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[Vancouver Canucks]

Blackfish: Riley Patterson catching fire in OHL playoffs, Sawyer Mynio not so lucky, and more

Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect Report.

The playoff grind is carving through the junior ranks, and while some dreams have faded, others are burning brighter than ever.

At the pro level, this week saw Abbotsford’s historic streak end and Kalamazoo wrap up their season, while the Tom Willander sweepstakes heat up.

Let’s dive into the chaos.

Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)​

All good things must end, and so it was for the Abbotsford Canucks. After a jaw-dropping 13-game winning streak, their magic carpet ride hit turbulence with back-to-back losses to the Calgary Wranglers in their final home series.

The streak is nice, but what matters is that the playoffs are locked up, and there will be professional postseason hockey in British Columbia.

Even amid the losses, Abbotsford’s been a conveyor belt of opportunity. Three more prospects got the call to the big show, etching their names in NHL box scores for the first time: Ty Mueller, Kirill Kudryavtsev, and Nikita Tolopilo.

The latter earned his first career NHL victory in a snoozy 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

"We were roommates in Abby. Split the rookie lap with [Kudryavtsev]. Happy for him, like really happy."

🗣 Nikita Tolopilo speaks on his first NHL start and win, wanting to work even harder this summer, and more.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/Z28BMx3LJ5

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 15, 2025

They join a growing parade of Abbotsford skaters who’ve tasted NHL action this season — a testament to the Canucks’ depth and the farm’s knack for churning out ready-made talent.

With the AHL playoffs looming, Abbotsford is in the midst of a dog fight for second place in the Pacific Division, with home-ice advantage already secured for round one. The roster’s about to get a boost, too — Vancouver’s season is winding down, meaning a flood of bodies could soon reinforce the farm.

And that list could include a couple of names from Kalamazoo.

The one note from the games we will cover this week was Danila Klimovich’s tremendous goal. Gaining the zone, he walked the line before making a strong move past a flat-footed defender to go top shelf for his team-leading 24th goal of the season.

WHAT A GOAL, DANILA KLIMOVICH! pic.twitter.com/4uIxP6wtbl

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) April 12, 2025

From a point and attribute standpoint, it’s been a strong bounceback season for the now 22-year-old Belarusian, who is enjoying career highs in every aspect of his game.

The club did bring in a new body, with towering 6-foot-6 prospect Vilmer Alriksson joining after his OHL team was eliminated from playoff contention. He’s missed the last few months nursing an upper-body injury but was already seen skating with the team.

Getting the legs moving ahead of tonight! pic.twitter.com/0Vn1jmSdPB

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 11, 2025

Whether he draws into the lineup remains to be seen, but at the very least, having him up with the pro club to gain some experience is invaluable.

Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)​

The Kalamazoo Wings, Vancouver’s ECHL affiliate, closed the book on their 2024-25 season with a final three-game stretch. Unfortunately, they fell shy of playoff contention, ending the campaigns of Josh Bloom and Ty Young.

Bloom went out with a bang, combining for six points (two goals, four assists) in the week’s games to cap a stellar rookie season. The 21-year-old finished third on the Wings with 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 43 games — a near point-per-game clip for his first official professional season.

With Vancouver’s season wrapping and Abbotsford’s roster set to swell, could Bloom sneak in for a playoff cameo? Maybe, maybe not. But we’d bet the farm that he’s pushing for a full-time AHL spot as a 23-year-old next fall.

Then there’s Ty Young, who’s cemented himself as one of the ECHL’s elite young netminders and likely on the list for promotion for 2025-26.

His 10-9-2 record might look pedestrian, but his .926 save percentage cracks the league’s top 10 and a sparkling 8-3-0 stint with Abbotsford earlier this year sprinkles in some pleasant hope for the future.

For a 20-year-old who was still a junior hockey player, maybe at training camp, that’s one heck of a rookie campaign.

Come next season, don’t be shocked if he’s a fixture in Abbotsford’s crease rotation, challenging the veterans for starts.

Canadian Hockey League (CHL)​

With Vilmer Alriksson now in Abbotsford — likely for good, as his pro journey begins — we’re down to five CHL prospects, four still swinging in the playoff hunt.

Parker Alcos and the Edmonton Oil Kings fell in a Game 7 heartbreaker to the Prince Albert Raiders, so his draft-plus-one season is officially over.

Calgary Hitmen (WHL) – Trail Lethbridge Hurricanes 2-0

Sawyer Mynio and the Calgary Hitmen roared into the second round after sweeping Saskatoon, but the road’s gotten bumpy.

They’ve dropped both opening games to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, mustering just one goal across the pair. It’s a rare offensive drought for a team that’s been a juggernaut, and Mynio didn’t help the cause with a minus-3 rating with only four shots, a quiet output for a blueliner known for his heavy trigger.

The Canucks’ defensive prospect’s still logging big minutes, but he’ll need to rediscover his puck-moving mojo to help Calgary climb out of this hole. Game 3’s a must-win.

Barrie Colts (OHL) – Lead Kingston Frontenacs 2-0

Meanwhile, the Barrie Colts are putting on a clinic in the OHL’s second round, grabbing a 2-0 lead over the Kingston Frontenacs.

Anthony Romani continues to roll, extending his point streak with a goal and an assist in every game so far. His nine goals rank third league-wide (tied with a few others), and he’s showing no signs of cooling off.

But don’t overlook Riley Patterson, who’s caught fire in this series. With three goals and three assists in two games, he’s posted back-to-back three-point nights, sitting just one point shy of Romani’s playoff haul.

THAT'S TWO FOR PATTERSON@Canucks Prospect Riley Patterson tallied two so far in the second period for @OHLBarrieColts—keeping this back-and-forth battle close!#OHLPlayoffs | @CHLHockey | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/3kjz73z1ZZ

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 13, 2025

Barrie’s outscored Kingston 13-6, and Patterson’s been a driving force, his offensive eruption fueling a relentless attack. This team’s not just rolling — they’re steam rolling, and the Canucks’ duo is at the heart of it.

Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) – Lead Chicoutimi Saguenéens 2-0

Out in Quebec, Basile Sansonnens and the Rimouski Océanic continue to flex their muscle. They have a 2-0 edge over the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and have won all six playoff games to date.

Sansonnens isn’t the flashiest name on our list, but he’s a rock, churning out second-pairing minutes in a shutdown role with the kind of reliability that coaches crave.

NCAA​

The fairy-tale ending is over for Tom Willander and the Boston University Terriers. After clawing their way to the NCAA Frozen Four final, they ran out of gas against the Western Michigan Broncos, falling short in a low-scoring battle that hinged on BU’s inability to find the net. A valiant run, but no cigar.

Aiden Celebrini’s already confirmed he’s back for his junior year, so the spotlight remains on Willander.

The Canucks’ blue-chip blueliner faces a fork in the road: go pro or stay in school? The rumour mill’s churning, and it’s messy. As of now, he’s back in Boston, attending classes — a move that tracks for a guy who’s as disciplined in the classroom as he is on the ice.

Some say a deal for 2025-26 is close, while others claim it’s farther off than fans hope.

As of today, only one thing’s clear: burning a year off his contract with just one NHL game left this season is not happening.

Now, the focus shifts to whether he will he sign an Amateur Tryout Offer (ATO) to join Abbotsford for their playoff push.

Either way, Willander’s decision looms large, and Canucks Nation’s holding its breath.

That’s all for this week, folks. Thank you for tuning in to another week of the Blackfish prospect report.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/blackf...fire-ohl-playoffs-sawyer-mynio-not-lucky-more

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Canucks’ season finally over, lose 4-1 to Vegas

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

For one last time this season, it’s time to react instantaneously to a Canucks game, one that might be Brock Boeser’s last as a Vancouver Canuck.

After a stirring ovation and salute to Boeser, a pair of anthems, and some tedious back-and-forth action, Alex Pietrangelo drew a hooking penalty against Pius Suter, giving the Vegas Golden Knights the evening’s first power play.

In a hilarious sequence, Kiefer Sherwood clipped Pietrangelo’s skate while forechecking on the PK, opening the door for Drew O’Connor to rifle a shot on Akira Schmid shorthanded. Lankinen was sharp over the back-half of the PK, making several point-blank stops on Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev.

No one would fault either club for phoning this one in. Neither clinching the division nor being firmly eliminated from playoffs deterred either club from treating game 82 like it was game one of the 2024-25 playoffs—lots of hits, lots of shot attempt,s and lots of rebound chances from the crease, including Suter’s 25th of the season 8:23 into the game!

1-0 Canucks

VANCOUVER GOAL

Pius Suter scores his 25th goal of the season!

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/8z50nqursl

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

It was a terrific, cheeky little sequence wherein Nils Höglander drew two Vegas skaters to the half-wall before backhanding a pass to a streaking Conor Garland for the turning wrister on Schmid. Suter sashayed across Schmid’s line of sight, picked up Garland’s rebound, and hit 25 goals for the first time in his NHL career. Ka-Ching!

Past the midway point of the period, Howden floated a backhander that pinged off the crossbar and nearly dropped off Lankinen’s back and into the net.

Minutes later, Quinn Hughes had a shot eephus its way over William Karlsson’s stick-blade and Schmid, pinging off the inside of the crossbar and out—weird!

Quinn Hughes hits the post. He comes close to picking up his record setting point.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/kgLqxjGTK2

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

The Golden Knights pretty well controlled the first five minutes-and-change. Aside from Howden’s handful of attempts and ricochet off the bar, it was all Vancouver after Suter’s goal.

Hughes opened the second period with some escape-artist s*** that made colour commentator Ray Ferraro’s jaw drop. Then Elias Pettersson smoked the referee with an outlet pass attempt that got Ferraro and John Shorthouse laughing. It was nice to have fun on the broadcast, even in a game as meaningless and stakes-less as this one.

Five minutes into the period, Jack Eichel drew a tripping penalty against Garland, giving Vegas their second power play of the game. The opening minute of the PK looked like a power play for Vancouver, with the Canucks turning a lost d-zone faceoff into a 3-on-2 rush chance. After regrouping in the neutral zone, the Canucks’ penalty killers played a game of four-corner-keepaway, killing any possible power play momentum for Vegas.

After a spectacularly dominant shift from Hughes, the Knights rallied for a handful of dangerous chances on Lankinen, including a second shot off the post.

Past the midway point of the second, Lankinen made an incredible stop on Dorofeyev, off a beautiful pass from Eichel at the goal line.

Kevin Lankinen robs Vegas' top goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev! What a save!

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/0uEovzS2Ev

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

With five minutes left in the period, Dorofeyev batted down an outlet pass of Pettersson’s at the top of Lankinen’s crease, prompting the Finnish netminder to make his fifth save on the Russian winger.

Later, Teddy Blueger and Tanner Pearson collided inside the neutral zone, resulting in Blueger going down the tunnel as a precaution. Somehow, Pearson came away unscathed. Fortunately, Blueger would return to the game at the start of the third period.

A coverage miscue from Vancouver in the dying minutes of the period led to an equalizer from Victor Olofsson, set up by original misfits Karlsson and the newly acquired Reilly Smith.

1-1 Tie

Victor Olofsson ties the game with 1:27 remaining in the 2nd period.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/B195aQ9Kg8

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

Lankinen’s mysterious absence following the second period added some spice to the game, resulting in Nikita Tolopilo filling in as the team’s reliever for the final twenty.

Tolopilo was sharp to start, turning aside several chances off the rush from Vegas. At one point, Tolopilo got a late touch on a shot from Olofsson, which deflected the puck off the post and wide. Tolopilo would not be so lucky on the next rush chance, as Dorofeyev finally found the back of the net on his sixth shot of the game, breaking the lengthy stalemate.

2-1 Golden Knights

Pavel Dorofeyev beats Nikita Tolopilo with a nice shot. It's 2-1 Vegas.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/bEcBzYsEhe

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

Pettersson would draw a hooking penalty against Howden almost immediately after Dorofeyev’s goal, giving them their first power play opportunity of the game.

Vancouver managed two attempts to Vegas’ one, which is a polite way of saying, “the power play sucked.”

Right as the power play expired, Eichel tipped a point shot from Ben Hutton—yes, that Ben Hutton—stretching Vegas’ lead to two.

