Canucks right-shot defence prospect Viktor Persson will play another season in Liiga

One of the Canucks’ few right-shot defence prospects will be playing another year in Finland’s top league next season as he looks to bounce back after a tough season filled with injuries.

After being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, right-shot defenceman Viktor Persson went to the Kamloops Blazers and played on one of the best teams in the CHL. He then was without a pro team and the Canucks didn’t end up giving him the option of playing in the AHL as a 20-year-old.

Persson played last season in Liiga with the Pelicans and as the team tweeted on Friday morning, he will be back with the funky birds for another year.

It was definitely a down season for Persson in his first campaign in Liiga. He battled some minor injuries throughout the season and ultimately had his year conclude early when he suffered a shoulder injury. Persson finished the season with 24 games played, three assists, and was a -6 on the year.

For those who don’t know anything about Persson, let’s quickly cover the type of player he is.

Persson is a 6’2″, 190-pound, right-shot Swedish defenceman who got us pretty excited about his game from the tape of his J20 play in his draft season. Skating is not an issue, he moves very well. He’s more offensive than he is defensive, and can play both sides on defence.

There’s actually a lot to like in his profile, but he will need to make big improvements in his game before we can get excited about the chance of him playing pro hockey in North America.

Persson participated in Canucks development camp this past summer and the expectation is that he will not be fully healthy for this summer’s camp but could potentially be in attendance in the same way that Hugo Gabrielson was last year.

Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie & Dhali is reporting that Persson should be healthy for next season and that is good news because next year is a critical season for Persson and his development. He’s only on a one-year deal with the Pelicans, and the hope is that he finds his game well enough to earn a chance to play in the AHL for the 2024-25 season.

The Canucks have been working hard at improving development in their AHL team since they moved from Utica, and Persson is a prime candidate to be one of those young players that the development staff works with to get to another level.

Liiga’s regular season is set to begin in early September and we will certainly be keeping an eye on him as he looks to bounce back with a strong season as a 21-year-old.

We’re rooting for him — because around here, we are always rooting for right-shot defencemen.