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8 takeaways from Day 1 of Canucks training camp

Jeff Paterson — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:31 GMT

The first day of any National Hockey League training camp always offers up plenty to digest. And that was certainly the case on Thursday as the Vancouver Canucks opened their 2026 camp at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton. Here are eight takeaways from the first day of the new hockey season.

Manny Malhotra made his presence known

There was no doubt who was in charge as Manny Malhotra guided his team through drills for the first time as the Canucks new head coach. Malhotra admitted it felt a little like Christmas morning waiting for this day to arrive after being hired for the job on June 2. The new coach was vocal from the outset, setting the tone for his two sessions. At one point, Malhotra blew his whistle, stopped play and shouted, “Everyone. Here. Now,” as the players hurriedly gathered for instruction. Mild-mannered and measured off the ice, Malhotra commands attention as the man in charge. And that was evident to everyone in the building on the first day of drills.

Malhotra stops Group B practice: ‘everybody here. NOW’ pic.twitter.com/h7CegauDPQ

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) September 17, 2026

Top line billing

All summer, people have wondered who would get the chance to play on the right side with Elias Pettersson. Would it be veteran Brock Boeser? Perhaps a newcomer like Brendan Gallagher or Paul Cotter? Or maybe Linus Karlsson would get a look there. Sure enough as Group A hit the ice for the early session, Karlsson took to the ice in a blue practice jersey matching the colour worn by Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk. Obviously, it’s a nod to the 15 goals Karlsson scored in limited opportunities last season. He tied for the team lead in 5-on-5 goal scoring. Following the workouts, Malhotra urged the media not to read too much into who lined up where on Day 1. But it’s certainly an indication that Karlsson is in consideration for that role as the preseason begins on Saturday.

Men in the middle

After playing coy when asked about it on Wednesday, Manny Malhotra left no doubt where Filip Chytil would start camp when he took to the ice in Group B and centred a line with Brock Boeser and Paul Cotter. Now, it’s possible the Canucks will take a look at Chytil on the wing at some point over the coming days, but on the first day of camp he was lined up at centre with a pair of NHL wingers. It was also interesting to note that after a strong run last season on the wing, Max Sasson skated as a centre on Thursday. He found himself between Drew O’Connor and Brendan Gallagher. Some of that may have been a numbers game with the Canucks running five lines of forwards in each of their two groups. They clearly have an abundance of wingers, but needed someone to line up at centre.

Lekkerimäki set up to succeed

Perhaps the most fortunate player on the ice on Thursday was Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who skated on right wing with Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren. Rossi was the Canucks most productive centre after the Olympic break last spring, and so it was a good break for Lekkerimäki to find himself slotted on that line in an effort to put his best foot forward at camp. Lekkerimaki needs to score in bunches in camp and throughout the preseason to earn a spot on the 23-man roster. The fact that the Canucks placed him with arguably their best playmaker is absolutely the kind of opportunity the 22-year-old has to take advantage of.

Revolving door on D

It was a mix-and-match Thursday when it came to defensive pairings. Group A featured a veteran duo of Jamie Oleksiak and Filip Hronek, while hopefuls Victor Mancini and Kirill Kudryavtsev both had AHL partners. Mancini skated alongside veteran Guillaume Brisebois while Kudryavtsev, a left shot, played the right side with Jimmy Schuldt. In the second group of the day, Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander skated together while Zeev Buium was partnered with Luke Schenn.

Tough spot for Akil Thomas

Surely Akil Thomas had hoped to make a strong impression on the new coaching staff after signing with the Canucks as a free agent on July 1st. The right-handed centre is likely destined to start the season in Abbotsford and hopes that he can become an NHL option at some point. He has 32 games of NHL experience with the LA Kings after being a second-round draft pick in 2018. However, Thomas was not part of either group on Day 1 of camp. Instead, he skated alongside prospect Lucian Bernat prior to the main groups. Thomas is still rehabbing an injury suffered last season in the American Hockey League. The Canucks are not shedding much light on the situation and wouldn’t confirm whether Thomas will be cleared in time to participate in drills at any point in Penticton.

A Thatcher Demko sighting

While Thomas and Bernat skated at one end of the ice on the second sheet at South Okanagan Events Centre, Thatcher Demko went through a series of drills at the other end. Under the watchful eye of Canucks goalie coach Marko Torenius, Demko appeared to be working on movement patterns. He only faced a handful of shots of Canucks assistant coaches, not from players. It’s a positive that the veteran puck is on the ice, but based on the evidence Thursday morning, it seems he is still a ways away from joining his teammates for any kind of practice. That left the Canucks with six healthy goalies split into groups of two. Kevin Lankinen, Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo took to the ice with Group A while Nikita Tolopilo, Chris Driedger and Alexei Medvedev tended goal with Group B.

Coaches forced to bag skate

In an effort to forge a bond with the players, the coaches all took part in the end-of-session skating tests. That included Manny Malhotra, who joked afterward that he waited until the players were gassed at the end of their day in order to level the playing field for the coaching staff. Group B conducted their heavy skate on the main rink after a pane of glass broke while they were finishing up their work on the second sheet at SOEC.

What should we read into the Canucks’ training camp line combinations?

Tyson Cole — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:18:56 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks hit the ice for Day 1 of 2026-27 training camp, and we got our first look at what the potential line combinations may look like for the upcoming season.

Here is how each group lined up:

Group A

Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor – Max Sasson – Brendan Gallagher
Adam Novotný – Braeden Cootes – Arshdeep Bains
Gabe Chiarot – Brooks Rogowski – Ben Berard
Matthew Steinburg – Chase Wouters – Vilmer Alriksson

Jamie Oleksiak – Filip Hronek
Guillaume Brisebois – Victor Mancini
Jimmy Schuldt – Kirill Kudryavtsev
Isaac Belliveau – Gavin White

Kevin Lankinen
Ty Young
Aku Koskenvuo

Group B

Liam Öhgren – Marco Rossi – Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Paul Cotter – Filip Chytil – Brock Boeser
Ty Mueller – Aatu Räty – Trey Fix-Wolansky
Yaroslav Bryzgalov – Ilya Safonov – Bennett Schimek
Anri Ravinskis – Riley Patterson – Austin Brimmer

Zeev Buium – Tom Willander
Elias Pettersson – Luke Schenn
Cole Clayton – Sawyer Mynio
Joe Arntsen – Tim Rego

Nikita Tolopilo
Chris Driedger
Aleksei Medvedev

Of course, there are a few recently drafted youngsters and players on AHL contracts that we can fairly safely cross off the list of potential candidates to make the big club.