3-1 Golden Knights

Jack Eichel tips home a Ben Hutton point shot. It's 3-1 Vegas.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/k8KNcaLf2V

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

Cole Schwindt drew a hooking penalty against Marcus Pettersson a shift later, giving Vegas a third power play opportunity. Fortunately, they didn’t score. Unfortunately, Vegas got Tolopilo doing some aggressive coast-to-coast splits, the kind that got my popliteus aching!

Sherwood threw some hits, which was nice.

Kiefer Sherwood is not treating this like a meaningless game.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/mmhL1HxL6F

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

With less than three minutes left, Tocchet yoinked Tolopilo for the extra attacker, deploying a unit of Boeser, Suter, Garland, Höglander, MPettersson, and Kirill Kudryavtsev.

A turnover in the neutral zone landed on Cole Schwindt’s stick, resulting in his first NHL goal—in game 82 of the season.

4-1 Golden Knights

Cole Schwindt scores his first goal of the season for Vegas. It's 4-1 Knights.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/MzAs1lTfs1

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 17, 2025

Mercifully, this abject failure of a season is finally over.

Hopefully, the club can find a way to keep Boeser beyond this season. Don’t let this disastrous season-ending whimper be the last time we see him as a Canuck.

Happy retirement to Pat O’Neill.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below. And be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver moments after the final horn!

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/instant-reaction-canucks-season-finally-over-lose-4-1-vegas

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Offseason Dreaming: How feasible is a Mitch Marner signing for the Canucks?

You come to us on this, the first day of the Vancouver Canucks’ offseason, and you ask us for more dreaming?

Okay, no problem.

The Canucks’ season has, functionally-speaking, been over for a while. And as exciting as this last run of games has wound up being – five goals in five minutes, the greatest comeback in team history, etc. – there is also an understandable desire from some corners to just get on with it and move on to what promises to be one of the franchise’s most crucial summers ever.

You know us folks at CanucksArmy will be hard at work April through August bringing you predictions, previews, and prognostications, and then tons of analysis about whatever moves the Canucks actually make. But at this early stage in the process, we’re still thinking big. This is Offseason Dreaming, and it’s all about possibility.

Which leads us to today’s topic. There’s no doubt that the Canucks will need to upgrade their forward corps this offseason. There has been a lot of talk about them adding a top-six centre, and with good reason – they clearly need one, and GM Patrik Allvin has highlighted it as a major priority.

But with Brock Boeser departing, and possibly Pius Suter, too, the Canucks will also just need more offence in general, regardless of the position it comes from. And on that front, we can’t help but wonder about the feasibility of the Canucks landing (by far) the biggest difference-maker available through unrestricted free agency this summer.

We’re talking, of course, about Mitch Marner.

The Cost​

Make no mistake here: Marner is the best UFA available, and he will also be the most expensive. AFPAnalytics currently has him predicted at an eight-year term (only possible if he re-signs in Toronto) and an AAV of $12,570,187, which is a lot…and we believe he’ll probably wind up signing for even more than that if he hits the open market.

Players like Marner – who just hit his first official 100-point season, after having paced for that on multiple occasions – just don’t become available as free agents very often. If he’s out there, a bidding war will inevitably ensue, and that will no doubt jack up the price tag.

A reminder that the cap is going up by 8.5% this season, and has similar jumps scheduled for the next two summers after this one, too. If we just apply that inflation to Marner’s current $10,903,000 compensation, it already brings us to $11,829,755. And that’s just a contract that Marner signed as an RFA, after his third NHL season of 94 points in 82 games.

Since that 2019 signing, Marner has piled up another 515 points in 415 games, good for eighth among all NHLers across that same span. He has almost certainly earned a raise, and a raise that would push him well into the range of $12+ million range. A bidding war could drive the price even higher.

So let’s go ahead and say that, were the Canucks to land Marner, they wouldn’t do so for a commitment of any less than a $12 million AAV over a seven-year term.

And that’s the low-end. A $14 million AAV may be more realistic when all is said and done.

For many, that’s the end of the dream. For others, the question becomes: can the Canucks even afford that?

The Salary Fit​

The short answer is ‘kinda,’ and the long answer is ‘yes, but not without some difficulty.’

When we previewed the Canucks’ offseason cap situation, we found them to have about $14.7 million on hand without making any transactions.

Great, that’s what they’d need to sign Marner, right?

The only problem is that the projection was for a roster of just 19 players, and the Canucks usually roll with 23. Spending room of $14.7 million is maybe, just barely enough to sign Marner and three more roster players at league minimum.

And that’s only if Marner signs at his low-end. If he signs at $14 million, say, then that would mean absolutely no room for any further signings.

With that, we’d probably say that, unless the Canucks can open up a bit more cap space, a Marner signing would be difficult to fit under the ceiling.

But the Canucks could, in fact, open up a bit more cap space. Trading Thatcher Demko, for example, and replacing him with a more reasonably-priced backup goalie should open up some $3 million. That, alone, could give the Canucks the breathing room to both sign Marner and fill out the rest of their roster.

But that would require the Canucks either freeing that space up prior to July 1, the opening of free agency, or going into the rest of the offseason over the cap and desperate to shed. Neither is an ideal situation, but they are manageable.

Which leads us to the next question of whether Marner would even be worth all the difficulty.

The Roster Fit​

So, Marner is not a centre. The Maple Leafs have tried him there on a couple of occasions, and it’s never really stuck.

The Canucks’ preference is undoubtedly for a centre. Heading into 2025/26, they’ve got the mercurial Elias Pettersson, the injured Filip Chytil, the sophomore Aatu Räty, and the reliable Teddy Blueger signed up. There is a clear-cut need for somebody else in that mix.

That said, with Boeser’s departure, their wing depth is also suddenly a lot thinner. Right now, the depth chart probably goes Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, and then a hodgepodge of Dakota Joshua, Nils Höglander, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. It’s not exactly a set of world-beaters, and it also clearly needs the addition of another player at or near the top.

Marner would slot in several tiers ahead of DeBrusk.

The issue becomes how to arrange the rest of the top six around Marner. Who do they play him with? One obvious appeal would be to slot him next to Pettersson, in the hopes of fully re-sparking the latter’s offensive game.

That’s all well and good, aside from the stylistic issues that we’ll get to in a moment, but then, who is playing on the second line? It’s looking a little skimpy, especially if Chytil does not return to play.

In this scenario, the Canucks’ need for another top-six centre would remain the same. Unfortunately, there’d be no cap space left over to pursue said top-six centre.

Could the Canucks get away with having so many of their eggs in two baskets, with those baskets being Pettersson and Marner? We’re not so sure.

Time to talk about Marner’s qualities beyond offensive production. He is not, to be sure, a one-dimensional player. He’s an annual recipient of votes for the Selke Trophy and was nominated for it in 2023. He’s an excellent penalty killer, and one can’t help but get a little excited about him and Pettersson forming the most dangerous shorthanded duo in recent history.

But Marner also draws criticisms for both softness and a perceived lack of reliability when the pressure is on, which are the same sorts of criticisms laid at Pettersson’s feet most often. Marner’s reputation has grown a bit since his clutch performance at the 4 Nations, but perhaps not enough to shift the inevitable storylines should he join the Canucks.

We’re not saying that Marner and Pettersson couldn’t work together. We’re just saying that there’d be a lot of naysayers right off the bat, and any struggles along the way would be criticized to the nth degree.

It’s asking a lot of two players who, due to the salary-related restrictions we just talked about, would have to be relied on for the bulk of the offence if they ever occupied the same roster.

The Odds​

We just don’t think it’s going to happen.

With everyone wanting a piece of Marner, in theory, the bidding war will no doubt get intense. On that front, the Canucks are already playing shorthanded due to taxes, and they’d have to make a truly compelling offer to even get Marner to take a sniff. The siren call of tax havens will be strong.

There’s also a very real question of whether Marner would want to leave the media hotbed of Toronto for an only-slightly-less-intense market in Vancouver. If the guy wanted to head somewhere like Carolina after the experience he’s had thus far, everyone would understand.

We get to a point where, in order for Marner to end up a Vancouver Canuck, he’s going to have to want to specifically become a Vancouver Canuck. Were the Canucks able to pitch him on something concrete – maybe the concept of staying in a Canadian market that will build statues of him if he succeeds, just like Toronto, but without the same day-to-day insanity of Toronto – and were Marner to buy that pitch, then the chances increase.

The Canucks won’t be able to make the biggest offer he receives. They won’t be able to offer the most competitive roster. They won’t be able to offer the warmest climate.

Marner either has to choose the Canucks, or the Canucks will have to look elsewhere for their offensive upgrades in the Summer of 2025.

This particular dream is, unfortunately, of the pipe variety.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/offseason-dreaming-how-feasible-mitch-marner-signing-vancouver-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks chase division title with playoffs right around the corner

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 campaign is officially over, falling six points shy of a Western Conference Wild Card spot.

But hockey’s pulse still beats strong in British Columbia, as the Abbotsford Canucks have taken the American League by storm with a franchise record season.

Through 70 games, they’ve already notched 42 wins, soaring past their previous high of 40, set from back-to-back seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

This historic season can be attributed to various hot streaks throughout the year, highlighted by an eight-game winning streak (January 10-January 25) and their most recent 13-game winning streak, which lasted an incredible five-week stretch (March 8-April 6).

The latter marked the AHL’s longest streak of the season and a new franchise best for the Canucks’ entire affiliated history.

With 72 games in each AHL season, each Pacific Division team has two games remaining, and all have ample reasons to play their best for this final stretch.

At the top of the division sits a three-way race to first place. While the Colorado Eagles hold an incredible advantage, needing just one point to clinch that spot, it’s anyone’s for the taking.

Why is first place important, you ask? The winner of the Pacific Division earns a first-round bye and an automatic berth in the Divisional semifinals.

Below, we will discuss how the AHL playoffs work, specifically for the Pacific Division.

For the Canucks, they can finish first, second or third place in the Division and of course, the final game of the season is an important match against the very team they are fighting with – the Ontario Reign.

If first place is out of range, it behooves the Canucks to finish second, as the seventh and final placed team will either be the Tucson Roadrunners (72 points) or Bakersfield Condors (70 points), both of whom would come in as the lower seeded team within the Pacific Division.

The good news is that no matter where the Canucks finish, they will have home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. As of today, the Canucks’ first-round foe — if they don’t snag the bye — remains unclear. A handful of points separates the fourth-through-sixth seeds, and a weekend shakeup could shuffle matchups in a big way.

The playoff breakdown can be confusing for those new to the American League. So, let’s break it all down.

The AHL’s Pacific Division playoff format is unique. Ten teams vie for seven spots, unlike the Central, North, and Atlantic, which hold just seven or eight teams.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Round One (Play-In): The top seed gets a bye; seeds 2-7 face off in best-of-three series (2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5).

Abbotsford advanced past this round last year, edging Colorado in Game 3.

• Round Two (Divisional Semifinals): The bye team returns; four teams play a best-of-five series.

The Canucks fell here in 2023-24, swept by Ontario in three.

• Round Three (Divisional Finals): Best-of-five for the Pacific title.
• Round Four (Conference Finals): Best-of-seven, Pacific vs. Central champion.
• Round Five (Calder Cup Finals): Best-of-seven for the AHL crown.

Five rounds, scaling from three to seven games, stand between Abbotsford and the Calder Cup.

So while just two games remain in the season, with home-ice advantage already locked up, there is no shortage of incentives to play for. That goes for the Canucks, and all eight teams still in the running for placements.

Luckily for the Canucks, they are about to enjoy a significant influx of reinforcements. On Thursday, the morning after Vancouver’s final regular-season game, the club announced a string of marquee reassignments to their affiliated club.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the following players have been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL):

– D Kirill Kudryavtsev
– D Victor Mancini
– F Aatu Räty
– F Linus Karlsson
– F Max Sasson
– F Ty Mueller
– G Nikita Tolopilo

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 17, 2025

Of course, there was one key omission. Elias Pettersson, the defenceman, will not be joining for the playoff festivities. The club failed to “paper” the player down to the minor leagues at this year’s trade deadline, resulting in him being ineligible for reassignment.

With only so many AHL call-ups beyond the deadline, the Canucks deemed the young rookie ready to play NHL games full-time this season. Whatever their reasoning, Pettersson is not eligible to be sent down and play playoff games for the Abbotsford Canucks.

However, with a fully loaded Abbotsford lineup, they are ready to face their final two stops in Coachella Valley and Ontario, California, to capture that coveted first place in the division.

With so much uncertainty, the playoff schedule has yet to be announced. However, games should kick off between April 21 and 27.

