We are back with our 2025 mid-season edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

If you are curious about our ranking criteria, check them out in our HM installment.

#20 – Lucas Forsell

#19 – Jett Woo

#18 – Parker Alcos

Number 17 is…

Team: Kalamazoo Wings | Age: 21 | Position: Left Wing | Height: 6’2″ | Weight: 185 lbs | Shoots: Left | Drafted: Round three, 95 overall, 2021 (Buffalo Sabres) | Last year’s rank: 15

With a back-and-fourth season behind him, Josh Bloom has found a steady home. He is finally enjoying some consistency with the organization’s tier-three affiliates, the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings.

Drafted in the third round (95th overall) by the Buffalo Sabres, the Ontario native was brought in via trade back in 2023 in a deal that sent Riley Stillman out of the system.

Since then, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. Bloom made the Abbotsford roster out of training camp at 20 years old last year, but that situation quickly turned into a development snag. He was seldom in the lineup; if he was, he was hardly utilized during the game.

After all was said and done, he was loaned back to the Junior ranks, where he regained all confidence to cap off a tremendous run with the Saginaw Spirit. Believe it or not, he not only made a run to the Memorial Cup finals but scored the clinching goal to win it all.

With confidence aplenty, Bloom entered Development Camp with newfound swagger and impressed us with his leadership and willingness to show the younger prospects the ropes — an excellent sign of a maturing prospect.

Now ineligible to return to the juniors, the organization felt that allowing Bloom to flex his offensive muscles with top-six minutes in the ECHL was the best course of action. So far, it’s worked.

Despite enduring some injuries, it’s been a positive season for the now 21-year-old. With 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 22 matches (at the time of this writing), Bloom’s not posting numbers on the scoresheet, but he’s showing signs of what made him an intriguing prospect all along – with the caveat of all this being at the ECHL, of course.

What we like about his game is not just the points but the way he gets those points. He’s been working the half-wall on the power play, where he showcases his shot. But in most cases, you’ll find him digging for pucks and taking a beating at the netfront. He’s always stirring the puck and rarely gives up on plays.

Not only that, his speed has been a major factor. Amongst men, he’s been able to expose defenders with his speed, winning footraces and sending himself on a plethora of breakaways.

You’ll see a mix of it all in this scoring chances montage: his breakaway attempts and his never-give-up digs at the front.

When healthy, he’s averaging around 17 minutes of ice time per game and is playing in all situations, including penalty kills. While it may not be the landing spot many Bloom hopefuls envisioned, it’s a good baby step. Add in his competitive nature in mind; we don’t expect this to be the last we hear of him in the Abbotsford circuit.

To enjoy some consistency, he likely spends the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign in Kalamazoo, but you can expect him to take that first year of (full-time) pro experience and gun for a permanent spot on the baby Canucks next fall.

Ceiling: It hasn’t been the fairytale start to his pro career, but the intangibles are still very much there. He brings a never-quit attitude, speed and a nose for the net. Still just 21, there’s still a path toward him providing energy as a bottom-six role player who chips in on the offence from time to time at the NHL level.

Floor: There’s far too much to like about his game to say that he’s not a professional hockey player in North America. At the very least, he’s an energy player at the AHL level. Think Tristen Nielsen.

ETA: He’s hit some snags along the way, so his development has not been as fast as many may have hoped when he was first acquired. We expect him to grind his way into Abbotsford next year and spend a full year gaining his footing. If everything goes well, the best-case scenario should see him ready to enjoy cups in Vancouver by the 2026-27 season. However, the 2027-28 campaign may be more realistic.

That’s our #17 spot. Stay tuned for another installment later today here at CanucksArmy.