Instead, we’d like to focus on the combinations that we could actually see come puck drop on opening night against the Edmonton Oilers. As a mock-up solely based on combinations we saw today, I provided this as a list of forward and defensive pairings:

Based on how the two groups lined up, here would be my best guess at NHL lines & pairings:

DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
Cotter – Chytil – Boeser
Öhgren – Rossi – Lekkerimäki
O’Connor – Sasson – Gallagher

Oleksiak – Hronek
Buium – Schenn
Pettersson – Willander#Canucks

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

But how should we read into these? According to head coach Manny Malhotra, we shouldn’t read into any of it at all:

“You shouldn’t read into any of them,” Malhotra joked post Day 1 of Canucks training camp. “No, it’s a starting point. The guys have been made aware that there’s obviously a lot of bodies right now, so the way they play and the chemistry they form early on is really important. But we are not setting any lines in stone right now. It’s a starting point for everybody.

“Same thing [on the backend],” Malhotra continued. “We’re looking for that chemistry early on. We’re looking to see who plays well together, who complements one another. So we’re not in a rush to put pairs together and say this is how it’s going to be for 84 games.”

While Malhotra may have been joking that we shouldn’t read into anything, he still pointed out that this was a starting point. So, this was his first vision of what trio of forwards and defensive pairings he believes will best complement each other. Now, there’s something to read into.

The forward corps looks balanced across all four lines. Malhotra is sticking with the duo that should work together on top with DeBrusk and Pettersson, while adding a hard forechecking player in Karlsson who can cause chaos in the crease. In the middle six, we see the BRÖ line get split up, but it may be what’s best. The second line of Cotter-Chytil-Boeser may not be a strong defensive line; they’ll make up for it with Cotter and Chytil’s speed and Boeser’s offence. Reuniting Öhgren and Lekkerimäki seems like a good fit to get the most out of the latter, while Rossi adds two-way stability to his young wingers. And for the fourth line, it feels very well constructed in terms of each guy complementing one another. O’Connor and Gallagher’s forechecking, paired with Sasson’s speed, popped as one of the most impressive lines from both sessions today.

One flaw in these mock-up lines is that they do not include Räty. While we believe he is pegged for a defensive depth role in the NHL next season, that isn’t how he was deployed on Day 1 of training camp. Instead, he was skating with Mueller and Fix-Wolansky, a pair of players hopeful for bottom-line roles. We’ll see if Malhotra decides to give Räty a different opportunity tomorrow.

If everything sticks together on the back end, it appears the Oleksiak-Hronek pairing will play a lot of heavy, shutdown minutes for the Canucks this season. The second pairing of Buium-Schenn looks familiar from Schenn’s other stints in a Canucks uniform: playing the mentor role with a young, budding offensive star defenceman. This will allow Buium to fully develop his offensive game while being protected by Schenn. And the bottom pair of Pettersson and Willander, two young blueliners who may have been thrust into a higher role than they may have been ready for last year, will be fun to watch as they continue to develop in a sheltered role against bottom-sixers.

It was interesting to note on Day 1 that Malhotra had Kudryavtsev and Mancini on separate pairings in the same group. However, we still got something notable from that. Whenever the top two forward lines were out there participating in drills, it was the Oleksiak-Hronek pairing and the Schuldt-Kudryavtsev pairing that battled them. Potentially an early sign that Kudryavtsev may be higher than Mancini on the depth chart?

We’ll have to see how groupings and line changes differ tomorrow for Day 2, but based on today, this is how we’re deciding to read into the new line combinations.

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Vancouver Canucks 2026 training camp day one live blog

David Quadrelli — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:02:08 GMT

Penticton, BC — What an exciting first day it’s been. Earlier today, we announced that Halford and Brough will be joining us starting September 28th (more info here), and now, it’s time to officially kick off Vancouver Canucks training camp!

What better way to do that than with a live blog to keep you updated with the day’s events on this beautiful Thursday, LIVE from Penticton, BC, at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

9:00 – Demko hits the ice

Canucks GM Ryan Johnson revealed yesterday that, as expected, goaltender Thatcher Demko wouldn’t be a full participant in training camp. While I strolled through the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Jeff Paterson caught video of Demko going through some light individual on-ice workouts.

#Canucks Demko going through some light drills with coaching staff pic.twitter.com/4CBaUdqPpm

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) September 17, 2026

An interesting thing to note was that Lucian Bernat and Akil Thomas (both of whom aren’t in the training camp groups) were Demko’s shooters. Bernat, who the Canucks drafted in the sixth round of June’s draft, missed the prospect showcase with an injury, and a Canucks spokesperson confirmed that Thomas is recovering from a previous surgery

9:05 – Canucks announce groups and schedule

The Canucks announced their two groups, along with the day’s schedule. First, the two groups.

Some things that stand out (remembering that it’s just trainign camp, but that these are going to be the first lines we’ve seen Manny Malhotra assemble as Canucks bench boss):
-Zeev Buium and Filip Hronek are in different groups, meaning the two won’t start training camp getting reps on the same pairing.
-Hronek is in the same group with Jamie Oleksiak. I would guess those two will get reps together.
-I’m interested to see how the Group B defence pairings shake down. Buium and Tom Willander spent time together last season, and I would assume if those two open camp together, that DPetey will skate with Luke Schenn
-We’ll know later this afternoon when they skate, but we could get a look at the BRÖ line featuring Öhgren-Rossi-Boeser in Group B.
-Braeden Cootes, Brooks Rogowski and Adam Novotny are in the same group.

The schedule reads: Group A at 10 AM (goalies), 10:20 AM (main), and 11:25 (practice sheet); Group B at 12:05 (goalies), 12:25 (main), and 1:30 PM.

10:00 AM – Group A in full

The Group A line combinations courtesy of our very own Tyson Cole (who is sitting beside me in Penticton right now):

Line rushes haven’t begun yet, but based on jersey colours, it appears #Canucks Group A will line up like this:

DeBrusk – Pettersson – Karlsson
O’Connor – Sasson – Gallagher
Novotný – Cootes – Bains
Berard – Rogowski – Chiarot
Steinburg – Wouters – Alriksson

Oleksiak – Hronek… https://t.co/PUurfFemvJ

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

The group opened a neutral zone forechecking install drill. The drill isn’t appropriate for drawing conclusions about the Canucks’ new systems under their new head coach. But speaking of the new head coach…

One thing that was very noticeable right from the get-go: Manny Malhotra’s intensity was high, and if a player was coasting through a drill or doing it incorrectly, the Canucks’ new bench boss wasn’t shy about letting them (and everyone in the building) hear about it, whether it was a veteran player or a player attending their first camp.

A board battle drill was next, and the intensity was very high. The towering Brooks Rogowski excelled in that drill, as did Adam Novotny. Both players, drafted over the summer and attending their first NHL training camps, fared fine in the drill against legitimate NHL players. That doesn’t mean others didn’t, but those two certainly caught our attention.