CanucksArmy will have full coverage of their playoff journey — stay tuned.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbots...ision-title-with-playoffs-right-around-corner

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

‘I’ve always wanted to be a Canuck’: Thatcher Demko says he wants to extend in Vancouver

With one season left on his contract before reaching unrestricted free agency, Vancouver Canucks’ goaltender Thatcher Demko is eligible for an extension beginning July 1st, 2025. Canucks Conversation co-host Harman Dayal asked Demko whether he anticipates if the Canucks and him will discuss an extension.

“I’ve always wanted to be a Canuck. Since day one I’ve wanted to be here. I was drafted here. I’d like to get an extension done and stay here. That’s something that Patrik [Allvin] and my agent will start talking about.”

He won’t take an active role in negotiations, however.

“I’ll let them focus on that. I’m focused on getting myself back to where I know I can be. Everything will play itself out.”

Demko is in the final season of the five-year, $25 million contract he signed in March of 2021, worth an average annual value of $5 million. A stalwart for the Canucks, their recent success has almost entirely depended on his goaltending. Last season’s remarkable turnaround was largely due to Demko’s Vezina-calibre season. Previously, he emerged as a proverbial brick wall in the 2020 playoff bubble. In those four appearances, the goalkeeper posted a .985 save percentage and an otherworldly 0.64 goals against average.

Over the last three seasons, Demko’s health has become a legitimate concern, as he has suffered from numerous ailments that have kept him out of action for extended periods or hindered his performance when available. Even when attending Boston College, the young goalie fought through hip issues. In April 2015, he had hip surgery and was only then able to live pain-free and regain full hip movement. When healthy, he’s one of the best goaltenders on the planet. Unfortunately, he’s earned the label of injury-prone, and that could make extension negotiations tricky.

Girding themselves from the possibility that Demko leaves as a free agent, the Canucks signed journeyman goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a large extension of his own after a very successful first season in Vancouver. Far less accomplished and older than Demko, Lankinen has been durable during his time in the NHL. Beginning on July 1st, 2025, the Finnish goaltender’s five-year, $22.5 million contract locks him into at least a platoon role.

A Demko extension would come with the understanding that they would form a long-term platoon partnership.

“I think [Lankinen] deserved every dollar he got. He had a great season for us this year. He kept us alive through stretches of the season. He’s been a great goalie partner for me and I’ve really enjoyed working with him and having him around. They committed to him and I don’t think that changes how I feel about coming back or being here. I’ve enjoyed working with him and I think that relationship would be really healthy.”

Although the Canucks lined up Lankinen, Demko remains very wide open about wanting to sign an extension and remain with the team that drafted him. It’s a positive development that despite the chaos and malaise that has gripped the organization, that a long time member of the core wants to remain a Vancouver Canuck.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/always...ck-thatcher-demko-says-wants-extend-vancouver

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL Notebook: A pair of coaches fired and NHL draft lottery odds set

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

The Vancouver Canucks season has ended and now all eyes are focused on next season. But first, they have some offseason decisions ahead of them. Will they re-sign their free agents, Brock Boeser, Pius Suter or Derek Forbort? What trades are they going to make to try and help fill the second line centre void? Will they re-sign head coach Rick Tocchet?

If they don’t re-sign Tocchet, there are a few more coaching options for the Canucks and destinations for Tocchet if he moves on after the news from earlier on Saturday:

Coach firings​

Anaheim Ducks fires Greg Cronin

After a 62-87-15 record over his two seasons as Ducks bench boss, Anaheim has elected to move on from Cronin. The move doesn’t come as a surprise, given that some of the young stars on the team struggled to utilize their offensive talent effectively. However, the Ducks saw an impressive 21-point improvement from last season.

Cronin began his coaching career at the University of Maine of the NCAA from 1995-1996. He wouldn’t find another head coaching job until 2005, when he joined the Northeastern Huskies for the following six seasons. Cronin then bounced around the NHL and minor league affiliates before landing his first NHL head coaching job in Anaheim.

New York Rangers fires Peter Laviolette

Just one season after winning the President’s Trophy, the Rangers relieved Laviolette of his duties as coach of the Rangers. After an impressive 55-23-4 first season, Laviolette and the Rangers followed that up with a 39-36-7 record and missed the playoffs. Unlike Cronin, Laviolette saw a decrease of 29 points in his second year.

Laviolette has been a journeyman coach in the NHL. He’s head-coached the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals before joining the Rangers. During his time in Carolina, he helped the franchise win its first Stanley Cup in team history in 2005-2006. He also took the Flyers (2009-2010) and the Predators (2016-2017) to the Stanley Cup finals, but in losing efforts.

Unlike Cronin, Laviolette has a proven track record of winning in the NHL, and with numerous job openings this summer, he will likely be high on many teams’ radars for their coaching vacancies.

NHL draft lottery odds​

With the conclusion of the regular season, all eliminated teams now get into draft mode and know what odds they have for the upcoming draft.

Here are the draft lottery odds for all eliminated teams and their chances at landing the number one overall pick:

1. San Jose Sharks – 18.5%

2. Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%

3. Nashville Predators – 11.5%

4. Philadelphia Flyers – 9.5%

5. Boston Bruins – 8.5%

6. Seattle Kraken – 7.5%

7. Buffalo Sabres – 6.5%

8. Anaheim Ducks – 6.0%

9. Pittsburgh Penguins – 5.0%

10. New York Islanders – 3.5%

11. New York Rangers – 3.0%

12. Detroit Red Wings – 2.5%

13. Columbus Blue Jackets – 2.0%

14. Utah Hockey Club – 1.5%

15. Vancouver Canucks – 0.5%

16. Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary Flames) – 0.5%

Now, the numbers don’t tell the entire story, as if teams win the lottery, they are only able to move up 10 positions. This means Detroit can only move up to second overall, Columbus to third overall, Utah to fourth overall, Vancouver to fifth overall and Montreal (via Calgary) to sixth overall. So the extra 7% from teams 12-16 goes to the Sharks, giving them a 25.5% chance to select first overall.

The top of the lottery odds are very similar to last season, as the Sharks won the draft lottery last season with the best odds, while the Blackhawks stayed put at second. San Jose selected forward Macklin Celebrini, and Chicago drafted defenceman Artom Levshunov.

However, if either of these two teams wins the draft lottery, they will not be eligible to select first overall in the following seasons, as teams can only win the draft lottery twice in a five-year time span.

After trading their first-round pick to the Canucks in the JT Miller trade (which was then flipped to Pittsburgh for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor), the Rangers have a decision to make. The pick is top-13 protected, so if they hold their position, New York can elect to keep this pick, and the pick now transfers to an unprotected 2026 first-round pick. The 2026 draft is projected to be a much deeper draft than this season.

There seems to be a consensus top-five players for this draft class, highlighted by Erie Otters (OHL) defenceman Matthew Scheafer, Saginaw Spirits (OHL) centreman Michael Misa, Boston College (NCAA) centreman James Hagens, Brampton Battalion (OHL) right-winger Porter Martone and Djurgardens (SHL) centreman Anton Frondell.

If the Canucks win the draft lottery, they could jump up to as high as fifth overall, where they will have the opportunity to pick one of the top five options.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-pair-coaches-fired-nhl-draft-lottery-odds-set

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Paterson’s Point: Weighing wants vs. needs as Canucks begin offseason roster reconstruction

As 16 teams begin their march toward the Stanley Cup this spring, the Vancouver Canucks start off into an offseason of uncertainty. After failing to qualify for the post-season for the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, it’s obvious the Canucks need upgrades in a number of areas.

In a salary cap world – even as the cap escalates – it may not be possible for the Canucks to accomplish everything on their wishlist over the next few months. But it’s clear this team needs to find ways to address elements of roster construction in an effort to return to the playoffs as early as next season. Of course, the end goal isn’t just making the playoffs, but building a team that can contend for the Cup. With that in mind, here are a number of areas that are either wants or needs with a ranking from one to 10 in order of importance:

Skill and scoring – absolute need (10/10)​

There’s simply no question the Canucks need to upgrade the top of their lineup. With no forwards cresting 30 goals or 50 points this season, the team needs to figure out a way to bring in a couple of high-end forwards over the summer months. They won’t come cheap, but failure on management’s part to solve this equation is not an option – especially if the team loses two of its top three goal-scorers to free agency. The Canucks finished the season 23rd in the league in offence and that was with one of the best play drivers in the league in Quinn Hughes on the roster. Obviously, the Canucks need Elias Pettersson to return to form, but that alone won’t be enough.

Speed – need (8/10)​

Mid-season additions Filip Chytil and Drew O’Connor brought an injection of speed to the lineup, but according to NHL Edge data the Canucks still finished the season in the bottom half of the league in a variety of measured bursts. The league average for bursts over 22 miles per hour was 80 and the Canucks finished with just 41. They also fell well off the pace for bursts between 20 and 22 miles per hour. Names like Nik Ehlers and Jack Roslovic make sense as free agent targets because both measure up as elite skaters with Ehlers in the 90th percentile for top speed while Roslovic ranked in the 80th percentile.

Physicality – want (6/10)​

Let’s face it, the 2024-25 Vancouver Canucks were not a difficult team to play against. Sure, Kiefer Sherwood brought an element of grit every night leading the league in hits. But beyond that, few Canucks left a mark on opponents with any kind of regularity. Dakota Joshua has size, but needs to play with more snarl as he rounds out his game. Defenceman Elias Pettersson looks like he’ll bring edge as part of his repertoire as he becomes a mainstay on the blueline.

But if this team wants to develop into the type of group that can go deep into the playoffs, it has to assemble more players that initiate contact to wear down opponents. Nils Höglander and Conor Garland can both play the pest role, but there is still room on this roster for a few more players that are combative and hard to handle. The game has changed since Rick Tocchet struck fear into opponents, but it remains a contact sport. You have to believe the Canucks coach would like a few more players that were cut from the same cloth he was.

Veteran leadership – want (4/10)​

This was a group incapable of policing itself this season and a simmering feud between star players boiled over into one of the biggest stories around the league. The Canucks never replaced quality veterans like Luke Schenn and Ian Cole who commanded respect inside that room. While there are more pressing priorities for management this summer (see above), don’t be surprised if the Canucks look to add a veteran that has been through the battles at the NHL level.

This isn’t a suggestion to go out and overpay to bring in Jay Beagle 2.0, but if the organization can identify a player with a sterling reputation that can add a layer of necessary leadership to that locker room, it may be a wise investment to help the Canucks chart a better course than the team took this past season.

Depth help – want (2/10)​

With 16 different players appearing for both Vancouver and Abbotsford this season, the Canucks got a pretty good sense of what they’ve got on the farm. And it’s clear a number of players are in position to push for full time NHL employment as early as training camp. So it seems unlikely the organization will seek to add much around the fringes in free agency. However, the Canucks simply can not find themselves in the same bind they did on two occasions this season where they did not have a third string goalie they trusted to perform at the NHL level.

With Thatcher Demko’s spotty health history, the Canucks need a third goalie on the depth chart that can not only spell off Kevin Lankinen but can deliver victories. Perhaps it’s Arturs Silovs although his usage this season suggests a disconnect between coach and player. So maybe Nikita Tolopilo can be that guy next season.

Or maybe the Canucks have to look outside the organization for a player with NHL experience who fits the bill. It’s a crowded organizational depth chart at the goaltending position. But does quantity equate to quality? It didn’t this season and as a result the club leaned too heavily on Lankinen at times. In a world where every point matters, the Canucks can’t carry a third stringer that can only beat the lowly Blackhawks.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/paters...canucks-begin-offseason-roster-reconstruction

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

JPat’s Monday Canucks Mailbag: Is Tom Willander now a trade chip to address areas of need?

The offseason is officially upon us. Last season, the Vancouver Canucks played until the May long weekend. This time around, they didn’t even make it to Easter. It means we will all have a little too much time on our hands for the next four and a half months.

FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS? Hopefully, the Monday mailbag will help you pass a few of those idle moments. Obviously, people’s attention is turning to what’s ahead. And there is no question management has plenty on its plate to get this team back into the post-season. We will continue to field you queries over the weeks and months to come. The mailbag may get scaled back at some point over the summer, but until then, if you continue to submit questions, we’ll do our best each week to answer them. So let’s jump right in.

Who are a few ex-Canucks in the playoffs we could be cheering for?

