way contract actually is. While EA Sports did a great job of making everyone thinking two-way contracts have anything to do with waiver eligibility, they really don’t. In reality, a two-way contract means that there are two agreed-upon dollar amounts between the team and player for what the player should be paid if he’s in the NHL or if he’s in the AHL. For example, while Kravtsov will have an NHL salary (and cap hit) of $750,000, his new salary (prorated) in the minors will be $450,000.

Kravtsov was originally selected ninth overall by the Rangers at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The Rangers traded Kravtsov to the Canucks back in February 2023, receiving Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh round pick in return. Kravtsov has tallied six goals and six assists through 64 NHL games.

What are your thoughts on this deal? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...-kravtsov-one-year-contract-strong-khl-season

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Can Aatu Räty make the jump to the NHL? Canucks goals and expectations for 2025-2026

One of the centrepieces coming back in the Bo Horvat trade, Aatu Räty, looks to have his best opportunity to make the jump to a regular NHL job for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025-2026.

As previously mentioned, Räty was traded to the Canucks in 2023, along with winger Anthony Beauvillier and a 2023 first-round pick, in exchange for Horvat. Now, that pick was then used to acquire Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings, but at the time of the trade, Räty was viewed as the more valuable asset of the three.

Räty was highly touted entering his draft year. Many projected him to go as high as first overall, but a disappointing three-goal, six-point draft year with Karpat of the SM-Liiga had him slide all the way down to 52nd overall before the New York Islanders selected him.

Once joining the Canucks, Räty had a short debut, playing just three games in Vancouver. Since then, Räty has been a tweener between the NHL and AHL.

In his first season in the Canucks organization, Räty spent the entire year as a top centre option for the Abbotsford Canucks. Playing a full 82-game season, the Finnish product scored 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points. He added two goals and two assists in six postseason games.

However, Räty became the star of the Canucks’ 2024-2025 training camp for his unique technique in the faceoff dot. Räty would flip over his stick to create a scoop on his off-side and found success early, which earned him a spot between Nils Höglander and Conor Garland.

In fact, he impressed so much that Räty earned a spot in the opening night roster. However, his first stint in Vancouver was short-lived as after picking up just one assist in three games, Räty was sent back down to Abbotsford – despite finishing with a 61% faceoff percentage.

Räty would re-join Vancouver in early November and maintain a roster spot until December 10, before he was sent back down.

Despite a one-game emergency call-up after the JT Miller trade, Räty wouldn’t earn his next shot until the Canucks suffered a few injuries late in the season that opened up a roster spot for him. During that 12-game stretch, Räty remained a faceoff specialist, adding five goals and seven points to his point totals.

With his end-of-season surge, as well as his near point-per-game season in Abbotsford (17 goals and 40 points in 43 games), many pegged Räty as a lock to make the jump to Vancouver.

But with no clarity on a postseason injury that restricted him to just six playoff games, Räty’s offseason training may be affected. So what would Aatu Räty’s season look like for him to meet these expectations, and what are his goals heading into what might be his first year in the NHL?

Meeting expectations: Earn his role as an every-night NHL starter, hit the 25-30-point mark.

Looking at the current Canucks roster, this outcome seems pretty expected. With a centre depth of just Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, and Teddy Blueger, Räty is the next man up who’s ready for a promotion. He spent 33 games with Vancouver last season, so now that they need another centreman, Räty looks to be pencilled in on the opening night lineup for the second straight season.

Not only that, but Räty would be the only right-shot centreman on the roster. That, along with his faceoff ability, should at least allow him the first look at the open centre spot.

In Räty’s 33 games with the big club last season, Räty finished with seven goals and 11 points. If you stretch that out to an 82-game pace, that works out to be 28 points, which sits perfectly in the middle of what he would have to do to meet expectations. Now, of course, it all depends on who and where he plays. However, Canucks fans can also expect a year of growth, considering he’s only gotten better and better as his professional career has gone on.

Above expectations: Excel in a third-line centre role, hit the 40-point mark.

There’s a very strong likelihood that if the Canucks keep their current lineup, Räty will earn that 3C role. But for him to excel in that role will be the determining factor for him to exceed his expectations.

Räty’s only worry for losing that 3C role would be if the Canucks went out and added another centreman (ahem, Jack Roslovic). But even if the Canucks add Roslovic, that role could very well still be his. Roslovic is a right-shot centre, but mainly excelled on the wing last season. Roslovic could be used on the wing, but as an extra down the middle if the Canucks run into injury – kind of like Pius Suter was used during his time in Vancouver.

The tricky part to hit will be the 40-point mark. Räty doesn’t have much room to move up past the third line, as he’s playing behind Pettersson and Chytil. Not to mention, Räty will likely play the defensive role, tasked with shutting down the opponent’s toughest competition. This will only hinder his offensive zone time and, thus, his point totals.

But it’s the above expectations column; that should be his expected ceiling coming into 2025-2026.

Below expectations: Fail to hold onto an NHL job, remain and NHL/AHL tweener, fail to hit 20-points.

While we’ve been giving Räty praise, pretty much ensuring he will make the team next season, that’s not a certainty. If the Canucks add more traditional centreman and can’t find a suitor for Blueger, that might push Räty back, and now he’s competing with Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson and Arshdeep Bains for a roster spot.

As we mentioned above, who knows the extent of the Räty injury? Is that something that is affecting his offseason training? Will he be ready for camp, just like he was last year? If he does remain an NHL/AHL tweener, then it’s likely Räty will have similar point totals to last season, with a similar number of games.

Now, this author does expect Räty to be on the team to start the season. But there are some unknowns surrounding his situation, which could result in him not becoming a full NHL player and ultimately would fail to hit the 20-point plateau.

2025-2026 goals for Räty:

– Earn and maintain his spot in the NHL.

– Continue his faceoff success.

– Hit the 30-point mark.

– Find value in a penalty-killing role.

– Continue to build chemistry from last year’s training camp with Nils Höglander.

With Pius Suter out the door, that opens up a spot for a centre on the team’s penalty kill. If the 22-year-old is in the lineup, given how crucial faceoffs are, and his defensive game, Räty would likely earn that role. But it should be his goal to hold onto that job.

His faceoffs shouldn’t be an issue. Räty has had a 62.5% and a 57.5% faceoff percentage in his two seasons in Vancouver, respectively. But what would make Räty’s transition to the NHL even better would be if he were paired up with Nils Höglander again.

In last year’s training camp, Räty centred a line with Höglander and Garland, and they turned heads. With Garland likely graduating to the top-six, Räty and Höglander would be paired together on that third line. If the two can pick up where they left off last year, with another season of development under Räty’s belt, and Höglander’s late-season surge, it could help form Räty’s offensive game at the NHL level.

What do you think, Canucks fans? What will it take for Aatu Räty to make the full-time jump to the NHL?

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/can-aa...ancouver-canucks-goals-expectations-2025-2026