The next drill was a good opportunity to see some defensive zone work. In the drill, the Canucks showed a zone coverage system, even though they started the drill’s reps in a box+1 formation. Here is some video:

#Canucks D-Zone work at training camp pic.twitter.com/vl9i2cKDAX

— David Quadrelli (@QuadrelliD) September 17, 2026

It appears the Canucks will use a box+1 structure when the puck is down low, but when the puck moves up high, they’ll switch to man defence, with the centre taking the third man high, while the wingers take the opposing players up top.

11:20 – Group A moves sheets

Group A moved over to the practice sheet, and so did we! The players ran a simple flow drill where players pick up the puck through the neutral zone, then move in on the goaltender and let go of a shot on the rush. One takeaway from this drill: Vilmer Alriksson’s shot looks quicker — both in terms of release and velocity put on the puck — and more deceptive than last season.

The next drill was a D-Zone retrieval drill that featured some spirited battles along the wall. One takeaway from this one: I can’t wait to watch Brendan Gallagher protect pucks along the wall. I’ll miss Nils Höglander’s ability to do this with his low centre of gravity, but Gallagher will be a fun one to watch in this department this season. On Gallagher, he really doesn’t look like he’s lost a step. He stood out among this group.

Next up was a net-front battle drill where, again, Adam Novotny was a player I noticed not shying away from using his physical tools to battle for ice. The group finished off with a bag skate, and Manny Malhotra and other Canucks coaches participated as well, skating with the players who became slower and slower with each rep:

#Canucks HC Manny Malhotra joining the line rushes…and keeping up with the young guys. pic.twitter.com/ExRrMrG9UV

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

12:05 Group B – Coming soon!

I am handing the live blog over to Tyson Cole while I run downstairs to do media with some Group A players!

12:20 – Group B hits the ice

Following a few opening drills, here is how the Canucks lined up as line drills began:

Group B has hit the ice and here is how they are lined up:

Öhgren – Rossi – Lekkerimäki
Cotter – Chytil – Boeser
Mueller – Räty – Fix-Wolansky
Bryzgalov – Safonov – Schimek
Ravinskis – Patterson – Brimmer

Buium – Schenn
Pettersson – Willander
Mynio – Clayton
Arntsen -… https://t.co/Gd9C6TNThy

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

Interesting to note that Buium was paired with Schenn. I would have expected them to pair the youngsters together and for him to pair with Willander. However, it appears Malhotra is looking to re-create what the Canucks had with Schenn and Quinn Hughes, now with Buium.

As expected, Group B drills matched Group A. After some line rushes and O-zone drills, they transitioned to the same neutral zone system drill. In the viewing of half the group in front of us, Chytil, Willander, Pettersson, and Brimmer all did well against their assignments.

We were interested to see how Lekkerimäki, coming off shoulder surgery, would do in his first rep in this drill. Here is the clip:

Lekkerimäki vs. Cotter in 1v1 board battle drill: #Canucks pic.twitter.com/3g4QbWJkiJ

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

1:20 – Group B switches sheets

Group B hit the fresh sheet of ice and ran the same drills as Group A. Some standouts from the first rushes were Nikita Tolopilo, who made nearly every stop on the rush chances. Except for, however, Trey Fix-Wolansky. It seemed that on every rush, Fix-Wolansky had no issues picking his spot and beating Tolopilo. He may be undersized, but his shot packs a powerful punch.

1:40 – Group B back to big sheet

After a quick session on the second sheet, the Canucks returned to the main sheet to allow a youth team to practice.

The group began defensive zone drills, where two defenders and one forward would try to clear the zone from behind the net against three forechecking forwards. Once they gained possession, the whistle blew, and the two remaining forwards at the blueline would head up ice against two defenders while the other three caught up. Essentially, this is a two-part drill: defensive zone scrum clearances into quick transitions up ice.

And just like they did to end Group A, Group B partook in skating drills to round out practice.

Now it’s Group Bs turn for line rushes. #Canucks https://t.co/SlC0SMgMWf pic.twitter.com/7BkzLnTvDG

— Tyson Cole (@tyson_cole) September 17, 2026

Another thing I watched today was Lekkerimäki’s skating. Lately, his foot speed has been questioned. However, as you can see in the clip, he was at the front of his group, keeping up with known speedster Öhgren. An encouraging sight to see for a guy who’s in for a big year ahead.

And that’s it for our Day 1 live blog! Tune in tomorrow for more action! Stay tuned for standouts and takeaways from Day 1 to be posted later here on Daily Faceoff Vancouver!

Canucks: An idea of Filip Hronek’s trade value after reported Bruins deal

Stephan Roget — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:15:17 GMT

Now that’s what we call insider info.

The latest episode of the Boston Bruins’ Behind the B docuseries provided some behind-the-scenes footage of their summer activities, including at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and during the Free Agent Frenzy that followed.

And, seemingly unintentionally, Behind the B also revealed something about the Bruins’ offseason trade intentions, including a potential deal with the Vancouver Canucks. On a blurry whiteboard behind GM Don Sweeney in one scene, some eagle-eyed viewers on Reddit noticed two potential trades.

One was a deal in which the Bruins would send goalie Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers in exchange for prospect Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round pick. And, on July 1, right in the midst of the Frenzy, that trade was indeed completed.

The other was a deal between the Bruins and the Canucks in which the Bruins would have sent prospect Liam Pettersson, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick in exchange for Filip Hronek. That trade was not completed, or at least not yet.

Now, all we really know based on that is that at least one of the two teams was considering such a trade back in July. We don’t know whether it was the Bruins making the offer or the Canucks, and we don’t even really know whether the offer was actually made or not – it is possible the Bruins put something up on the board, and then decided against it before ever approaching the Canucks.

We do know that the Bruins eventually moved on in their pursuit of an RD, instead acquiring Will Borgen from the New York Rangers in exchange for a second and a third.

We do also know that GM Ryan Johnson was fairly insistent that he hadn’t asked anyone to waive their no-trade or no-movement clause, and if that’s true, this potential trade must not have progressed very far at all. Maybe that’s because either the Canucks or Bruins turned it down, or maybe that’s because Hronek got ahead of things and informed the team he had no interest in waiving. That would match his public statements about wanting to stay.

In any case, all we really know from this background easter egg is that at least one NHL team, most likely the Bruins, thought that Hronek’s trade value was at about the level of a prospect and two first rounds picks back in early July, and that’s something worth talking about.

First, let’s talk value. As a name, Pettersson had some obvious comedic value to the Canucks, and would have kept their Pettersson inventory consistent at three after the departure of Marcus Pettersson. As a prospect, he’s a 19-year-old LD who was drafted late in the second round of 2025 at 61^st overall. To draw a comparison to the Canucks’ own cupboard, Pettersson’s value probably falls somewhere between Niklas Aaram-Olsen (drafted 41^st overall this past draft) and Sawyer Mynio (drafted at 89^th overall in 2023, but having progressed well since). In other words, he’d probably fit within the Canucks’ top-ten prospects, but have a difficult time cracking the top-five.

