We may still be a few weeks away from meaningful hockey, but that doesn’t mean the development season is on pause. With the 2025–26 Blackfish roster now set, we’re shifting our focus to one key theme: what’s next in each prospect’s growth.

Every young player has a laundry list of areas to refine, but this week we’re narrowing it down. For some, it’s a particular skill that needs polishing. For others, it’s about taking the next step in their overall game or proving they can carry their success to a higher level.

With that in mind, here’s the one thing to watch from every Canucks prospect heading into the 2025–26 season.

Aatu Räty – Skating

There’s a lot to like about Aatu Räty’s current game. He shows terrific vision, competes hard, can be trusted in any area of the ice, and is strong on faceoffs.

But we aren’t reinventing the wheel when we say that his lack of foot speed remains a sticking point. To his credit, he spent the summer of 2024 working hard to improve his stride and add an extra gear.

Progress has been made, but it’s still not where it needs to be for him to hit his stride as a middle-six contributor. A late-season injury cut his offseason short and limited the amount of work he could put in—an unfortunate setback for both him and the organization.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki – Strength

Lekkerimäki’s rookie year had plenty of positives, despite his production fizzling out by season’s end. His shot and offensive instincts are undeniable, but his slight frame became an issue, especially once the intensity ramped up in the postseason.

Winning a Calder Cup is never a negative, but the long run did leave him with a quick timeline to add the muscle he badly needs. This season, his ability to withstand the grind physically will be just as important as his ability to produce on the scoresheet.

Arshdeep Bains – Successful transfer of his game

Bains has now shown his game at both the NHL and AHL levels, and at times, it can look like two different versions of the same player. The goal this season will be to bring the same intensity, creativity and pace he thrives on in Abbotsford into his NHL opportunities.

If he can play a quicker game, lean on his creative mind, and show determination in the dirty areas, he has a real chance to grab hold of a full-time NHL role.

Tom Willander – Become Abbotsford’s top defender

Last season, Tom Willander showed strong growth in his two-way game, particularly with improved puck decisions. This year, the key will be managing the jump from NCAA to the pros, which is a transition much more difficult than many give credit for.

Assuming he does not make the team in Vancouver, however, we have high expectations for him in his inaugural season. He needs to take over as the go-to option in all stations and serve as a key option for Abbotsofrd.

Elias Pettersson – Become a Penalty Killing ace

Elias Pettersson has already shown he can handle the physical game, even against top competition. The next step? Becoming a reliable, elite penalty killer at the NHL level.

He already proved his worth at the AHL level as one of Abbotsford’s go-to PK aces, so now it’s about providing that at the highest stage to alleviate the pressure from the backend in Vancouver. If he can carve out that role early, it will cement his place in Vancouver’s lineup.

Victor Mancini – Make a higher offensive impact

Victor Mancini impressed early in his Abbotsford stint, showing off surprisingly quick, fluid feet for a big defender. But as the Calder Cup run wore on, his offensive impact waned. When Christian Wolanin returned, Mancini lost his power play minutes and even saw rookie Kirill Kudryavtsev jump ahead of him.

Assuming he sticks in Abbotsford, we’d like to see him take that next step and become one of, if not the highest producing defender on Abbotsford’s backend. His highest producing season has been just 10 points in 23 games with the Hartford Wolfpack, and he’s going to be in direct competition with Tom Willander, but as a 23-year-old veteran, we think there’s more to give.

Nikita Tolopilo – Consistency from start to start

Tolopilo has played well over his two years in Abbotsford, but with Arturs Silovs gone, he’s now the next man up for a Vancouver recall, assuming Jiri Patera doesn’t have something to say. That raises the bar.

His biggest area for improvement will be consistency from start to start—eliminating the swings and becoming a steady, reliable presence in the crease.

Danila Klimovich – Consistency

Danila Klimovich finally broke out in 2024–25, leading Abbotsford in goals and looking like the sharpshooter the old regime once envisioned. But now comes the hard part…doing it again, and doing it every night.