— Intergalactic Potato (@arcticroosterz) April 19, 2025

There are plenty of former Canucks vying for the Stanley Cup: Travis Green, Nolan Baumgartner, Mike Yeo, Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore and Travis Hamonic in Ottawa. Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Toronto. Jacob Markstrom, Curtis Lazar, Justin Dowling, and Daniel Sprong in New Jersey. Jalen Chatfield and Riley Stillman in Carolina. Nic Dowd, Anthony Beauvillier, and Ethan Bear in Washington. Nate Schmidt and Jonah Gadjovich in Florida.

Luke Schenn in Winnipeg. Casey DeSmtih in Dallas. Andrei Kuzmenko and Kyle Burroughs in Los Angeles. Tanner Pearson and Ben Hutton in Vegas. Jimmy Vesey in Colorado. Troy Stecher and Vasily Podkolzin in Edmonton. If I’ve done my homework, Tampa, Montreal, St. Louis and Minnesota are the only teams without former Canucks on their playoff playing rosters.

With the Willander situation, is it better to view him as a potential trade chip now or keep believing he'll sign?

— Key18 (@key18.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T18:22:15.569Z

I still think Tom Willander will sign with the Canucks and be with the team at training camp. Clearly this saga has taken a few twists and turns since Willander’s college season ended. But I still think the two sides will find a way to bridge whatever gaps have arisen in contract talks.

I will say this is one of the topics I’m most anticipating Patrik Allvin to address at his year-end media availability on Monday morning. At that point, I hope we’ll all have a better sense of where things stand and where they’re headed with the team’s 2023 first rounder.

Will the coaching staff remain intact?

— Dime Store Greaser (@daveyboy604) April 19, 2025

Based on Rick Tocchet’s comments on Friday, it certainly sounds like he’s open to change. Of course, it’s still possible that Tocchet himself is the change. However, if Tocchet returns then his review of Sergei Gonchar’s part time arrangement didn’t sound like it was likely to continue. Now perhaps Gonchar will be offered a full time position. Or maybe the club will have to look elsewhere for more help. But after a disappointing season like this one, it feels like there ought to be a new voice or two introduced to the mix.

Why does ownership get a pass on this mess? They are the only constant over the past decade. Also are Rutherford and Alvin handcuffed by ownership?

— KootenayD (@kootenayD) April 19, 2025

I don’t think ownership gets a pass at all. Certainly not in the circles I travel. There is plenty of blame for a lost season like this one and ownership can’t escape the finger pointing. I heard and saw plenty of pushback to the announced ticket price increases. Fans deserve far more for their hard-earned money than 17 home wins in 41 games.

The owners here have always been willing to spend to the cap and for that they should be commended. But the ongoing practice facility saga is an ownership issue as is the team’s track record over the past decade. We used to hear from ownership in a letter to season ticket members and on social media. That communication seems to have ceased. Now fans are just expected to buck up without any indication of what the owners are thinking or feeling.

I’d imagine they can’t be thrilled with the sunk season that didn’t yield playoff home dates. But I don’t know that for sure because no one ever hears from ownership directly any more. As for the second part of the question, it didn’t sound like a season fraught with direct ownership interference. But standing pat and holding on to pending free agents at the trade deadline doesn’t look good on anyone and if that was done with an eye to a playoff push, then it’s fair to ask what role the owners had in that decision.

We are big fans of Dakota Joshua having watched him at Ohio State, what are you all looking for in the next step of his development?

— Boll’s Battery (@bollsbattery.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T18:29:10.756Z

This year’s Masterton nominee gets a degree of grace for the hurdles he had to clear just to play this season. But Joshua, himself, wasn’t looking for any kind of free pass. Although he showed some signs of his former self down the stretch, he needs to put this season in the past and come back better than ever.

He’s one of the team’s biggest forwards and the Canucks need him to use his size effectively. He’s an affable guy, but sometimes seems to play the game that way, too. I’d like to see him develop a little more snarl. With 18 goals in 63 games to earn a new contract last summer, he showed he can be a 20-goal guy at this level. But so much of it starts with consistency.

Guys like Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland bring the same effort level every night. Joshua needs to find a way to raise his baseline so that his quiet games are louder and his loud games allow him to be a difference maker. He certainly has more to give and with a clean bill of health and full summer to train, hopefully Dakota Joshua returns to the form he displayed for much of the previous season.

The Canucks are overdue for a uniform “refresh” . Any scoop on that?

— itsmedino (@dinofromyvr) April 19, 2025

No scoops at all here. I haven’t heard a thing about uniforms or logos. I think the franchise likes the base colours of blue, green, and white. But I also think the organization has listened to the fans and served up a steady diet of the black skate jersey. I am not expecting that to change in the near future. I just don’t want to see any more of that Canucks/Grizzlies mashup. Whoever came up with that monstrosity should be repositioned in the organization.

Fav cocktail/Alcoholic beverage to have as a reward during the off season?

— ✦ ⬡ Rachel (@rachie_bb) April 19, 2025

I’m ready for a summer of patio beers after a round of golf – maybe the best beer there is. But if we’re talking true cocktails, then pour me an Old Fashioned and I’ll be happy.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/jpats-...m-willander-now-trade-chip-address-areas-need

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Rutherford: Canucks will not use Tocchet’s team option; expects decision this week

While there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the future of Rick Tocchet as the Vancouver Canucks head coach, we now know that the team option on his contract will not be used.

During the Canucks’ end-of-season media availability, Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford announced that the team has no intention of using the team option in Tocchet’s contract if he doesn’t want to stay with the team.

“We don’t feel it’s right to have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else,” said Rutherford. “And I’d say that about anybody, this is not just about [Tocchet].”

Tocchet is in the final year of his contract as head coach of the Canucks, and there is still uncertainty as to if he will return. He does have a team option that, if used, would add another year to his contract and keep him on the Canucks for an additional season.

Rutherford also mentioned that negotiations with Tocchet are ongoing and that they expect a decision from him sometime this week.

Tocchet coached the Canucks to a 38-30-14 record, one that was not good enough for the playoffs, although it came amidst a chaotic season.

“We believe, and I believe, that [Tocchet] and his coaching staff did as good of a job coaching this team this year as they did the year before, when he was coach of the year,” said Rutherford.

While some of the chaos dealt to the Canucks was due to some injuries and bad luck, a driving narrative throughout the season was the conflict between centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, one that led to Miller getting traded to the New York Rangers.

“With all that going on, how [Tocchet] handled the situation and how he handled the team was really good,” said Rutherford. “So I give him and his staff kudos for the job they did this year.”

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/ruther...cchets-team-option-expects-decision-this-week

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

What would it actually take for the Canucks to trade for Jack and Luke Hughes?

If you asked the New Jersey Devils whether or not the Vancouver Canucks broke a rule in Monday’s end of season press conference, they’d probably say one word: “J’accuse”, or in English, “Jack Hughes!”.

Canucks president Jim Rutherford made waves when he hinted that Quinn Hughes might see playing with his brothers Jack and Luke as a bigger priority if the Canucks can’t construct a winner around him. But then he kept going, suggesting that the Canucks might need to try and bring Jack and Luke to Vancouver, before walking it back by adding “we gotta be careful of tampering here,” a moment far too late.

“He (Quinn Hughes) has said before he wants to play with his brothers. That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.” – Jim Rutherford

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/P2P0C0xjMd

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 21, 2025

And while Rutherford’s not allowed to tamper, we sure are. So let’s live in this fantasy for a moment, shall we?

Let’s say Jack and Luke Hughes were on the table for the Canucks to grab. What kind of trade deal, besides massive, would it take?

The Devils are a team that considers itself at the height of their competitive window, and Jack Hughes is the face of that era. The former first overall pick has led a renaissance in New Jersey, making them one of the most entertaining teams in the NHL to watch. And if not for a shoulder injury ending Jack’s season last month, the Devils would likely be challenging for the Stanley Cup, as opposed to getting stormed by the Carolina Hurricanes without him.

Any package for a player of Jack’s name recognition is going to have to start with a top prospect and a current star player. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald certainly wouldn’t part with a marquee player like Jack for anyone less than an Elias Pettersson-calibre name back, as a start. The obligatory backpack full of draft picks, with at least one unprotected first-rounder and a few seconds, would still be a price too low.

Tom Willander is probably part of that conversation, too. With Jonathan Lekkerimäki already firmly entrenched in the Canucks’ farm system, Willander’s lack of an NHL contract is the only caveat towards him being a cornerstone prospect in a trade for the Hughes. But Luke’s a 40-point defender in his own right, and Willander likely still needs to marinate in the AHL for a bit. If you’re the Devils, who were already forced to punt on this season with Jack’s season ended by shoulder surgery, is all that enough to scoop both of Quinn’s brothers?

The reality is no. Beyond the on-ice product itself, it’s hard to imagine Devils’ ownership being willing to part with two players who’ve sold the New Jersey product better than any player since Martin Brodeur. And with the two against one vote, they know they’d just need to wait out the clock to take a run at signing Quinn in free agency and locking up one of the best trios in the league long term.

Which means the Canucks are going to have to take the path we already knew they would; aggressively building a titan around Quinn that’s far too talented for him to leave. If Rutherford and Patrik Allvin can be half as bold in the trade market and free agency as they were in that Monday press conference, they’ll put together a team worth staying for. A different kind of brotherhood.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/what-would-actually-take-vancouver-canucks-trade-for-jack-luke-hughes

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

NHL not pursuing tampering charges against Canucks after Rutherford’s comments on Hughes brothers: report

Looks like Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford might have saved himself from himself for once.

According to Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal, the NHL is not pursuing any charges of tampering against the Canucks following comments from Rutherford at Monday’s end of season press conference.

I have been told the NHL is not looking at any tampering charges against the #Canucks regarding Jim Rutherford's comments yesterday about the Hughes brothers in New Jersey.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 22, 2025

The moment in question came as Rutherford fielded a question about extending captain Quinn Hughes, who currently has two years remaining on his contract. Rutherford said that it may be about more than money, as the 25-year-old hopes to play alongside his brothers one day.

“It may not boil down to money with him,” said Rutherford. “He’s said before he wants to play with his brothers, and that would be partly out of our control; in our control, if we brought his brothers here.”

Pushed on the subject of possibly trading for the Hughes brothers, he added that he needed to be cautious with his words.

“We got to be careful with tampering here, so we’ll just leave it at that,” he said. “I probably crossed the line anyways.”

Tampering refers to a team attempting to persuade a player under contract with another team to join their roster without going through the proper channels. In this case, Rutherford should have avoided speaking publicly about Jack and Luke’s impact on Quinn Hughes signing in Vancouver long term, as they’re both under contract with the New Jersey Devils (Jack is signed long-term, while Luke is set to become an RFA this summer). With tampering, the fines can be hefty, with the possibility of losing draft picks as well.

And while many in New Jersey media were quick to crucify Rutherford for his comments, it’ll come as a relief that the NHL reportedly doesn’t have any interest in looking into this matter as a serious case of tampering. With the Ottawa Senators being a recent example of a team losing a first-round draft pick for a management error, it’s something no fan wants to see happen to their team, especially after the Canucks have had their share of bad luck already this season.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-no...r-rutherfords-comments-hughes-brothers-report

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

What the Islanders moving on from Lou Lamoriello could mean for the Canucks

Once the playoffs get underway and the eliminated teams have completed their end-of-season media availabilities, we start seeing movement behind the bench and in the head offices.

We’ve seen the Anaheim Ducks and the New York Rangers part ways with their coaches last weekend, with the Seattle Kraken making changes behind the bench after firing Dan Bylsma and in their upper management, elevating Ron Francis to President of Hockey Operations and promoting Jason Botterill to General Manager.

But yesterday, we saw the New York Islanders join the mix and make a move in their front office.

We’ll break that down and what it potentially means for the Vancouver Canucks.

New York Islanders move on from GM Lou Lamoriello​

On Tuesday morning, the New York Islanders announced that they’ve decided not to renew the contract of long-time NHL journeyman General Manager Lou Lamoriello.

#Isles News: The New York Islanders organization announced today that Lou Lamoriello's contract as President and General Manager will not be renewed. Effective immediately, Operating Partner John Collins will lead a search to find the next General Manager.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 22, 2025

New York announced that Operations Partner John Collins will lead the search for the next General Manager. They also released this statement in their press release:

“The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years. His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.”

