Welcome back to the CanucksArmy Blackfish Prospect Report.
This week saw the Abbotsford Canucks establish their first real stretch of consistency, winning all three of their games. We also had a new captain named within the CHL ranks, and a few NCAA prospects head to Northern Ireland.
Let’s dive right in.

Abbotsford Canucks

Don’t look now, but the Baby Canucks are finally building momentum. For the first time this season, Abbotsford has strung together three consecutive wins, including a weekend sweep of the Henderson Silver Knights. Over those two games, they outscored Henderson 9-1, dominating in all facets of play. While their record sits at a less-than-stellar 9-8-0-1, tying them for fourth in the Pacific Division, there are signs this team is beginning to find its rhythm.
Leading the offensive charge this week was rookie forward Ty Mueller, who has quietly become one of the team’s most consistent contributors. Mueller tallied a goal and three points over the weekend and is now a full-fledged fixture to the team’s top six.
Known for his strong two-way game at the collegiate level, Mueller has adjusted quickly to the pro game, earning Manny Malhotra’s trust in all situations. His first two goals this season came from his willingness to go the net, but this week, we finally saw his shot in action — something we often saw during his NCAA career.
Speaking of shooters, Danila Klimovich continues to light the lamp during his revenge tour season. The 21-year-old Belarusian added two more goals this week, bringing his total to seven with 11 points and a team-leading 53 shots on goal.
Klimovich is exhibit A of how a little opportunity can go a long way.
After a frustrating season last year, Malhotra has finally let him off the leash, logging top-six minutes and quarterbacking the top power play. His engagement is also much more noticeable, ranking fourth on the team with 16 hits. And while his defensive game still has room for improvement, the vast difference in his demeanour is evident.
Klimovich’s NHL readiness — or Rick Tocchet’s readiness — may still be a question mark, but you have to credit the turnaround.
All out offence, you say? Jonathan Lekkerimäki returned to Abbotsford after a seven-game stint with the Canucks. During his brief NHL stay, Lekkerimäki flashed his potential with a goal — a classic snipe that nicely sums up his shooting ability. Goal or not, he managed just seven shots and showcased some of his physical limitations and need for fine-tuning as he adjusted to his new environment.
And that’s perfectly fine.
He picked up where he left off in the AHL, adding a highlight-reel goal this weekend by stripping a defender at center ice and converting a breakaway.
That said, he wasn’t as offensively engaged as you’d think in a nine-goal weekend feast. The goal was his lone point, and his shot totals dipped slightly, with just five shots over two games compared to his pre-call-up average of 5.5 per game. Lekkerimäki’s NHL experience will be invaluable as he continues to refine his game and develop the consistency needed to succeed at the pro level.
Meanwhile, Ty Glover quietly contributed another goal, bringing his season total to five in 10 games. Glover’s speed and pest-like energy have been key assets in Abbotsford’s bottom six, making him a player to watch.
Rounding out the forward group, Max Sasson had a memorable week, starting with scoring a goal against Bakersfield (AHL) before earning his first NHL promotion and point in his debut courtesy of a vintage Sasson enter and cutback assist.
He had his family in Ottawa – including his father – to witness his first game, and his dad’s reaction to the point says it all.
Isn’t this what it’s all about, folks?
On the back end, Kirill Kudryavtsev had arguably the best week of his young AHL career after sitting in the press box for a few games the week prior. The seventh-round pick tallied a goal, three assists (tremendous pass on the first Klimovich goal above), and a plus-3 rating while logging nearly 21 minutes per game for the first time.
With eight points (two goals, six assists) on the year, he leads all Abbotsford defenders and ranks fifth among all AHL U21 rearguards.
Kudryavtsev’s smooth skating and exceptional stick work were on full display as he handled increased minutes, which included a hard look running the team’s powerplay unit. His play over the weekend reminded us of how he used to impact the game at the junior level, and his confidence levels are currently in a good spot.
While he’s not the most physical defender, his ability to disrupt plays and transition the puck up the ice is invaluable. As has always been the case, his stick work is incredible and hard to miss. You just don’t see many players use their sticks like he does. Like a fencer, he’s constantly swinging his stick and interrupting plays.
It’s still early in his development, but the Canucks have to be thrilled with the potential he’s shown.
Sticking with the theme of 20-year-old rookies, Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) earned his first NHL call-up this week. Although he didn’t see game action, and the stay was relatively short and sweet, the promotion is a testament to his strong play in Abbotsford. For weeks, we have considered D-Petey one of, if not the best, defenders down in Abbotsford and clearly, the Canucks’ management felt the same.
Pettersson added another assist this week and now co-leads all U21 AHL defenders with a +5 rating. His blend of physicality, defensive reliability, and puck-moving ability makes him a standout on Abbotsford’s blue line.
This week, we covered his game a little more deeply at CanucksArmy, so go check that out for more (here).
It may be time to keep an eye out for Cole McWard. He’s often forgotten, but the 23-year-old defender continues to quietly make an impact down on the farm and anchor the team’s right side.
While he doesn’t rack up points, his steady, mistake-free play continues to be a stabilizing presence. McWard logged significant minutes in all situations this week and finished with a plus-five rating, helping Abbotsford’s defence turn the corner after a rough start to the season. He’s up to six points (one goal, five assists) and has brought himself to an even rating following a tough start.
In goal, the Baby Canucks have an intriguing dilemma. After a disastrous debut, Ty Young has rebounded impressively, stopping 62 of 65 shots and has posted back-to-back wins while starting three straight games.
Of course, with Jiri Patera still in the picture and Arturs Silovs more likely than not on his way somewhere in the future, there’s a good chance that Young sees himself back in the ECHL at some point. However, it’s a very good position for the organization to have a young – no pun intended – goaltender waiting in the queue should he get the call.
Meanwhile, Nikita Tolopilo broke out of a six-game losing streak with his first AHL shutout, a 21-save performance in Henderson.
The Abby Canucks play in Bakersfield on Tuesday, and it will be interesting to see if they go with the youngster, who caught three states in a row, or their go-to netminder, who finally enjoyed a turnaround game.