The first-round picks don’t seem to have conditions attached to them, at least not on the whiteboard, and so can be taken at face value. This past draft, the Bruins were slated to draft at 23^rd overall (that pick was first sent to Utah for JJ Peterka, and then to Detroit for Sebastian Cossa). All indications are that the Bruins intend to be just as, if not more, competitive over the next couple of seasons. So, we can assume their 2027 and 2028 first-round picks will fall somewhere in the 20s.

It’s certainly an offer with some real inherent value, especially to the rebuilding Canucks, who could really use some surplus first-rounders over the next couple of years. But it still feels a little underwhelming for a player like Hronek.

It’s a bit more than double what the Canucks got back for Marcus Pettersson. It’s roughly half of what the Florida Panthers gave up for Brady Tkachuk this summer, for example. It’s not that much more than what the New Jersey Devils just gave the Nashville Predators in exchange for Luke Evangelista (a first and a second).

It is, to draw perhaps the most relevant comparison, a lesser offer than what the Calgary Flames just paid for Simon Nemec, which was a prospect, two firsts, and a second. Nemec, for what it’s worth, is a former second overall pick who has yet to deliver on his potential as a top-pairing RD. He’s a player who the Flames probably hope tops out as a Hronek-type at this point, and that’s an uncertainty.
Or, put differently, every year at the deadline some top-four defender rental goes for at least a first round pick and some spare change. Were Hronek to have been traded this summer, he would have had six years remaining on his contract at an increasingly bargain rate of $7.25 million a year. It’s hard to square that as being only about twice as valuable as your average upper-tier one-playoff-run rental.

Speaking of that contract, it’s ample reason enough to believe that Hronek’s trade stock is only going to rise from where the Bruins might have seen it this summer. Hronek is 28 going on 29 in November. He’s well within his playing prime, and most will attest that he played the best hockey of his career last season after Quinn Hughes departed.

The longer the Canucks wait to trade Hronek, if they do end up trading Hronek, the more his contract will have gained value in comparison to the rest of the league. He’s already paid approximately a third of what Cale Makar will be in a year, and the same is probably true for Hughes. Hronek enters the 2026-27 season as the 42nd-highest-paid defender in the league, and will only slide down the chart from there. We recently estimated him as a top-ten RD leaguewide. His value is already well into the surplus, and should only gain ground over the next couple of seasons.

That timeline is important. As we said already, it’s clear that at least part of the reason this trade didn’t happen was that Hronek was unwilling to move, and holds a full NMC. But that NMC does turn into a 15-team no-trade clause in the summer of 2028.

At that point, the Canucks will have a lot more freedom in their decision to potentially shop Hronek around. And if they do, it’s hard to the offers they get from around the league will be any lesser than the prospect and two firsts that were apparently on the board from Boston.

If anything, the offers should only get larger with time, as Hronek maintains his playing value and increases the already notable efficiency of his contract in comparison to his peers.

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WDYTT: Which current Canucks prospect are you most convinced will become an NHL star?

Stephan Roget — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:00:16 GMT

Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet to mine your comments for gold on a weekly basis.

Speaking of prospecting, the Vancouver Canucks just held their Prospects Showcase alongside the Seattle Kraken, and with that, the 2026-27 NHL season is officially upon us. And with a team as dedicated to the rebuild as the Canucks seem to be, that Prospects Showcase might wind up being one of the most important things to happen this entire year.

Obviously, the Canucks are banking a lot on their current slate of prospects, along with the slate they’re planning to draft over the next couple of years. But hockey prospects are a lot like lottery tickets. Some are sure to be winners, but it’s hard to guarantee they’ll be the ones in your hands.

Inevitably, some of the Canucks’ current cupboard of prospects are going to disappoint, just like some are going to exceed expectations. There’s no real way of knowing, but there is ample opportunity to make guesses and predictions and hope for the best, which is what we’re here to do today.

For the purposes of this question, we’re going to define a “prospect” as someone who is still rookie-eligible, meaning they’re 25 years of age or younger and have played 25 NHL games or fewer. That conveniently cuts off a number of the Canucks’ more developed youngsters, like Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren, and Tom Willander.

Beyond that, we’re focused on stardom here today. As in, which of the Canucks’ current prospects are going to experience true NHL stardom one day. In your opinion, of course.

This week, we’re asking:

Which current Canucks prospect are you most convinced will become an NHL star?

Let it be known in the comment section.

Last week, we asked:

How do you feel about Ryan Johnson’s first offseason as general manager of the Canucks?

You answered below!

Tim 122:

I am pleasantly surprised with RJ. When he said at his initial presser that this wouldn’t be a fire sale, I didn’t put much weight on him saying that. My gut feeling is he is going to stick to being patient and calculated with his moves. Getting rid of the Marcus Pettersson contract was a great move. Now he can be patient and try to move a couple more of those NMCs. I’m also pleased he hasn’t hired any old retreads. They are obviously going into the rebuild with some fresh younger minds in the organization and I really like that.

Faceit:

I thought the Canucks management had good summer. They were prepared for the draft and made some nice selections. Free agency went well, and they were able to make a trade for a future first round pick.

Overall, not bad for a start. I don’t have high expectations for this season, but think the following season is when this management group will have to show progress with their draft selections starting to make their mark in the league.

ParodyGuy:

A good start, but a long ways to go. The Sedins/Johnson clearly have a long-term plan in place and are executing to that plan. It sounds simple, but previous management teams were lacking this.

Hockey Bunker:

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

Using a home building analogy, they have knocked down the crumbling house, worst on the block, and are just starting to clear the lot.

As outsiders looking in, we have only a vague notion of what they will build, but we are happy the old eyesore is gone.

Nanaimo Bars:

RJ knocked down some dry rotted walls, only to discover a couple bodies still buried behind them.

Lewissimo:

Petterson – Second pair D exchanged for not much difference, slightly less money, and for only two years. Great decisions for that position

Höglander – 3rd or 4th line winger with fingers crossed exchanged for a 3rd or 4th line winger that is going to help build the team, plus saved $3 mil next year. Great decision for that position.

Free Agents – We aren’t swinging for the fences and he brought in usable pieces on short contract. Great decisions.

Draft – Good for the first round and 2nd round, but I think the 3rd round and after should have concentrated on defense, you have better luck with late draft players who play D. Missed opportunities.

Patience – Perfect, getting rid of everyone at once is a disaster, I feel good that this new group are going to build a winner without getting nervous and selling your future for one shot, like PAJR did.

Overall – I feel this is what our franchise needs.