Lamoriello started his executive career in 1987, when he was named Team President of the New Jersey Devils. He spent the following 28 seasons in New Jersey, 27 of which were as General Manager. During his tenure as GM, the Devils made the playoffs in 22 of those 27 seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals five times: winning in 1995, 2000, and 2003, and losing in 2001 and 2012.

After so much success, Lamoriello stepped down as GM, passing the torch to the now-late Ray Shero, but would remain with the organization as Team President. That lasted just a few months before he resigned from his role with the Devils and took the GM job of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He would spend the following three seasons in Toronto, where they would make the playoffs in two of his three seasons, both resulting in first-round knockouts. In what was a similar situation to how his time ended in New Jersey, Lamoriello was asked to stay on as a Special Advisor. However, that would only last a few months before he was offered the President of Hockey Operations job of the Islanders.

And just two weeks into his time in New York, Lamoriello cleaned house, firing both Head Coach Doug Weight and GM Garth Snow, appointing himself as the new GM.

In New York, Lamoriello would turn the Islanders around. After missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for two straight seasons, Lamoriello brought the Islanders back into a playoff spot for five of his seven seasons. They did not make the Stanley Cup Finals under Lamoriello, but they took the Tampa Bay Lightning to Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the two seasons they won the Stanley Cup – pretty impressive for a team that lacked a true superstar.

We highlight this to demonstrate the level of success Lamoriello has achieved throughout his 38-year career as GM among various stops. Which leads us to our next point.

With all that success, you don’t ever want to lose it. And at the prime age of 82, going through a rebuild doesn’t sound appetizing. So, now that the Islanders have somewhat reached that mushy-middle, where they aren’t contenders, but also aren’t bad enough to earn themselves a top pick in the draft, what is their true direction?

The Islanders have one of the oldest rosters in the league. They have just Mat Barzal (28), Maxim Tsyplakov (27) and Simon Holmstrom (24) who will be under the age of 30 in their top-nine forward corps heading into next season. Anders Lee (35), Casey Cizikas (34), JG Pageau (32), Bo Horvat (30), Anthony Duclair (30), and, if he re-signs, Kyle Palmieri (34) round out that forward group.

However, they do have some youth on the backend, with Noah Dobson (25), Alexander Romanov (25) and a potentially re-signed Adam Boqvist (25). Ryan Pulock (30), Adam Pelech (31) and Scott Mayfield (32) round out their top-six defencemen.

If your team is in the mushy-middle with young players as they strive toward developing as a group and have the promise to make the NHL playoffs in the coming years, then it’s acceptable until you get there. However, if you find yourself in this situation with an aging core, you’ve now lost your direction and need a change.

Lamiorello was going to continue to buy into his aging core. But the Islanders couldn’t afford to do that anymore. So what does this mean for the Canucks?

What this means for the Canucks​

Well, it might be premature to say the Islanders need a full rebuild. They have some promising prospects in the pipeline. Recently acquired in the Brock Nelson trade, Calum Ritchie (70 points in 47 games), and home-growing talent in 2024 first-round pick Cole Eiserman (36 points in 39 games) and 2023 second-round pick Danny Nelson (26 points in 36 games).

But outside of them, that’s really it.

They need to rebuild their shelves. And how do you do that? Trade some of your players who might be out of their prime by the time those prospects are ready to play. Not only will that help restock the pipeline with more players that will fit that competitive window, but it will also likely lead to you playing poorly to grab a higher pick in what is projected to be a strong 2026-2027 draft.

That’s where the Canucks come into play. A team that desperately needs to revamp its forward corps, and more importantly, its centre ice position.

Could a homecoming make sense for either Mat Barzal or Bo Horvat? Both have trade protection, with Barzal carrying a 22-team no-trade clause and Horvat having a full no-trade clause. So both players would have to want to come to Vancouver. However, at their ages, they might not want to stick around for a rebuild and might be more inclined to waive to win.

Jim Rutherford came out and said they would likely need to go through the trade route to help fix their centre position. He also mentioned how they’ve done a great job of not shipping off their young players. But does that change this season with how expensive it’s going to be? Was that all a hint from Rutherford as to what they’re planning on doing this offseason? Maybe trading a certain unsigned NCAA right-shot defenceman?

These two teams could be ideal trade partners, with a new face on the horizon who will likely seek to make changes as the Islanders transition toward the future.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/what-n...ng-from-lou-lamoriello-mean-vancouver-canucks

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Farmies: Abby Canucks take Game 1 at home, defeating Tucson 4-3

Contrary to the typical narrative, the first round of the AHL playoffs is a sprint.

Not a marathon.

With just three games to play, it’s the first team to two wins, and as Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra mentioned before puck drop, there’s no time to work things out as you go.

“There’s no real room to dip your toe in and weigh into a series,” Malhotra said. “You have to come out ready to play from the start, and there’s not a lot of room for error.”

For the first time, the Tucson Roadrunners and the Abbotsford Canucks squared off in the playoffs and with an accomplished franchise best 44 wins, the Canucks earned home-ice advantage for the opening round.

That means that all three games, if necessary, will be played at the Abbotsford Centre.

On Wednesday, things kicked off for game one, which ended up being an entertaining and nail-biting result.

Despite a sloppy start, the Canucks took over the game, scoring three second period goals to take a commanding lead. Unwilling to go down without a fight, the Roadrunners made the game close, getting things to within just one goal.

A late, and we mean late, penalty shot forced Arturs Silovs to stand tall and ice the game for an opening game victory.

Let’s check out how things went down.

Starting lineup

With most of their top brass brought in from Vancouver, the home team iced one of the more potent AHL squads leaguewide.

Whether it’s a Stanley Cup Champion like Sammy Blais, a longstanding AHL veteran such as Christian Wolanin, and a plethora of highly skilled youngsters, the Abbotsford Canucks were filled with enough talent to make any team nervous.

Bains – Räty – Lekkerimäki
Di Giuseppe – Sasson – Karlsson
Blais – Mueller – Klimovich
Khaira – Wouters – Nielsen

Wolanin – Mancini
Brisebois – Woo
Hirose – Kudryavtsev

Silovs

First period: Perfect execution, unfortunate result

The first few moments saw some back-and-forth neutral zone play, with several offside plays and time-consuming whistles. Nerves are always an expected element of opening games, and this one was no different.

The Roadrunners grabbed the game’s first shot, with Austin Poganski collecting the puck before driving hard to the net.

While Silovs made the save, it sparked a spirited playoff-esque skirmish in the blue paint to shed some nerves.

Once the game saw its first brou-haha happen, things opened up with an advantage to the home team.

Just a few shifts later, the Canucks conceded the games first penalty, with Linus Karlsson serving two minutes for high-sticking.

Kalrsson is public enemy number one on a good day, and in the playoffs, you can expect a lot of abrasiveness from him.

Tucson’s man advantage lasted only half the time, with them failing to generate a single shot on net. Off a chipped-out puck, the Roadrunners kicked off a quick change where Arshdeep Bains forced a too-many-men call.

From here, the Canucks begun to wake up and take over the game’s momentum.

Victor Mancini went to work off the ensuing four-on-four face-off, showcasing his fluid skating and puck protection skills. Sending the puck to the net, Max Sasson got a stick on the puck to post the Canucks’ first shot of the series.

Moments later, the home team would pick up the game’s top chance, courtesy of Max Sasson, who was all over the ice throughout the first frame.

Gaining the zone himself, Sasson’s puck found its way to Aatu Räty, who slid it back to Sasson to force Matthew Villalta to make his best save.

They kept the charge going.

Showing incredible speed, Bains broke the ice before sliding the puck to a rushing Räty. Showing off his vision, he snuck the puck toward Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who broke in all alone before firing it five-hole.

That momentum finally produced results.

Abbotsford goal – 1-0 – Tristen Nielsen from Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois

Stemming from a strong reverse hit by the captain, Chase Wouters, the puck found its way to Guillaume Brisebois. Rather than shooting, he found Jett Woo, who sent over the perfect cross-ice feed toward Tristen Nielsen.

With his stick in the right place, Nielsen redirected the puck past the netminder to light the roof on fire and open the postseason scoring.

After a few additional looks from the home team, the Roadrunners responded with a late Tally.

Tucson goal – 1-1 – Hunter Drew from Montana Onyebuchi and Travis Barron

Following a failed clearing attempt from not one, but two Canucks, Montana Onyebuchi sent the puck toward the net. Stationed in the slot, Hunter Drew got the stick on it for the perfect deflection past Arturs Silovs.

Alhough thr scoreboard, nor the shot tracker would show it, the Canucks came out strong and maintained most of the opening frame’s pressure. They spent several moments inside the Roadrunners’ end, providing a good forecheck and speed.

Alas, it was a 1-1 stalemate through 20 minutes.

Shots: ABB 7, TUC 8 | Score: ABB 1, TUC 1

Second period: Rewarded

The Roadrunners kciled off the middle frame with a penalty, sending the Canucks to their second attempt of the game.

Following Christian Wolanin’s double toe drag, he sent the puck toward Sammy Blais, who had his shot blocked.

Turning things up the ice quickly, Austin Poganski rushed up, looking for a shorthanded breakaway. With Wolanin catching up, he settled for the blocker shot, which was set aside with ease by Silovs.

At the other end, they made things count.

Abbotsford goal – 2-1 – Sammy Blais from Phil Di Giuseppe and Arshdeep Bains

Thanks to a nice second effort to keep the puck from Bains, he moved the puck up to Phil Di Giuseppe, who gave it to Sammy Blais.

Leaning into it, Blais teed up a howitzer, beating Villalta clean up top to give the Canucks their second lead of the game.

Enjoying that one-goal lead, things got quiet midway through the period, with little action at either end.

The Canucks did enjoy a penalty kill during that time, allowing just one semi-good chance.

They took that kill and ran with it.

Abbotsford goal – 3-1 – Linus Karlsson from Arshdeep Bains and Kirill Kudryavtsev

Off the transition, Arshdeep Bains made the perfect heads-up play to send a streaking Linus Karlsson off the bench.

Breaking down the wing, Karlsson went top corner to double the team’s lead at 3-1.

Moments later, the Roadrunners were dealt a dagger, with their captain catching a five-minute major with a nasty hit on Akito Hirose.

Despite receiving the major, Poganski was able to stay in the game, but the Canucks went to work anyway.

Abbotsford goal – 4-1 – Sammy Blais from Max Sasson and Aatu Räty

Going for a spin at the blueline, Sammy Blais carried the puck toward the net, sending it down to Max Sasson below the goal line.

The puck took a few favourable bounces off the attempt to get it back to him before finding Blais’s stick. But once it did, he made no mistake for his second goal of the game.

Tucson did manage to respond, though.

Tucson goal – 4-2 – Travis Barron from Cameron Hebig

Working the perimeter, Linus Karlsson sent the puck across the ice, but just behind his closest teammate.

Collecting the puck was Cameron Hebig, who turned on the jets down the ice. Selling shot, he sent the puck to Travis Barron, who deposited the quick one-timer past Arturs Silovs.

Once again, the Canucks handled the majority of the period. The only difference? They were rewarded for their efforts with three goals and a two-goal lead heading into the final frame.

Shots: ABB 17, TUC 15 | Score: ABB 4, TUC 2

Third period: Penalty shot? Are you kidding?

The Abbotsford Canucks have been one of the best teams in the American League when leading after 40 minutes.

They were looking to add to that reputation.

And Arturs Silovs was doing his part, getting the shoulder up for a pair of saves early in the period.

What’s a playoff game without a huge Jett Woo hit, right?

But Tucson wasn’t out of the game just yet.

Tucson goal – 4-3 – Artem Duda from Robbie Russo

Although it went undetected, Jett Woo got his stick on the initial shot, saving a goal.

However, with the puck back at the blue line, Artem Duda played hot potato before sending a puck toward the net that made its way past Silovs.

What once felt like a potential landslide suddenly became a single goal, with ample time remaining.

But the Canucks did get back on their toes and after several hits along the boards, the Canucks earned themselves another powerplay.

Despite the big opportunity to collect some added insurance, the Roadrunners earned the kill, putting them at 2/6 on the powerplay.

Heading into the final five minutes, Silovs continued to keep the game out of reach for the Runners. This time, tossing out the quick blocker on a slam-dunk one-timer attempt.

And then it happened.

Despite the Canucks getting the puck out some nervous in-zone pressure to clear the puck to safety, the whistle was called. Why, you ask? With the net sitting off its moorings, it was deemed that Silovs had knocked it off on his own.

