Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect report.

First things first, I apologize for not delivering a report last week. It was my first missed report, and I am hoping for it to be my last.

We don’t have too many prospects remaining out there, but we have just enough to provide a solid report!

Let’s dive right in.

It was a crucial week for the Abbotsford Canucks as they vied for home-ice advantage in the AHL playoffs, awarded to the top four teams in each division.

Truthfully, this is the matchup we had hoped for.

Throughout the season, the Canucks and Eagles clashed eight times, and each game was marked by intense rivalry and animosity.

Since then, it’s been a battleground.

Most recently, all hell broke loose in the dying second of their final meeting, where Jett Woo became public enemy number one.

The schedule:

Wed. Apr 24, 2024–7:05 PM PST
Fri. Apr 26, 2024–7:05 PM PST
Sun. Apr 28, 2024–3:05 PM PST *If necessary

With the regular season behind us, we thought we’d reflect and recap on the 2023-24 Abby prospects, shall we?

We’ll start with the forward group this week and work toward the defensive corps and goaltenders next week.

Of course, we have to start with the local kid, Arshdeep Bains.

The Surrey native enjoyed a significant breakout season in every statistical category and emerged as a go-to leader on this Abbotsford squad.

He also acted as a regenerator for his club. Jeremy Colliton noted his ability to improve his linemates and frequently turned to him as a solution when a player was experiencing a slump.

As you probably know, his efforts awarded him two stints in Vancouver. However, despite his impressive performance in the minors, Bains struggled to replicate his success, recording zero points and a minus-5 in eight games.

But hey, two years ago, he was an undrafted free agent brought to the professional circuit. Are we judging his future outlook by an eight-game NHL stint? Not at all. Or at least, you shouldn’t.

We’ve been steadfast in our prediction of Bains’ blossoming into a bottom-six option, and that can take time.

With the experienced he’s gained, he knows what needs to be worked on and given his history and work ethic, we can expect him to work his butt off in the off-season.

He took home a few accolades this season, which include the Pacific Divison All-Star MVP, Abbotsford Fan Favourite and ultimately, the team MVP.

If there was any player among this prospect pool to give us grief in terms of true projection, it’s Aatu Räty.

Simply put, he has been a player of both promise and inconsistency throughout the season, making us think long and hard about his future potential at the NHL level.

While he has showcased remarkable stretches of strong play, he has also endured prolonged periods of struggle.

With that said, some areas of his game still beg questions, and his positional fit highlights those questions.

While his playmaking abilities have been evident, much of his offensive production has come on the power play, and he has relied heavily on secondary assists (leads the team).

Do we see a world where Räty earns an NHL spot next season? Sure.

With the long list of looming free agents, there is certainly a need for young blood from the minor league team to step up and earn their spot.

While Arshdeep Bains may have been the MVP, Max Sasson was the team’s motor that won’t quit.

Unlike our concerns with Räty, the 23-year-old rookie has shown the ability to drive a line all season and rarely takes shifts off, if ever.

Sasson finished 10th in rookie scoring and fifth on his team with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 56 games. However, he did much more than his points suggest. He led the team in 5v5 goal differential (plus-18) and held that crown all season.

All this to say, he’s an even-strength beast.

Furthermore, he’s a pure centre and hasn’t faltered off that path at any point during the season. He’s got the wheels, the work ethic, the skill and could likely fulfil a bottom-six role for the Vancouver Canucks down the road.

Offensively, he’s not too shabby, either. While he posted a modest 16 goals and 34 points across 59 points, he carries some of the softest hands on the team and often provides us with some pretty highlights each game.

For years we had been awaiting the arrival of one of the more intriguing sixth-round picks in Canucks’ draft history. After a potent four-year stint in Northeastern where he scored 66 goals and finished as a point-per-game player, Aidan McDonough’s rookie year in Abby was…okay.

The difference between his play since March 1st is that he’s finally shooting.

Ty Glover showed flashes of intrigue, but at the end of the day, that intrigue likely caps out at the AHL level.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, he brings heavy size and has swift wheels to cap it off. He certainly plays a physical game and has a good shot, which he showcased at the ECHL level scoring 12 goals and 23 points across just 12 games earlier in the season. However, as a package, there is still some work to be done.

While he certainly plays a “Tocchet type” of game, we question whether his awareness or IQ will be able to make that jump. He’s likely depth, but a fun addition for this Abbotsford squad.

The club has been good at keeping hush-hush on his status, but after chatting with those close to the team, he appears healthy.

At his best, he is a pesky forward with a heavy shot and nose for the net. Hopefully, he can take some much-needed time in the off-season and arrive to camp with a fire under him and rekindle some of the spark that he found last year.

There’s no sugarcoating, it was a grim season for the Klim Reaper.

Josh Bloom and Kirill Kudryavtsev have been clashing for the past two weeks, facing off in round 2 of the OHL playoffs.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki is back overseas and making his next attempt at securing a roster spot for the upcoming World Championships in May.

So far, things have worked out nicely, having played both of their exhibition games on Sweden’s top line.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any available stats for these games, but we do know that he picked a primary assist on the power play.

At this point, it’s probably safe to assume we have seen the last of him in Abbotsford this season.