Alex h:

I think two of the hires were excellent. Ryan Stewart as Director of Hockey Strategy. He’s going to help evaluate our players and fix the organizational weak spots that have plagued us for years. The other great move is bringing in Sean Finn as an amateur scout. His KHL background is a massive asset since next year’s draft is going to be loaded with elite Russian talent.

54 years on…..?:

So far so good.

The player movement out has been relatively muted in volume but that seems like the most difficult moves to make. The easy trades/moves have been made, others will take more time.

The additions have been low key, but bring identified skillsets (character and toughness) this team sorely needs.

The draft was a huge success, IMO. They seemed to have identified the type of player the team will start building with and hit some home runs.

The lack of noise around the FO is extremely impressive. Rutherford et al created a ton of noise with not much to show for it. The old adage “empty barrels make the most noise” always seemed to ring true for them.

Slow, steady, and patient is an intelligent way to begin a rebuild.

Rickster64:

Ryan Johnson nailed his first offseason as Canucks GM.

burnabybob:

I like RJ’s work so far. I still lean towards Verhoeff or Reid as better picks than Malhotra with the #3 pick this year, but Malhotra looks good. I appreciate at least that Johnson kept all his picks and isn’t going for quick fixes, which have plagued the organization since the Benning years. The Marcus Pettersson trade was excellent and the Buium signing looks solid. Overall, I’m just happy that he seems to be taking a long-term approach. It’s long overdue.

Harold Drunken:

I give him a solid meh. I like that he was decisive in moving Höglander, and the MP29 deal was gutsy as the return from that trade might be five years down the road, two years after Johnson’s first contract expires. He’s preached about patience for the rebuild, and demonstrated what that looks like in one trade. For me, that was tempered by using the team’s highest pick in 27 years to select the coach’s son. That was the fan’s reward for the what was arguably the worst season in team history.

Johnson better be right, because like it or not, he’s is going to wear the outcome of his first ever pick. They expect a long runway for their rebuild, but if the Malhotra decision goes sideways, that will measurably shorten it.

Magic Head:

Overall, it was a safe off-season. My only issue is the Buium extension, though I understand the reasoning. Management is banking on him becoming a star, but he didn’t have a spectacular year and only has one season of NHL experience. To me, it’s reckless gambling. Some will argue that if Buium hits 50 points, his asking price goes up by another $4M–$5M a year. I’d be okay with that. I’d rather pay a premium for a proven player than gamble on just one year of data.

nuxlander:

He definitely seems to have a plan, vision, and he is sticking to it. Hard to criticize him on any of his moves so far.

Jibsys:

Overall, it was a good but with room for improvement in his first off-season. That said, it was a significant improvement over the previous regime that did nothing of significance in their first year.

The good was moving Marcus Pettersson, Höglander, and the draft. The veteran defender signings were also solid. I’m also pleased about the discussions around culture, albeit, credit for that may be more on the President than the GM.

I’m a bit on the fence on Cotter, they need some more toughness in the lineup and they shouldn’t have to rely on an aging player in Schenn to be providing that. Cotter is a bit of a gamer, but not as tough as they guy they let go in Douglas or others that could have been considered.

I’m also a bit divided on the Buium deal. Maybe this is the expectation for young players these days, but just because everyone is doing these deals, does that make it the right thing to do? That argument makes being an NHL GM an easy job because you don’t have to be creative, you just have to follow along with what the crowd is doing.

What I thought could be better was being able to move on at least one or more veteran forwards. Any combination of one or more of DeBrusk, Boeser, or EP40 should have been moved.

RagnarokOroboros:

I’ve liked what RJ has done so far. I think the NHL Draft went really well for the Canucks and the prospect pool is looking much better.

It feels like management and coaching are all on the same page and everyone involved are people of character. I think players will be happy to work with this management group.

I like that the Canucks are embracing a true rebuild, and there has been no waffling like we saw under previous management about a rebuild. No hybrid rebuilds, or any of that crap.

I get a sense that management is being decisive. They saw what happened to the Ducks team and were proactive in making a big bet on Buium with his contract signing that may ultimately save them cap space down the road.

The next big test will be the trade deadline to see if they can offload some of their remaining veterans. If they can offload Demko, I will call it a success.

defenceman factory:

Johnson gets top marks for saying all the right things and not doing anything to contradict his words. I’m optimistic most of his moves will turn out well, but far from certain they will. Johnson comes across as intelligent and thoughtful and seems to approach decisions considering a much bigger picture than just the transaction itself.

The MPettersson trade and Buium contract demonstrates Johnson thinks longer term. The risk on Buium is he ends up overpaid by $2 mil for four years while the cap catches up. The risk of waiting is Buium costs $3-4 mil more for 7 years. That’s roughly a $20-30 mil risk on one side versus an $8 mil risk on the other.

Every prospect ranking out since the draft rates a few 2026 drafted D-men ahead of Malhotra. The 2027 draft is loaded with high end centres. The best player available for the Canucks is probably a centre. I remain convinced drafting a future top pairing D-man was the better move. Hopefully Malhotra proves me wrong.

It’s encouraging Johnson showed a higher priority for player size with his picks, signings, and trades.

It’s disappointing Johnson didn’t find a way to add more future draft picks. I also think there were better options than Gallagher out there. Veterans more likely to provide a nice return at the deadline.

Johnson’s moves have not paid off yet. An evaluation of his record will have much more meaning a year from now. For now he deserves most of the optimism he is being shown.

SmylandSnepsts:

I like his work so far and especially with his drafting and free agent signings, a clear view of what he wants the team to become. Big, fast, and physical. Sounds a lot like the Panthers to me.

Tyson:

Optimism, something I haven’t felt since probably the Boston series. It’s nice.

Probably the only “misstep” by the current administration has been drafting the coach’s kid. Absolutely nothing personal against either Manny or Caleb, but that just feels like a potential massive self-inflicted landmine.

The NHL is a very difficult league, without the additional pressure of perceived nepotism. I’m becoming a big Caleb Malhotra fan, but feel he would have benefited more from being drafted to another organization where he’s just another prospect, one of the boys trying to cash his lottery ticket.

I’m prepared for a couple tough seasons but believe we finally, for the first time since the Gillis regime, have the right people in charge of hockey operations.

JCanuck:

RJ has done a great job of being a steady hand. He has made trades and signed Zeev. Unlike his reverse initials, he doesn’t spark a media storm every time he steps to a mic.

The true test will be the development of the young players, especially Caleb. There is a chance the Canucks don’t pick as high as third overall for the rest of the rebuild. Hopefully not, but if Caleb doesn’t become a #1 or high 2 center??? That’s a hit.

kanucked:

I think the new team has been much bolder than I expected. I know people were expecting them to draft Malhotra, but I’m not sure Rutherford would have done that with Manny as the coach. This is defining move for them.