Inconsistency remains his biggest hurdle. He was scratched in the playoffs on numerous occasions, which has become a frustrating trend throughout his young career. If he can round out his two-way game and maintain the same level of play night after night, there’s a real chance we’ll see him in Vancouver for a “show me” game this season.

Ty Mueller – Offensive punch

Mueller has already shown he can be a reliable, two-way centre with faceoff skill, penalty-killing ability, and the trust of his coaches. Next, can he add more offensive punch?

We’ve seen his shooting ability at the NCAA, and he carries an underrated shot and offensive capabilities. It’s a tricky balance when a player places such focus on being a three-zone player. !2 goals and 39 points as a rookie is nothing to scoff at, but if Mueller can chip in more goals while maintaining his defensive reliability, it could do wonders for his stock.

Anri Ravinskis – Secondary offence

The expectation isn’t that Ravinskis becomes a scorer overnight—but adding some secondary offense would go a long way. With his speed, size, and forechecking ability, even modest scoring contributions could make him a very valuable depth piece.

Chase Stillman – Recapturing confidence

Stillman’s 2024–25 campaign was tough, but at just 22, there’s still time to get the train back on track. This season, the focus should be simple: contribute on the scoresheet, regain confidence, and start to show signs of the player that once made him a first-round pick.

Ty Young – Improved starts

Ty Young had a strong debut season, split between the ECHL and AHL, but there was one issue that arose throughout: his starts. He allowed a goal on the first shot of his AHL debut, and early-game struggles became a slight theme.

To his credit, he always settled down as the game went on, but starting sharper will be his big focus this year.

Kirill Kudryavtsev – Penalty Killing

Kudryavtsev couldn’t have impressed much more as a rookie, and by playoff time, he was one of Abbotsford’s most important defenders. The next step? Adding penalty-killing responsibilities to his resume.

If he can add that to his resume, he’ll leapfrog others on Vancouver’s crowded blue line depth chart pretty quickly.

Vilmer Alriksson – Middle-six standout

No, the offensive numbers have never truly popped, so it’s not fair to expect a pile of production as a rookie navigating through the AHL. But according to Eliteprospects, Vilmer Alriksson is already going to be one of the bigger players in the entire league (6’6″, 234 pounds).

If he can jump in and make a smooth transition to Abbotsford and become a middle-six staple, that would be a big win.

Sawyer Mynio – Strength

Sawyer Mynio is one of the organization’s best-kept secrets on the back end. He got a taste of the AHL with a one-game debut in 2023–24, then capped last year by soaking in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run.

He’s identified adding weight as his biggest personal focus, and after a spring/summer of training, the hope is that he’s ready to step into his rookie pro year with more strength to complement his skating and smarts.

Josh Bloom – Transition and remain in the AHL

After a tough AHL debut two years ago, this season looms large for Bloom. He needs to prove he can handle the pace, physicality, and consistency required to stick in the American League and get his stock as a prospect back on track.

Aku Koskenvuo – Consistency as a pro

Now turning pro after a mediocre three-year NCAA career, Koskenvuo’s main focus will be adjusting to the pro game and proving he can handle a starter’s workload, likely at the ECHL level in Kalamazoo. Consistency will be the benchmark of a successful year.

Braeden Cootes – Offensive boom

Braeden Cootes led an otherwise underwhelming Seattle Thunderbirds squad in 2024–25, and we feel there’s still more offensive production to unlock. With nearly every other part of his game already mature, this is the year to see him explode offensively as a draft-plus-one player. Could he put up 90-plus?

Parker Alcos – Adding muscle

At 6-foot-3 with smooth skating, Alcos brings a fascinating profile. He took strides forward last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, logging elevated minutes in all situations. The key now is filling out his lean frame. Adding muscle and strength will be his top priority to advance his prospects.

Riley Patterson – Over a point-per-game player

Likely entering his final year of junior, Riley Patterson has already proven he can be a reliable two-way forward and a near point-per-game producer.

What we’d like to see now is a true offensive breakout and dominating as one of the OHL’s go-to forwards. Points don’t ever tell the entire story, but proving he can dominate at the Junior level as a 19-year-old would be a big boost to his stock as he embarks on his next chapter.

