Vancouver Canucks send Arshdeep Bains back to AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks

After going pointless through the first five NHL games of his career, Arshdeep Bains has been sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin made the announcement on Friday afternoon.

At 23 years old, Bains has become one of Abbotsford’s most trusted players. Through 42 games in Abbotsford this season, Bains has nine goals and 30 assists to his name.

After going undrafted, Bains signed with his hometown Canucks after leading the WHL in scoring with 112 points through 68 games during the 2021-22 season. Upon arriving in Abbotsford the following season, Bains began the year bouncing between the press box and Abbotsford’s fourth line. Under the watchful eye of the Canucks’ coaching and development staff, Bains worked tirelessly to improve the blind spots in his game and has become an incredibly versatile and well-rounded player who can be trusted to play in any situation.

Bains was named an AHL All-Star this season and has become an early developmental success story for the Canucks’ Jim Rutherford-led management regime. Despite not looking out of place in his first two NHL games, the speed of the NHL game seemed to catch up to Bains over his last three games, and he, like many of his Canucks teammates, hasn’t been very effective as of late.

Nonetheless, Bains will now go back down to Abbotsford having gotten a taste of what the NHL game is like. He’ll have new things that he now knows he needs to work on and will almost certainly come back stronger when the Canucks eventually promote him next.

Despite today’s transaction, Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team is reporting that this move is not to make room for Dakota Joshua in the Canucks’ lineup, as Dhaliwal reports that Joshua is still not yet fully healthy and ready to return to the lineup. Defenceman Carson Soucy has been skating in recent days and should be ready to return at some point during the Canucks’ upcoming three-game road trip.