They accepted a 2030 first round pick (might be 2031) for the Marcus Pettersson trade. This beyond RJ’s current contract. Not many managers would do this.

The other obvious bold transaction was the Buium extension. It’s a big bet on a small size.

Then there’s the deals they didn’t do. Not many are expecting much from a EP40 deal. Many would just want the contract and player gone. By sticking with him, RJ is owning EP40 at least for the start of this season.

Overall, am glad that they aren’t being timid. They will need to bold and creative to build a Cup contender.

Leo Augustus:

I feel that finally the absolute basic hockey team management 101 stuff that should be so bleedingly obvious to everyone to do, they are finally doing. Also finally focusing on the type of player that wins playoff games. I think they’ll still be handcuffed financially by the owners and not be able to maximize their cap space.

Richard Hickey:

I am impressed. He signed low-risk contracts for character guys which should help with team spirit. These guys don’t block any prospects, and should be good teammates. He said that was important, and these guys are proven in that respect.

I approve immensely of the Buium contract. RJ showed his ability to see the landscape and act accordingly.

I approve of his trades, and depth signings.

He has moved out one protected contract, and I think he can continue chipping away at that in due time. I don’t really wanna watch the likes of Boeser and DeBrusk anymore, but I can exercise patience.

Petey is an enigma of the highest order. I vacillate between a hate that makes me want him gone at any cost, and the hope that he can be an impact player again I will tolerate being on the team.

I think the Malhotra hire is solid. Time will tell.

I certainly approve of the draft picks, overall. I’ll approve much more if three of the top-four guys can be future cogs in a contender or useful assets in pursuit of that end.

I am not impressed with overall roster make-up for an NHL team, but he gets a pass because it will lead to awful results in the standings and another lottery shot. I’ll be more discerning as time goes on.

So far so good.

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Mike Halford and Jason Brough are joining The Nation Network!

David Quadrelli — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:14 GMT

Hey folks, Quads here with some exciting news! We’re very pleased to announce that Mike Halford and Jason Brough have joined The Nation Network!

Halford and Brough will stream live Monday through Friday from 7-9 AM PT on the Daily Faceoff Vancouver YouTube channel and across all of our social channels. It will also be available as a podcast wherever you get your podcasts. You can subscribe to the Daily Faceoff Vancouver YouTube channel by clicking here, and can subscribe to the podcast feed (where a trailer featuring the guys is already live) by clicking here for Apple Podcasts, and here for Spotify.

“I’ve been pretty lucky in my career, and that run of good fortune now continues thanks to The Nation Network,” said Halford. “Brough and I knew we wanted to come back and keep doing what we love — talking about sports, having a laugh and connecting with the Halbro faithful first thing in the morning. We’re incredibly excited to reunite with all the listeners and, hopefully, gain a whole bunch of new ones along the way.”

Brough added: “My many years of talking sports with Halford have left me bereft of any real skills that would allow me to successfully change careers at this later stage of my working life. As such, I am thrilled to help bring the HalBro experience to the Nation Network.”

We are thrilled to bring you the same Halford and Brough you know and love. These two have become a vital part of Vancouver sports fans’ mornings, and their ability to cover multiple sports and teams with their same trademark humour is something we can’t wait to help keep going.

“We’re very honoured that Mike and Jason have decided to join The Nation Network,” said Jay Downton, President, The Nation Network. “It’s a super important show to Vancouver sports fans and aligns with our mission to become the #1 digital sports media brand in Canada.”

The news of Halford and Brough joining the Nation Network caps off a very exciting week. Earlier, we announced that Jamie Dodd would be coming on as a host with our Rink Wide Vancouver team. We can’t wait to bring Vancouver sports fans more of the content they crave all year long!

6 players to watch at 2026-27 Canucks training camp

Jeffrey Kennett — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:49 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks hit the ice in Penticton this morning with no shortage of young players trying to make an impression.

A 57-player training camp roster gives head coach Manny Malhotra and his staff plenty to sort through before the preseason begins. Some positions are already spoken for, but Vancouver’s ongoing rebuild has created legitimate opportunities further down the lineup.

Several players arrive with NHL experience, while others are vying to force their way into the conversation much earlier than expected.

Here are six Canucks to keep a close eye on throughout training camp:

Victor Mancini

Victor Mancini has a clear opportunity to earn an NHL roster spot with a strong performance in Penticton.

The 24-year-old split last season between Vancouver and Abbotsford, appearing in 24 NHL games with three assists while adding four goals and 12 points in 33 AHL contests. At 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds, Mancini also brings an element of size and speed that the Canucks blueline doesn’t have a ton of.

Vancouver’s top six defenders are likely Filip Hronek, Tom Willander, Zeev Buium, Elias Pettersson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Luke Schenn, leaving Mancini battling primarily for a depth role, with Kirill Kudryavtsev among his strongest competition. A recent Daily Faceoff Vancouver roster projection had Mancini opening the season as the seventh defenceman.

His camp will therefore be less about producing offence and more about showing he can be trusted when called upon. Strong defensive reads, physicality, and clean puck movement could put Mancini in the driver’s seat on a job that is very much his for the taking.

Kirill Kudryavtsev

Few players have done more to outperform their draft position in Vancouver’s system than Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Selected 208th overall in 2022, Kudryavtsev has already established himself as a legitimate NHL option. He recorded two goals and 20 points in 44 games with Abbotsford last season and added two assists during a three-game stint with Vancouver. The 22-year-old now has 109 regular-season AHL games under his belt.

Kudryavtsev also received a prominent role during the recent prospect showcase, quarterbacking Vancouver’s top power play unit and picking up an assist in the opening game against Seattle.

This year’s training camp is his best opportunity yet to show he belongs permanently at the next level. His skating and puck-moving ability give Vancouver something different from Mancini, while his waiver exemption makes him easy to send back to Abbotsford. However, that roster flexibility could work against him in the short term.

If Kudryavtsev forces the coaching staff into a difficult decision, he will have accomplished exactly what he needs to in Penticton.

Aatu Räty

Aatu Räty is no longer trying to prove he can simply play NHL games; now he needs to carve out a role.

The 23-year-old spent the entire 2025-26 season in Vancouver, setting career highs with 66 games and 14 points. His strongest measurable skill is faceoffs, where he won 60.5% of his draws, the best mark on the Canucks and seventh-best in the NHL.

His production was modest, though, with four goals and 10 assists while averaging just over 12 minutes per game. Vancouver still needs a centre to establish himself behind Elias Pettersson and Marco Rossi down the middle, making this a significant camp for Räty.

The biggest thing to watch will be his skating and whether he can add another dimension to his game. Being an elite faceoff specialist is one thing, but showing he can kill penalties, create more offence, or handle tougher defensive assignments would make it much easier for Malhotra to allocate consistent minutes to him.