As a result, Tucson was handed a penalty shot with 35 seconds remaining in the game.

Yes, 35.

The Roadrunners selected defenceman Max Szuber, who attempted the backhand-forehand move, but Silovs stood tall, sliding over to make the save and secure the victory.

Despite a close game that game down to the wire, and we mean literally, the Canucks held on for the 4-3 victory to take Game one of th best-of-three mini series.

Shots: ABB 23, TUC 24 | Score: ABB 4, TUC 3

What’s next?

These two teams are right back at it on Thursday, battling it out for Game 2. With the Canucks victory, it’s win and move on, while Tucson will look to force a do-or-die situation. Puck drops at 7:00 pm at the Abbotsford Centre.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-abby-canucks-game-1-home-defeating-tucson-4-3

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Farmies: Abby Canucks drop game two by a score of 4-1, setting up do-or-die game 3

Victory was at their fingertips.

Buzzing off a game one victory just one night prior, the Abbotsford Canucks had the chance to sweep their first round mini-series and send the Tucson Roadrunners packing.

Unfortunately, a red-hot goaltender had other plans.

Despite the Canucks jumping out the gate with some energy, the visiting team took advantage of some untimely giveaways and grinded the Canucks down goal-by-goal. Between their pipes, Jaxson Stauber was red-hot, stopping 38 of 39 Abby shots, taking home First Star honours with ease.

Special teams production, or lack thereof, played a significant role in the loss, as the home team could not take advantage of some key opportunities at various times in the game.

When all was said and done, Tucson willed their way toward a 4-1 victory, forcing a do-or-die Game three on Saturday night.

Let’s check in on the action.

Starting lineup

Why change what works? The Abbotsford Canucks rode their hot hand, icing a near identical lineup. The one change came on the third line defensive pair, where Cole McWard slid in for rookie Kirill Kudryvtsev.

Unlike the Roadrunners, who swapped out netminder, the Canucks ran Arturs Silovs or back-to-back nights.

Bains – Räty – Lekkerimäki
Di Giuseppe – Sasson – Karlsson
Blais – Mueller – Klimovich
Khaira – Wouters – Nielsen

Wolanin – Mancini
Brisebois – Woo
Hirose – Kudryavtsev

Silovs

First period: Down after 20

The home team wasted no time getting the crowd on their feet, with Arshdeep Bains setting up Jonathan Lekkerimäki for an early chance.

Bains got the inside track before sending the cross-crease feed, but Lekkerimäki was just slightly ahead of the puck and sent it just wide.

Unlike game one, the first period went quickly, with a good flow to the game and few stoppages.

Just over six minutes in, one of the lone stoppages came courtesy of a Roadrunners penalty. Arshdeep Bains was hauled down in his own end to send the Canucks on the game’s inaugural powerplay.

They enjoyed a few solid chances early, testing Jaxson Stauber with a few looks. None better than Sammy Blais, fresh off a two-goal game in game one, who rang a snapshot off the crossbar.

Just past midway, Linus Karlsson got caught with an undecided cross-check, sending him to the ice in obvious pain.

And of course, the Roadrunners capitalized on that missed call.

Despite the Canucks holding the majority of play in the first half, it was the Roadrunners who struck first blood.

Tucson goal – Ben McCartney – from Kevin Connauton and Andrew Agozzino

Working the cycle, the puck found its way to the point where Kevin Connauton ripped a quick shot. While on the move in the slot, Ben McCartney managed to get his stick on the shot, redirecting it past Arturs Silovs.

The Runners have capitalized on neglected goals, scoring two just one night prior.

But the Canucks were not letting up.

Just moments after conceding a goal, they were right back at it, jamming away at another chance.

Aatu Räty provided the heads-up pass to find Jett Woo at the point, who sent a smart and quick shot toward the net. Sitting at the netfront was Bains, who jammed away furiously at the loose puck.

Although Stauber had no clue where the puck was, he was able to cover it with a bit of help from his defenceman.

But it was the visiting team gathering the best looks early.

Kickstarting the sloppy breakout, Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Victor Mancini combined for a pair of giveaways, forcing Silovs to stand tall.

But Lekkerimäki nearly redeemed himself, picking up two strong attempts from his spot on the half wall. He couldn’t beat the post or the goalie’s paddle.

The Canucks grabbed 16 shots in the period, and carried play For most of the opening period. However, the Roadrunners’ decision to start Jaxon Stauber stole the show, with him stopping all shots to enjoy the 1-0 lead.

Shots: ABB 17, TUC 10 | Score: ABB 0, TUC 1

Second period: 31 shots, but nothing to show

Thanks to some extracurriculars at the first period buzzer, the Canucks enjoyed a full stretch of powerplay time with a clean sheet of ice.

Despite three shots on Stauber, their puck luck continued, and they just couldn’t beat the rested netminder.

And they would later pay for that missed opportunity, with the visitors doubling their lead.

Tucson goal – 2-0 – Andrew Agozzino from Ben McCartney and Artem Duda

Cutting into the circles was Andrew Agozzino, who collected the pass from McCartney. Although it had little force, he sent a perfectly placed shot above Silovs’ shoulder to take the two-goal lead.

If there was one goal that the Canucks’ netminder wants back in the game, it’s probably this one. Although it was well placed, as he’s battling a netfront screen, there isn’t much to the shot that finds its way up top.

Looking to get something going, Ty Mueller broke through coverage to find himself all alone. Forced to take man, Tucson did what they could to save a goal, hauling the forward down to send the Canucks to their third man advantage.

Nothing would come of it, as they went 0/3 on the night en route to five scoreless opportunities. As mentioned at the top, missed opportunities on the powerplay played a significant role in the loss.

Eventually, you got the sense that the calls would start turning on the Canucks, and that’s precisely what happened.

They would take consecutive penalties to wrap up the period.

Luckily, the Canucks have their newly found secret weapon in Victor Mancini, who had taken form as a one-Man penalty killing show.

They were also committed to the defensive game in their zone, killing both penalties. To counteract their inability to score on the powerplay, they went a perfect 3/3 on penalty kills.

Unfortunately, that didn’t matter. With seconds winding down, Tristen Nielsen coughed up the puck on an uncontested giveaway at the line.

Tucson goal – 3-0 – Kailer Yamamoto (unassisted)

Off to the races, Kailer Yamamoto made a pretty move to beat Silovs on the blocker side before slamming into the boards.

It’s a hard pill to swallow for Nielsen, considering the time remaining in the period. Instead of getting the puck deep, he elects for the cross-ice dish while his teammates are in the midst of a change, which leads to an unnecessary third goal. Not great.

Despite taking the 31-20 shooting advantage into the dressing room, the visitors had a 3-0 lead after two periods.

Shots: ABB 31, TUC 20 | Score: ABB 0, TUC 3

Third period: Game three, it is

Contrary to the middle frame, the Canucks began the third period down a man, successfully killing their third penalty kill.

And thank goodness, as that kick-started the scoring for the home team.

Abbotsford goal – 3-1 – Linus Karlsson from Aatu Räty and Sammy Blais

Thanks to the in-zone keep from Victor Mancini, Sammy Blais feathered the puck down to Räty for a shot on net. Although the attempt was stopped, Linus Karlsson swooped in to pounce on the rebound and kickstart the scoring.

Just before the midway point of the period, the Canucks were handed their fifth powerplay of the game.

However, despite a very early chance for Max Sasson, they let another opportunity slide by.

With time their enemy, the Canucks nearly cut the deficit to one. Mancini threw the puck toward the net, and spinning for the rebound was Tristen Nielsen. Akito Hirose came in looking for the rebound, but couldn’t get free to pounce on the empty net.

And with that time running out, the Roadrunners delivered the dagger.

Tucson goal – 4-1 – Ben McCartney (empty net)

Right off the defensive zone face-off, McCartney flipped the puck up and over Mancini to spring himself on the break with the gaping net.

Despite The chance to put an end to Tucson’s season and enjoy the extended rest, the Canucks could not beat a well rested Jaxson Stauber.

When all was said and done, too many turnovers, unlucky puck bounces, and not enough from a few of their go-to threats led to a 4-1 loss.

Winner takes all the marbles on Saturday.

What’s next?

With the Tucson victory, this series heads to a do-or-die game three on Saturday, April 26th. Thanks to the Canucks’ 44 wins, they enjoy home-ice advantage, and they will need all of that boost to continue with their season. The puck drops at 7:00 pm at the Abbotsford Centre.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-abby-canucks-drop-game-two-score-4-1-setting-up-do-die-game-3

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

14 other NHL teams are competing with the Canucks for centres this summer?

The Vancouver Canucks need to acquire a high-quality centre this summer.

Pretty much everyone agrees on that. Fans think so, the media says so, and GM Patrik Allvin has already stated that it will be the organization’s top priority.

We’ve already talked about the possibility of signing a UFA like Sam Bennett or Mikael Granlund, or of trade targets like Mathew Barzal or Dylan Larkin, or even pending RFAs like Mason McTavish and Mavrik Bourque.

But what we haven’t yet talked about, and what folks tend to lose sight of in their offseason dreaming, is that the availability of said centres is not exactly a buffet-style offering. There are only a handful of good centres available at any one time – including this particular summer – but there are always a larger handful of teams looking to acquire those centres.

In attempting to figure out the chances of the Canucks landing any of their would-be targets, we have to consider which other NHL teams they’re competing with in that market.

The criteria here is simple enough. We’re looking for other teams that should also be reasonably unsatisfied with their current offering of top-six centres, and who are at a point in their current competitive cycle at which they’re likely to try to do something about it.

Predictably, with centre being among the most coveted positions in the sport, this list is longer than the Canucks would like it to be. That both reduces the chances of the Canucks landing any one centre, and likely increases the cost of one when they do.

But that’s the nature of the laws of supply and demand when the market looks like…

Boston Bruins​

Current Top-Six Centres: Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie (RFA)

Offseason Cap Space: $28.82 million

On the one hand, the Bruins do have a lot of centres on their roster who are theoretically capable of playing in the top-six. In fact, in addition to the three listed above, they’ve also got the recently-acquired Casey Mittelstadt.

And if the Bruins are going to go gentle into that good night, and give up on being truly competitive for a while, that’s fine enough. But if they want to compete again with this Pastrnak/McAvoy/Swayman core, then they’re almost certainly in the market for a clear-cut upgrade down the middle, and that would have them as prominent shoppers in the high-end centre market.

Calgary Flames​

Current Top-Six Centres: Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Morgan Frost (RFA)

Offseason Cap Space: $34.29 million

The Flames have some fine centres on hand, including Kadri, who just notched a career-high 35 goals. But he and Backlund are aging, and the Flames don’t have any big-time centre prospects ready to step in to replace their minutes anytime soon.

Stuck between competing and rebuilding, the Flames will probably look to add something here, especially if they find they have difficulty signing RFA Frost.

Carolina Hurricanes​

Current Top-Six Centres: Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Logan Stankoven

Offseason Cap Space: $35.23 million

Well, we know the Hurricanes were quite interested in landing Elias Pettersson at one point, and they never really did find another centre worth acquiring in the interim. Heading into 2025/26, they’re still expected to be a top-level contender, but that centre depth is quite thin after Aho, and that might not be enough to get through the other best teams in the East on a consistent basis.

Expect Carolina to be shopping around for top-six centres of any quality, so as to keep Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal in the bottom-six, and to maintain the option of shuffling Stankoven over the wing.

Chicago Blackhawks​

Current Top-Six Centres: Connor Bedard, Ryan Donato (UFA), Frank Nazar

Offseason Cap Space: $30.97 million

Given Bedard’s well-documented struggles, the Blackhawks are almost certainly on the lookout for a veteran centre to insulate him. Upcoming prospects like Nazar will supplement the offence well enough, but someone to eat difficult minutes and matchups is required for them to take the next step, and for Bedard to have enough breathing room to grow. Donato filled in ably enough this season, but he’s barely a centre and is probably departing as a UFA, anyway.

Look for them to target someone more responsible and not worry too much about the cost of acquisition as they do so. The Blackhawks have money to burn.

Colorado Avalanche​

Current Top-Six Centres: Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson (UFA), Charlie Coyle

Offseason Cap Space: $8.70 million

The Avalanche are absolutely fine at centre for the present moment, but Nelson could wind up being a rental, and that would leave them back on the lookout for a 2C. Coyle could fill in for the short term, but a team as competitive as these current Avalanche won’t just be satisfied with a fill-in.