Aleksei Medvedev – Consistency

Aleksei Medvedev goes from backup duty to the full-time starter’s crease with the London Knights. With that comes pressure, but also opportunity. For him, the task is straightforward: handle the workload, stay steady, and give London a chance to contend for a Memorial Cup.

Kieren Dervin – Offensive impact out of the gate

As we’ve established in past reports, Kieren Dervin is a challenging prospect to gauge since the highest level he’s played consistently was high school. That said, Kingston is likely to give him a solid shot somewhere in the middle-six, perhaps even top-six. Although it’s not technically his go-to calling card, we’d like to see him have an offensive impact, as we believe there is more to unpack. Perhaps somewhere around the 0.75 point per game mark?

Gabe Chiarot – Skating

Gabe Chiarot is more known as a chaotic pest, who enjoys mucking it up and wreaking havoc as a forechecker. That said, he also jumped from five goals in his rookie year to 21 in 2024-25. So there’s something there. If he can work on improving his skating and general footspeed, there could be some room to grow as a prospect down the line.

The Brampton Steelhead lost several players this offseason, so he will be given numerous opportunities to make an impact.

Anthony Romani – Delivering amongst NCAA competition

Anthony Romani joins a powerhouse Michigan State program loaded with talent (Cayden Lindstrom, Porter Martone, Ryker Lee, Shane Vasaghi, and more). He’s dominated at the junior level, even through an injury-filled 2024–25 season.

The one thing to prove now is that he can generate offence against older, stronger NCAA competition. If he can translate his scoring touch to this environment, it will be a lovely ode to his readiness for the AHL game.

Wilson Björck – Adjust to North American hockey

Wilson Björck makes the jump from Sweden’s J20 circuit to the NCAA, and the challenge will be proving his big 2024–25 season wasn’t just the result of being an older player in the Swedish junior league.

His creativity and pace are there, but now he’ll need to show he can drive play against heavier, more physical competition. There’s an emphasis on heavier here.

Matthew Lansing – Stand out as a Freshman

The Canucks’ final pick in 2025 heads to Quinnipiac as a freshman. For Matthew Lansing, the priority will be adapting to the pace and structure of NCAA hockey while carving out a role.

Even modest offensive contributions in his first year would be a win, provided he builds a foundation of reliable two-way play.

Aiden Celebrini – Become an impact defender

Now a junior at Boston University, Aiden Celebrini faces a crowded right side even with Tom Willander gone. His skating and defensive reads are strong, but the next step will be asserting himself in that logjam.

Finding ways to consistently stand out and earn minutes beyond the role he has been in for two years will be key.

Matthew Perkins – Find his offensive touch

Development Camps are hardly the spot to take notes for one’s game. That said, we have seen Matthew Perkins pop offensively during Dev. Camp skirmishes.

Transferring to Northeastern, he gets a fresh slate. His sophomore year was a step back offensively, so it would be great to see him rediscover his scoring touch in a new environment.

He doesn’t need to be a star, but reclaiming a top-six role and producing at a steady clip is critical to restoring his stock as a prospect.

Daimon Gardner – Showcase his intriguing profile

Profiles such as Daimon Gardner’s do not grow on trees, so he continues to be an intriguing name who has yet to find his stride at the collegiate level. As he enters his junior season at St. Cloud with two modest campaigns behind him, we’d like to see him take those next steps in imposing himself on games more consistently.

If he can play with pace and leverage his size to win battles and create offence, now we are talking.

Basile Sanssonens – Earn a role amongst men

After a single season in the QMJHL, Basile Sansonnens transferred back to Switzerland, where he will be jockeying for a spot amongst men on a strong Lausanne HC backend.

The towering Swiss defender brings some intriguing elements, so if he can post a strong season at this level, he could boost his stock amongst this potent defensive depth chart.

Ilya Safonov – Cross the pond

Safonov has been a reliable, defensive-minded forward for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL, but as he approaches his mid-20s, the question is whether there’s an actual path to crossing the pond.

He’s been a long-time serving member of the KHL, but if there’s no pathway to coming to Vancouver, what’s the allure?

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