Braeden Cootes

Braeden Cootes already knows what it takes to surprise at training camp.

The 2025 first-round pick unexpectedly made Vancouver’s opening-night roster last season and appeared in three NHL games before returning to junior. He went on to record 63 points in just 45 WHL games between Seattle and Prince Albert, then added another 23 points during the Raiders’ playoff run.

Cootes has carried that momentum into this season. He was one of Vancouver’s best players at development camp and finished the recent prospect showcase by scoring alongside Adam Novotný and Brooks Rogowski in a dominant Game 2 performance against Seattle.

Unlike last season, Vancouver now has the option of sending the 19-year-old to Abbotsford, where he could play heavy professional minutes rather than return to junior. That slightly ups the ante for his case to earn an NHL roster spot.

Cootes probably needs to show he can handle a meaningful top-nine role rather than simply survive against NHL competition. Considering what happened a year ago, dismissing his chances would be unwise.

Adam Novotný

Adam Novotný could hardly have done more to build anticipation for his first NHL training camp.

Vancouver selected the Czech winger 24th overall in June after he scored 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games during his first season with the Peterborough Petes. His combination of a quick release, strong skating, and willingness to battle made him one of the Canucks’ most intriguing draft additions.

Those tools were on full display at the prospect showcase. Novotný scored in both games against Seattle, then erupted for a goal and two assists alongside Cootes and Rogowski in the finale. He finished the weekend with two goals and four points.

Making Vancouver’s roster immediately is a difficult ask for an 18-year-old winger, but that does not make him any less interesting to watch in camp.

The question is whether Novotný’s game still stands out once the competition shifts from prospects to NHL players. If his shot, puck protection and relentless forecheck continue translating, he could stick around much longer than originally expected.

Nikita Tolopilo

Perhaps no one has more riding on training camp than Nikita Tolopilo.

The 6-foot-6 goaltender received his first extended NHL opportunity last season, appearing in 21 games and posting a 6-11-2 record with an .881 save percentage and 3.61 goals against average. He also went 8-8-3 with an .897 save percentage in 19 AHL appearances.

Vancouver’s situation in net gives Tolopilo an opening. Thatcher Demko will not be a full participant at camp as he continues his recovery, while Kevin Lankinen is the other established NHL option under contract. Veteran Chris Driedger is attending on a professional tryout, adding one more experienced competitor Tolopilo will need to steal the backup job from.

Tolopilo also requires waivers to reach Abbotsford this season, further complicating the Canucks’ decision between the pipes. Vancouver could carry three goalies, keep him if Demko is unavailable, or risk losing him on waivers.

A strong camp would make that decision even harder, and for Tolopilo, every preseason opportunity matters for his case to make the team.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Who are you going to be watching extra closely this training camp? Let us know in the comments below!

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Canucks announce 2026-27 training camp roster

Tyson Cole — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:01:43 GMT

On Wednesday afternoon, General Manager Ryan Johnson announced the Vancouver Canucks’ full training camp roster.

The roster includes 57 total players: 33 forwards, 17 defencemen, and seven goaltenders. Here is the full roster:

Forwards: Vilmer Alriksson, Arshdeep Bains, Ben Berard, Lucian Bernat, Brock Boeser, Austin Brimmer, Yaroslav Bryzgalov, Gabriel Chiarot, Filip Chytil, Braeden Cootes, Paul Cotter, Jake DeBrusk, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Brendan Gallagher, Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Mackenzie MacEachern, Ty Mueller, Adam Novotný, Drew O’Connor, Liam Öhgren, Riley Patterson, Elias Pettersson, Aatu Räty, Anri Ravinskis, Brooks Rogowski, Marco Rossi, Ilya Safonov, Max Sasson, Bennett Schimek, Matthew Steinburg, Akil Thomas, and Chase Wouters.

Defencemen: Joe Arntsen, Isaac Belliveau, Guillaume Brisebois, Zeev Buium, Cole Clayton, Filip Hronek, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Victor Mancini, Sawyer Mynio, Jamie Oleksiak, Elias Pettersson, Tim Rego, Luke Schenn, Jimmy Schuldt, Jack Thompson, Gavin White, and Tom Willander.

Goaltenders: Thatcher Demko, Chris Driedger, Aku Koskenvuo, Kevin Lankinen, Aleksei Medvedev, Nikita Tolopilo, and Ty Young.

The only player with an injury designation was Mackenzie MacEachern on the social post. However, at Wednesday’s media availability, Johnson said Thatcher Demko will not be a full participant, and Jack Thompson took a puck to the face in an on-ice session, prompting the Canucks to invite another player to training camp. While Johnson did not share the player’s name, he did mention that the player was on an AHL contract. Among the listed defencemen invited to training camp, Joe Arntsen, Isaac Belliveau, Tim Rego, and Gavin White are the blueliners on AHL deals.

Four of the Canucks’ nine selections in the 2026 NHL Draft will attend training camp: Lucian Bernat, Yaroslav Bryzgalov, Adam Novotný and Brooks Rogowski. Third-overall pick Caleb Malhotra and 41st-overall pick Niklas Aaram-Olsen will not attend camp, as they have already begun their school year at Boston University in the NCAA. Fifth-round pick Connor Davis is also missing camp as he returns to the University of North Dakota for his second year in the NCAA. Third-round goaltending selection Dmitri Ivchenko is playing for Omskie Yastreby of the MHL, while sixth-round selection Samuel Eriksson’s season has begun for Färjestad in the U20 Nationell.

Six offseason additions will also be in attendance for their first Canucks training camp: Paul Cotter, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Brendan Gallagher, Matthew Steinburg, Akil Thomas, and Jamie Oleksiak. Luke Schenn will also join the group; however, this will be his third Canucks training camp after having two previous stints with Vancouver.

Tune in to Daily Faceoff Vancouver tomorrow for all updates and live coverage in our training camp live blog!

6 takeaways from Canucks’ opening media availability ahead of training camp

Tyson Cole — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:21:41 GMT

On Wednesday morning, new Vancouver Canucks staff met with the media before 2026-27 training camp began.

We’ve already discussed some major talking points from today’s availability, such as Thatcher Demko not being a full participant for training camp, Manny Malhotra’s view on the difference between losing and playing losing hockey, and Ryan Johnson’s anti-Yo-Yoing philosophy regarding their young players.

No rush in naming a captain

It appears this management group is in no rush to name a captain for the upcoming season:

“We’re in no rush to hand out letters just for the sake of putting a letter on somebody,” said Malhotra. “We’ve talked about it earlier in the summer that the leaders of this group will emerge when the time is right. That’s going to play out over the next few weeks to see who takes hold of that type of role, and we see who the guys want to follow. But we’re not in any rush to put ‘A’s and ‘C’s on guys. When it happens, it happens.”