A team like the Avs also has the distinct advantage of offering the players they’re chasing a real chance to win.

Florida Panthers​

Current Top-Six Centres: Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennet (UFA), Anton Lundell

Offseason Cap Space: $19.00 million

We have to remember that every big-name UFA centre out there, of which there really aren’t many, opens up a new team looking for a centre the second they leave town. Such is the case for the Panthers, who are presumably happy to keep their current pivot depth rolling, but who will definitely need to find a replacement for Bennett if he departs.

Like Colorado, Florida can offer new centres an instant chance to compete, and a tax haven, at that. If Bennett goes elsewhere, Florida moves to the top of the prime destination choices for any other top-six centre.

Minnesota Wild​

Current Top-Six Centres: Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi (RFA), Ryan Hartman

Offseason Cap Space: $20.59 million

There are rumblings that the Wild are far apart from RFA centre Rossi on a new contract, and that an offseason trade may be likely. In that case, they’ll be looking for a top-six centre to replace him – and, honestly, they do seem like they could use an upgrade, regardless.

The Wild have never really offered Kirill Kaprizov a centre worthy of his considerable talents. Finding someone who can elevate their star winger’s game should be a major priority.

Montreal Canadiens​

Current Top-Six Centres: Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach

Offseason Cap Space: $8.69 million

Suzuki has truly developed into an all-around, all-world top-line centre. But below him, the Habs have Newhook, who has yet to pop offensively, and Dach, who cannot stay healthy.

A 2C to supplement Suzuki is the number one item on Montreal’s offseason shopping list, and they’ve got the assets on hand (and the cap space, once Carey Price goes back on LTIR) to make a strong pitch at whoever they want. Expect a full-court press. If the Canucks are looking out for their toughest competition on the centre market, it might just be found in the Canadiens.

Philadelphia Flyers​

Current Top-Six Centres: Sean Couturier, Noah Cates (RFA)

Offseason Cap Space: $24.72 million

Who knows where the Flyers go from here? However, with Matvei Michkov already on the roster, they will want to have at least one centre on hand who can pair with him, and currently, they do not. Couturier is aging rapidly, Cates is an RFA of still-dubious top-six quality, and that’s about it unless Jett Luchanko arrives sooner than expected.

The Flyers will find someone to ride shotgun with Michkov, of that you can be sure.

San Jose Sharks​

Current Top-Six Centres: Macklin Celebrini, Alexander Wennberg

Offseason Cap Space: $43.93 million

The Sharks have the whole 1C thing locked down for the foreseeable future in Celebrini. But with Will Smith settling into more of a winger role on Celebrini’s line, there is probably a desire here to supplement them with a better veteran centre than, say, Wennberg.

San Jose has a chance to start making some noise as soon as next year. They might not need a true top-six talent to do that, but someone a little more reliable and experienced will help them take that important next step.

St. Louis Blues​

Current Top-Six Centres: Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn

Offseason Cap Space: $5.91 million

Heading into 2024/25, some thought the Blues might be moving toward a rebuild. However, that year-end barnstorming tour likely altered the plan, and now the team is looking to perform more of a retool on the fly, integrating young talent into the lineup while retaining the majority of their veterans.

Speaking of, while Thomas is a strong 1C, Schenn has slipped with age and is probably best stashed in the bottom-six at this point. A new top-six centre to pair with young wingers like Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours could be on the shopping list, especially if the team feels that prospect Dalibor Dvorsky needs some more time to develop.

Toronto Maple Leafs​

Current Top-Six Centres: Auston Matthews, John Tavares (UFA), Max Domi

Offseason Cap Space: $26.86 million

The Leafs will likely re-sign Tavares and continue with their current centre depth. But if Tavares does sign elsewhere for whatever reason, they’re right back in the centre market, and with plenty of cap space to throw around in their search.

The Leafs are, unfortunately, always a contender to sign most available talent.

Utah Hockey Club​

Current Top-Six Centres: Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton

Offseason Cap Space: $22.31 million

The Utahns are on the rise, and they’ll be hoping to supplement their young core with new veteran additions, as they did last offseason. Hayton had a fine bounceback year, but might not be a long-term solution behind Cooley in the top six. Someone with a little more offensive flair is what they’re after, and while there are precious few assets of that nature available, Utah definitely has the resources on hand to make a concerted pursuit.

Winnipeg Jets​

Current Top-Six Centres: Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov

Offseason Cap Space: $25.69 million

The Jets performed well with the centres they had available this year. But they still appear, on the surface anyway, to be short a 2C, especially if Gabe Vilardi continues to play most of his minutes on the wing.

The Jets have a few things to address, mainly in the form of their own UFAs, but if they have any money left over after that, it’s almost certainly going to be put toward a new centre of some variety.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/14-other-nhl-teams-competing-vancouver-canucks-centres-summer

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Who needs to step up for the Abbotsford Canucks to eliminate Tucson in deciding game on Saturday night?

It’s the cruel truth of a best-of-three series to start the American Hockey League playoffs – all the hard work, all the effort, all the sweat and energy expended over the course of a lengthy regulation season can be undone in essentially the blink of an eye. And that’s the predicament the Abbotsford Canucks find themselves in heading to a one-game winner take all showdown with the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday night.

After taking Wednesday’s series opener 4-3, Abbotsford was in the driver’s seat. Just 24 hours later following a 4-1 loss, the Canucks were facing the very real prospect of being knocked off by the seventh seeded Roadrunners.

Abbotsford didn’t play poorly in Game 2. They ran into a red-hot Jaxson Stauber in the Tucson net and will surely see him again in Saturday’s elimination matchup. The challenge now is to convert on the many chances the Canucks farm hands created.

Abbotsford peppered Stauber with 17 shots in the opening period and held a commanding 31-20 edge on the shot clock through 40 minutes. So territorially and aided by the first four power plays of the game, the Canucks did a lot of good things. But none of that really mattered as Tucson took a 3-0 lead to the locker room after two periods of play.

The biggest disappointment of the night was the way Abbotsford went quietly in the third period. After Linus Karlsson scored 2:54 seconds into the final frame, it looked like there might be a comeback in the offing. However, instead of continuing to push and riding score effects to a frantic finish, Abbotsford was outshot 12-8 in the third period and really didn’t test Stauber or create the looks needed to get back in the hockey game.

So here they are now – the second seed in the Pacific Division, a team that finished 10 wins and 18 points ahead of its opponent in the regular season, and this series has been boiled down to one game.

Linus Karlsson has scored in both games for Abbotsford. Sammy Blais had a pair of power play goals in the opener. Tristen Nielsen is the only other Abbotsford player to score in the series. Since the Canucks jumped out to a 4-1 second period lead on Wednesday, Tucson has scored six of the last seven goals in this matchup. At 5-on-5 through two games, the Roadrunners have outscored Abbotsford 5-3.

While Max Sasson may have been the best Canucks skater on Thursday, leading the team with five shots in Game 2 and leads the series with nine shots, he has just one assist in the series so far. Sasson, along with Aatu Räty and Arshdeep Bains, need to be the driving forces offensively for Abbotsford.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, playing with a full bubble due to a late-season injury, has five shots in the series and had a couple of good looks on a late first period power play on Thursday. But the guy is a goal scorer, and through two games so far, Lekkerimäki has yet to find the back of the net.

And Danila Klimovich, who led Abbotsford with 25 goals in the regular season, doesn’t even have a shot on goal in this series. To be fair to Klimovich, he spent much of the regular season higher in the lineup while others around him were called up by Vancouver. As many of those players have returned to the AHL, Klimovich now finds himself playing lower in the lineup than he did for much of the season.

The bottom line is that Abbotsford is 17-2-1 in its last 20 games and, on Saturday, the Canucks have to find a way to make that matter. They’ve got to lean into all the good things they’ve done to be the hottest team in the league over the past six weeks. They scored twice with the power play in the series opener, but went 0-for-5 in Game 2.

And if Arturs Silovs gets the nod in net once again, he has to be up to the challenge and find a way to outduel Stauber at the other end of the ice. Silovs came up with a game-saving stop on a final-minute penalty shot in the series opener, but has a 3.01 GAA and a .891 save percentage in the series so far.

At 4-1 in the second period on Wednesday, this looked like it would be a quick series. Since then, however, Tucson deserves full value for forcing this battle to the limit.

The margins are now remarkably thin, and one shot truly can be the difference between going on or going home. The opportunity is still there for Abbotsford, but its difference makers need to make the difference on Saturday night.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/who-ne...cson-roadrunners-deciding-game-saturday-night

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abbotsford Canucks Game Day: It’s a Do or Die Game 3 against Tucson

The Abbotsford Canucks have a second chance to advance to the second round of the American Hockey League Calder Cup playoffs when they face the Tucson Roadrunners tonight at Abbotsford Centre.

The best of three opening round series has been boiled down to a one game winner take all showdown after the teams split games on Wednesday and Thursday.

What we know​

Abbotsford needs to find a way to convert on the many scoring chances it squandered in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Tucson. The Canucks peppered Roadrunners goalie Jaxson Stauber with 39 shots but Linus Karlsson was the only one able to beat him. Karlsson’s goal early in the third period gave Abbotsford life with plenty of time remaining. However, the Canucks were unable to capitalize on the momentum despite a power play midway through the third period trailing by two.

After scoring twice with the man-advantage in the series opener, the Canucks went 0 for five on the power play on Thursday. That included the first four power play opportunities of the night. The power play went two for six in the series opener. So it is two for 11 (18.2%) in the playoffs while also allowing a shorthanded goal in the opener.

Max Sasson led the Canucks with five shots in Game 2 and leads the team with nine shots in the series so far. However, Sasson has been limited to just a single assist through two games. Karlsson and Sammy Blais lead the Canucks with two goals apiece. The Canucks need the likes of Sasson, Aatu Räty, Arshdeep Bains, Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Danila Klimovich to produce.

The Canucks are expected to go with Arturs Silovs in goal for a third straight game. He has allowed three goals in each of the first two games in this series.

Manny Malhotra made one line-up change for Game 2 inserting Cole McWard on defence in place of Kirill Kudryavtsev.

The Canucks are 17-2-1 in their last 20 games.

The opponent​

Tucson has scored six of the last seven goals in this series. Ben McCartney had a pair of goals and an assist in Thursday’s 4-1 victory. He and Travis Barron share the team playoff scoring lead with three points apiece.

Kailer Yamamoto scored his first of the series to give the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead in Game 2. Yamamoto has also taken four minor penalties through the first two games.

Jaxson Stauber will surely get the call in goal again tonight. The 25-year-old appeared in six games for the Utah Hockey Club this season.

Tucson entered the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Pacific Division and is looking to pull off a considerable upset.

There were 3670 fans in attendance for the series opener on Wednesday. The announced attendance for Game 2 on Thursday was 4062.

If Abbotsford advances, the Canucks will open the best of five second round on home ice. The opponent and the dates for those games will be determined at the conclusion of the first round of the playoffs.

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

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbotsford-canucks-game-day-do-die-game-3-against-tucson

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Paterson’s Point: Special teams tell the story of Abbotsford Canucks advancing to second round of AHL playoffs

It was a special teams Saturday night for the Abbotsford Canucks as they punched their ticket to the second round of the American Hockey League playoffs. Abbotsford scored a pair of power play goals and added a shorthanded marker in a convincing 5-0 win over the Tucson Roadrunners.

Overall, special teams were at the heart of Abbotsford’s three game triumph that now sets up a second round showdown with Coachella Valley.

Over the course of the opening round, the Canucks outscored Tucson 4-0 on the power play – striking twice in each of the team’s two victories. Abbotsford went 4 for 16 (25%) with the man advantage in the series and also killed off all 11 Tucson chances on the power play.

In Wednesday’s opener, Sammy Blais cashed in on a pair of second period power plays. Last night, Blais was at it again adding his series leading third goal converting on a third period power play to give Abbotsford a 4-0 lead. That came after a pretty down low passing play that led to Max Sasson cashing in to give Abbotsford a 3-0 lead.

I mentioned to @patersonjeff on @RinkWideVAN after game two that the Canucks had to start utilizing the bumper play. They were 0/5 in that game and were trying other plays.

Perhaps they listened? Max Sasson finishes off the bumper play to triple their lead! pic.twitter.com/rUude0RKFK

— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) April 27, 2025

While the power play did its share of damage through the series, the biggest goal on Saturday was likely Chase Wouters’ shorthanded effort in the first minute of the second period to extend Abbotsford’s lead to 2-0. Over the three game series, Canucks penalty killers outscored Tucson’s power play.