Kalamazoo Wings

After missing a short time with an injury, Josh Bloom returned to the lineup and wasted no time making an impact. He picked up his fourth goal of the season and now has six points in nine ECHL games.

Sweden

Over in the SHL, Melvin Fernström continues establishing himself as a regular contributor for Örebro’s SHL squad. While he may still enjoy the occasional stint at the U20 level, it feels like he’s solidified his role with the men full-time.
This week, he scored a pretty goal, opening his hips before unleashing a top-corner rocket.
While his official stat line lists five points in 16 games, he failed to see a single second of ice time in three, meaning he’s technically only played in 13. He’s been steadily increasing his ice time and is now a mainstay to the team’s power play unit to boot.
Defensively, he’s playing well and is one of just two players on his Örebro squad to post above 50 percentiles in the Corsi department (52%).
Teammate Lucas Forsell has been equally impressive in the fancy stats, boasting a 58% Corsi on his ledger. This week, he also contributed another multipoint game with a goal and an assist.
We’ve often said that when he’s given even an inch of opportunity, he typically responds, and once again, he proved us correct.

CHL

We’ll start our Canadian Hockey League section with Sawyer Mynio, who’s currently out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. Despite sitting on the sidelines, the third-round draftee was named one of Seattle’s two co-captains for the year.
Over the summer, we predicted that he would make the Canadian World Junior team, and that’s not only based on his performance over the last year but also the fact that he played – and played well – alongside Zayne Perehk at the Summer World Junior Showcase.
Well, many other publications seem to agree with my reasoning and have predicted the same. His injury has been listed as day-to-day, so as long as that remains true, it should not affect his ability to participate. Canada should announce its training camp roster very shortly.
Vilmer Alriksson has been on fire for the Guelph Storm, tallying 10 points in his last seven games. The towering forward has embraced his top-line role, utilizing his size, skating, and hands to dominate at the junior level. With 15 points in 20 games, Alriksson is on pace to shatter his previous rookie numbers, firing at a 53-point clip.
The package continues to be incredibly enticing: the size, the skating, and the hands. He’s slowly putting it all together to be a force at the junior level.
Parker Alcos finally enjoyed a positive week in the plus/minus department, posting a plus-3 through three games to put him at a minus-8 on the year. We’ve tracked several games now, and we still have yet to see all that much to warrant a deeper look.
We love the size, and the feet and edgework are intriguing additions to that frame. Alcos skates with his head up and can provide a good first pass out of the zone. So, all in all, the package is there for a sixth-round pick.
At just 18, we aren’t concerned about that nasty plus/minus rating, and we fully expect to see more from his game.
Riley Patterson picked up a lone assist through three games.

NCAA

Tom Willander and his Boston Terriers had just one game this past week, grabbing two shots and a plus-one rating. He’s soaking up tons of minutes lately and even enjoyed some time on the top pairing next to Cole Hutson.
He’s now averaging around 23 minutes per night, sits third on his team with 20 blocked shots, second with a plus-six, and has the third-most points on the team with nine points (two goals, seven assists) through 12 games.
This week, he, Aiden Celebrini, and Harvard’s Aku Koskenvuo are in Belfast, Northern Ireland, participating in the “Friendship Four” Exhibition tournament. The weekend includes Boston University, Harvard, Merrimack, and Notre Dame.
Speaking of Aku, he has now started all five of Harvard’s games this year, which we had predicted would happen. He allowed five goals on 40 shots to take his third loss of the season. Now winless in three games, he sports a 2-3-1 record with a .906 save percentage and 2.65 goals against.
Finally, we have Jackson Dorrington, who took home Hockey East Defender of the Week honours.
The Junior scored his first goal of the season and added three points, four shots, and four blocked shots over two games. Dorrington now co-leads his team and sits fifth among the conference with 14 blocked shots on the year.
Thanks for checking with the Blackfish Prospect Report this week. As always, please feel free to leave any questions in the comments!
Sponsored by bet365!