After last season’s Hughes trade, a rotation of players wore an ‘A’ on their sweater: Filip Hronek, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Tyler Myers. That group shrank to the first three after Myers was traded to the Dallas Stars.

Now, with a new regime, they believe in letting the leaders emerge as they do, with a clean slate coming into the year. Just because you’ve worn a letter before does not mean you will be wearing one now. So, we’ll see who will be wearing the letters on their sweaters come Game 1 of the regular season on September 29 against the Edmonton Oilers, but it would be a surprise to see a player with the captain’s ‘C’ on their sweater.

Malhotra describes his defensive systems

With training camp now just one night away, Malhotra detailed the defensive system he plans to exercise this season:

“It obviously relies on structure and being in the right place at the right time,” Malhotra began. “For me, playing good defence doesn’t mean sitting on the inside and just soaking shots all night long. In this NHL, if you give teams time and space, they’re going to take it, and it’s going to go badly for you. So, we’re going to be preaching the same things that, if you look at all the successful teams in the league defensively, how they play, it’s ultra-aggressive. They take time and space away quickly. They play layered, so there’s constant support and redundancy, so guys don’t get exposed if there is a breakdown. But it’s going to revolve around being structured and aggressive.”

At last year’s training camp, it became clear quickly that Adam Foote’s defensive system was going to be high-risk, high-reward. It’s pretty obvious how that turned out. That said, we should be able to see Malhotra’s system early on in training camp and whether it will work for this young Canucks squad.

Johnson on Pettersson

Johnson has been asked about Elias Pettersson at nearly every availability, because he has become one of the Canucks’ most polarizing players. The new Canucks GM has treated the situation delicately each time, hesitant to pour any gasoline on the situation. However, Johnson had some positive things to say regarding his highest-paid player and what his expectations are for him as he looks to rebound in 2026-27:

“Well, I think it’s very simple, and I’ve said it’s not just Petey; we expected our group to come in extremely prepared. He has done that,” Johnson shared. “The other thing that I really wanted him to focus on was, in his own way, what did it look like to be a really good teammate to the other players in that room. We’ve had many good discussions. I think Petey knows he’s in a safe place here, as far as people who have his back and are going to give him an environment to not be anything other than who he is. And we think with the environment that we’re going to surround him with – the players – we expect him to be a really happy hockey player coming to the rink to practice and work on his game.

“That’s my expectations. I don’t have points in mind. I don’t expect him to be the loudest guy in the room. I don’t expect him to overnight turn into an alpha. I just expect him to be exactly who he is, and I think as we allow him to do that within some structure and within the environment that we want him to be able to come to the rink and work on his game every day, that we’re going to see a happier hockey player, which usually translates into some form of success or improvement.”

Canucks will add another defenceman to PTO for training camp

At the beginning of the availability, Johnson mentioned that Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Jack Thompson took a puck to the face and will miss training camp. To fill his spot, the club has extended a PTO to a defenceman, Johnson shared.

“We are adding a defenceman based off the injury to Jack Thompson that will be coming in kind of last minute, that was actually a defenceman that was on an American League contract. But as of this minute, and I don’t want to overspeak because things can change, as we know, but he would be the the only guy. Yes.”

While we wait to see who this defenceman is, he will join goaltender Chris Driedger as the only two players coming to Canucks training camp on a professional tryout contract.

Practice facility remains unfinished, but heading down a good path

Daily Faceoff Vancouver’s Jeff Paterson was the media hero during the press conference for asking the Sedins about an update on the practice facility. Here is what Daniel said regarding the reported Britannia Ice Rink location and the frustration coming from the local Minor Hockey Association about the limited rink space in the Lower Mainland:

“We had a very good meeting with the Minor Hockey Association and good discussions; I think we’re on the same page,” Daniel said. “We’re working hard with the city to get something done. And correct me if I’m wrong, Hank, but you know how big our city is back home in Sweden. It’s about 65,000 people, and we have the same amount of rinks there as we do in the city of Vancouver. So we would love to give something back to the community and add rinks, and that’s something that would be a dream of ours as an organization to do. Like I said, it’s a lot of hard work with the city to get something done, and I think we’re on a good path.”

“The players’ play will dictate where they play”

This isn’t actually a takeaway, but boy did they get their use out of this phrase. Johnson used it once at the start, and then Malhotra used it another four times after.

We’ll see which players play and where they eventually line up starting tomorrow for Day 1 of Canucks training camp in Penticton.

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Canucks’ GM Ryan Johnson’s anti-Yo-Yo philosophy with young players is a breath of fresh air

Tyson Cole — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:30:27 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks are now focused on the future and developing their young players. And with a brand new regime now at the helm, all players in the organization will be handed clean slates and have the same opportunity to make an early impression in training camp – even the young, unproven players.

That said, General Manager Ryan Johnson is not a fan of what he referred to as “Yo-Yo-ing” young players up and down from the American League to the NHL. Johnson believes that a player will make it abundantly clear when they deserve the promotion to the NHL, and once they make that jump, they stick. He further clarified that on Wednesday morning to the assembled media ahead of Canucks training camp:

“And if there’s one thing that I’ve really learned in this game over the course of the last 10 years, it’s that it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to go backwards with a player,” Johnson said. ‘Once you commit to something and realize maybe you’ve done it too soon, it is really, really hard to reimagine not for the organization, but what the player now sees himself in their own mind.

“So we have to protect a lot of these young players in their process. I do not believe in the Yo-Yo up-and-down American League/NHL of a young player. I feel I’ve said it earlier: when they get in, they step in; if they’re in the American League, I often see it as there’s one call-up. They kick the door down, there’s one call-up, and they never go back. And for me, there are elite players that never play in the American League, but it is a rarity. And I think it’s our job to protect those young players and doing right by them.”

While the Canucks have yet to release their full training camp roster at the time of this writing, there are plenty of young players who will be on the ice in Penticton who have a chance to impress: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Braeden Cootes, Riley Patterson, Adam Novotný, Ilya Safonov, Ty Mueller, Kirill Kudryavtsev, and Sawyer Mynio.

Whether or not those players make a big enough impression to earn an opening-night roster spot, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear the general manager believe in that philosophy. If players such as Lekkerimäki or Cootes, for example, don’t completely knock the door down and earn their spot on the NHL roster through training camp and preseason, then GM Johnson will not hesitate to send them to the American League.

And that may not even mean they performed poorly. This isn’t a situation that’s going to be turned around quickly. If Johnson believes it’s best for the players’ long-term development to start the year in the AHL, where they can play a much larger role, then that’s what he’ll do. It’s a lot better than previous regimes, when young players were often rushed into an NHL lineup before they were truly ready to make the jump, and that stunted their growth.

It’s nice to hear that this regime has a futuristic view on how to turn the Canucks around, rather than looking for an immediate fix.