Perhaps more than any other factor, the special teams play tells the story of why Abbotsford advanced while Tucson’s season is over.

During the regular season, the Roadrunners had a top 10 power play in the AHL converting at 19.6%. But Abbotsford penalty killers were more than up to the challenge.

The flip side of this equation was that Tucson was an undisciplined group all season and Abbotsford had to know it would get opportunities. Over 72 regular season games, Tucson was the second most penalized team in the league.

That carried over into this three game set with Tucson putting Abbotsford on the power play a postseason high 16 times – including taking major penalties in both Game 1 and Game 3. Now, it’s one thing to earn power plays and another to make the most of them. S0 full credit to the Canucks putting the hammer down when they had their chances.

This is a team that converted at 18.3% during the regular season. But when it mattered most, Abbotsford was up to the challenge pushing its power play conversion rate to 25% in the opening round.

The challenge will only get steeper from here. Not only did Coachella Valley – Seattle’s top farm team – not surrender a power play goal in its two game sweep of the Calgary Wranglers, the Firebirds were short handed just six times in that series. And going back to the regular season, Coachella Valley was one of the most disciplined teams in the AHL and one of the best penalty killing teams as well.

Only Hershey was short handed less this season than Coachella Valley and the Firebirds were fifth in the AHL on the kill at 85.2%.

So it’s abundantly clear Abbotsford will have to work to draw penalties in the next round and when they get their chances, they’re going to need the same power play precision they demonstrated against Tucson.

At this time of year, special teams play such a huge role in the outcome of playoff games. Abbotsford found a way to make the most of its opportunities in Round One.

They’ll need that same sort of success as they advance in the postseason.

A red-hot power play can take a team a long way in the playoffs and the Canucks have legitimate designs on making this a lengthy run this spring.

It will be interesting too if those Abbotsford special teams remain on fire against the Firebirds in Round Two.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/paters...d-canucks-advancing-second-round-ahl-playoffs

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Farmies: Silovs secures the shutout as Abby Canucks punch their ticket to the second round

Do or die.

All or nothing.

Loser goes home.

Whatever you want to call it, it was a big night in the Fraser Valley.

After dropping Game 2 on Thursday evening, the Abbotsford Canucks hosted the Tucson Roadrunners for an elimination match Game 3.

What began as an apprehensive and safe game for either side, turned into a complete full-effort victory for the Abbotsford Canucks, as they punched their ticket to the next round with a 5-0 victory.

With five different goal scorers, the Abby Canucks got help from all angles, which included a 21 save shutout for Arturs Silovs.

In front of the series’ largest crowd on a Saturday night, the Abbotsford Centre was treated with a little bit of everything in Game 3.

Let’s check in to see how it all went down.

Opening lineup

Significant changes were made, both upfront and on the backend. Christian Wolanin sat out after suffering an injury in the third period of Game 3. In his place, Kirill Kudryavtsev returned to the lineup to slide in next to Victor Mancini.

Nate Smith came in for Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who was a late scratch due to lingering effect of oral surgery (according to Canucks Insider).

After getting both starts in the series, Manny Malhotra went to his tried and true, sticking with Arturs Silovs between the pipes.

Blais – Räty – Karlsson
Bains – Sasson – Nielsen
Di Giuseppe – Khaira – Smith
Mueller – Wouters – Klimovich

Brisebois – McWard
Hirose – Woo
Kudryavtsev – Mancini

Silovs

First period: 20 shots!?

The first few minutes were filled with skirmishes and several whistles — five icing calls within the first five minutes — slowing down the pace.

Both teams played an apprehensive and safe start, which led to few chances and little substance.

It took nearly eight minutes for the Canucks to see their first shot of the night, courtesy of a floating point shot from Jett Woo.

But that shot kicked the Canucks into gear, where they followed up with a tremendous shift and a spark that would carry them through the entire game.

They nearly opened the scoring, with Jujhar Khaira throwing the puck toward the net before Linus Karlsson jammed it past the line.

Unfortunately, the referee lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle early to negate the goal.

But it was life, and suddenly the ice felt tilted.

With the play spending the majority of time in the Tucson end, Arturs Silovs still found ways to stay sharp.

But the Canucks continued their press, nearly opening the scoring again after some tremendous forecheck by Sammy Blais. The Stanley Cup winning forward was a menace all period long, racking up three (big) hits and setting up several looks for the Canucks.

His experience has been invaluable to this team all season, and that hasn’t changed throughout this opening round.

Despite them having zero shots at the 12-minute mark, the Canucks were up to 12 with six to go.

Finally, after buzzing for 10 minutes straight, Max Sasson showcased why he’s a fan favourite.

Abbotsford goal – 1-0 – Tristen Nielsen from Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson

Collecting the puck from behind his own net, Sasson turned on the jets to race up the ice before dropping it over to Arshdeep Bains.

With his head up, Bains sent the perfect cross-ice pass to Tristen Nielsen, who made no mistake in ripping it past a sprawling Jaxson Stauber.

And with the season’s largest crowd, things were rocking at the Abbotsford Centre on a Saturday Night.

The Canucks wrapped up the period with a failed power play.

But you can’t ask for a better finish to an elimination game. What started as a sleepy and sluggish game ended with an electrifying buzz felt throughout the arena.

The Canucks put 20 shots on Stauber in 12 minute to take the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Shots: ABB 20, TUC 5 | Score: ABB 1, TUC 0

Second period: All Canucks

As had been tradition in this series, the Canucks were dealt a late first period penalty. As a result, they began the middle frame on their first penalty kill.

But Ty Mueller and Chase Wouters didn’t care.

Abbotsford goal – 2-0 – Chase Wouters from Ty Mueller

Abbotsford’s Rookie, Ty Mueller, provided the shorthanded forecheck, battling in the corner.

Winning that battle, Mueller threw the puck to the slot where Captain Chase Wouters prowled. Left all alone, he made a tremendous move to slide the puck past Stauber to double their lead early in the second.

Moments later, with the Roadrunner on their heels, Andrew Agozzino delivered an extremely dirty and high hit to an unexpected Ty Mueller.

Mueller did skate to the bench on his own, but Aggozino was assessed a five-minute major for the infraction.

Surprisingly, he was not ejected from the game, though.

The home team made them pay.

Abbotsford goal – 3-0 – Max Sasson from Chase Wouters and Arshdeep Bains

Working the perimeter, the Canucks set up the perfect bumper play, with Chase Wouters sending a quick pass toward Max Sasson in the slot.

He made no mistake, tripling their lead with ample time on the man advantage remaining.

Meanwhile, Silovs was still stopping pucks and standing tall with little action in his end.

The next several minutes included a barrade of plays from the Canucks. Too many to even clip.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an Abbotsford game without a daily dose of Victor Mancini doing something fun.

But they had the Roadrunners pressed on their backs. And despite handing them their second power play, the Roadrunners could not muster any shots during the two minutes.

The Roadrunners were sent back to the power play later in the period, but Silovs and the Abbotsford defence were up to the task, killing their ninth straight penalty kill.

Despite a few power plays for the away team, the second period was all Abbotsford. They grabbed 13 more shots to carry a 33-14 shooting advantage and a strong 3-0 lead.

Shots: ABB 33, TUC 14 | Score: ABB 3, TUC 0

Third period: Operation kill the clock

With a three-goal lead, the game plan was simple: kill the clock.

They got some help with some more aggressive play from Tucson, sending the Canucks to their fifth power play of the game.

More importantly, it was two more minutes off the clock. And with no goals, that’s exactly what they got – two critical minutes off.

The remainder of the period was rather uneventful, which is precisely what they were looking for. The Canucks played an extreme shutdown game to kill the clock and ride off into the sunset.

And with the visiting team getting increasingly frustrated, the undisciplined penalties continued.

With just over nine minutes remaining, the Canucks grabbed another power play and another chance to kill two more minutes off the clock or extend their lead even further.

But they elected for the goal.

Abbotsford goal – 4-0 – Sammy Blais from Linus Karlsson and Tristen Nielsen

Right off the faceoff – which Aatu Räty won with the knob of his stick – Linus Karlsson made a tremendously confident play. Rather than rim the puck away, he corralled and found a wide-open Sammy Blais.

The veteran forward made no mistake, beating Stauber cleanly for their fourth goal of the game.

Abbotsford took a penalty directly after this goal, where Tucson went for it all, pulling their netminder with tons of time left.

The Canucks threw several attempts toward the yawning cage, but couldn’t quite nail their aim down.

But they finally hit one.

Abbotsford goal – 5-0 – Phil Di Giuseppe from Nate Smith

The Roadrunners attempted to gain entry into the zone, but a steady defensive line held strong.

Grabbing the puck was Phil Di Giuseppe, who turned and finally hit one into the empty net to officially ice the game.

While the game was all but wrapped up, there were still saves to be made. And Silovs continued to do so.

When all was said and done, the Latvian netminder stopped all 21 saves he faced for his first AHL playoff shutout and 10th as an Abbotsford Canuck.

Shots: ABB 39, TUC 21 | Score: ABB 5, TUC 0

With the victory, the Canucks advance to the second round of the playoffs. Thanks to the San Jose Barracuda sweeping the Ontario Reign, the Abbotsford Canucks will now face the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who have enjoyed back-to-back trips to the Calder Cup finals.

As the higher seed, Abbotsford decides how the home-ice advantage works, and they have elected to take the final three games. While the dates of the first two games are undetermined, we know that there will be hockey on May 7, 9, and 11, if necessary.

MORE HOCKEY IN ABBOTSFORD

The Canucks will host the Coachella Valley Firebirds on May 7th, and May 9th and 11th if necessary, to close out the Pacific Division Semi-Finals!

ROUND 2 TICKETS | https://t.co/auAMJ3w2JO pic.twitter.com/HBRXzkxPqT

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 27, 2025

What’s next?

The dates for the first two games of the second round are still undetermined. We will ensure that you are kept informed once the news is released.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-silovs-secures-shutout-abby-canucks-punch-ticket-second-round

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks defence prospect Sawyer Mynio joining Abbotsford Canucks’ for playoff run

The Abbotsford Canucks are heading into the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, but they’ve added one last piece to their arsenal before heading out.

Sawyer Mynio has joined the team following the elimination of his junior club, the Calgary Hitmen, in a Game 7 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL playoffs.

The following transaction has occurred:

Vancouver (NHL) re-assigns D Sawyer Mynio from Calgary (WHL) to Abbotsford.

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 28, 2025

In a post from the club’s official Twitter/X account, Mynio can be seen taking part in drills with the club before heading out on their road trip.

Last practice before hitting the road pic.twitter.com/AYzCxc2NAQ

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 28, 2025

It was expected that he would take a short break before joining the club following a long season that included the regular season, a trip to the World Juniors, and a two-round playoff push.

Given the circumstances and logjam on the Canucks’ blueline, it’s unclear if he will see any game action. However, with the possibility that he’s seen his final game in junior, another spring of soaking in a professional playoff environment is invaluable experience.

This marks the Kamloops native’s second time with the Abbotsford Canucks, after suiting up for a single game at the tail end of the 2023-24 season, before taking in the playoffs from the press box.

Mynio wraps up a promising junior career, which saw him spend most of his tenure with the Seattle Thunderbirds before he finished with the Calgary Hitmen after a trade midway through the year.

Across 227 regular-season games, he amassed 39 goals, 140 points, 194 penalty minutes, and was a plus-63. Additionally, he participated in 51 playoff games, scoring 10 points, including back-to-back trips to the WHL finals, and earning a victory in the 2022-23 season.

He joins an Abbotsford team fresh off a first-round series victory, knocking out the Tucson Roadrunners in three games. The Canucks now turn their sights to Coachella Valley, where they’ll face the Firebirds in the second round starting May 1.

As the higher seed, the Abbotsford Canucks were given the choice of selecting the round’s home-ice advantage. As expected, they took the best-of-five series’ final three games.

The Road for Round 2

Your Abbotsford Canucks will head to Coachella Valley to take on the Firebirds on May 1st and 3rd to kick off the Pacific Division Semifinals! They will then look to close out the series on home ice on May 7th, and 9th and 11th if necessary, in a… pic.twitter.com/JyDPtC636H

— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 27, 2025

We will have all of your coverage of round two here at CanucksArmy.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...-mynio-joining-abbotsford-canucks-playoff-run