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Blackfish: New AHL additions, CHL/NCAA playoff picture, Ty Young finding his game, and more
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Dave Hall
Mar 12, 2026, 17:15 EDTUpdated: Mar 12, 2026, 17:11 EDT
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Welcome back to Blackfish: our weekly Vancouver Canucks prospect report.
With the NHL season entering its final stretch, the focus around the prospect system is beginning to shift. In Abbotsford, the Canucks are simply trying to grind their way through the final few weeks of the season while dealing with a lineup constantly disrupted by promotions, injuries, and trades. Across the rest of the system, things are beginning to ramp up. The CHL playoffs are right around the corner, several NCAA prospects are now deep into their conference tournaments, and college free agents are starting to hit the market as programs get eliminated. That’s already led to a couple of new additions in Abbotsford, and there could still be more on the way.
With that, let’s dive into another week around the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect pipeline.

Abbotsford Canucks

The Abbotsford Canucks continue to ping-pong through their schedule, splitting sets over the past few weeks. With just 50 points (22-31-3-3) on the season and just 13 games remaining, their campaign is quickly winding down.
With promotions, trades, and injuries taking their toll, icing a full lineup has been a challenge. On numerous occasions, they’ve dressed just nine forwards, essentially treading water until the season reaches its conclusion.
They did, however, add some younger talent this week. As NCAA programs begin getting eliminated from their respective playoff runs, college free agents are becoming available for teams to sign. We’ve already highlighted several names — primarily forwards — that the Canucks could target this spring.
So far, we’ve already connected on one, as Bennett Schimek signed with the Abbotsford Canucks. Technically, he doesn’t fall under our typical Blackfish guidelines as an AHL-signed player, but he’s someone we will likely follow closely at 22 years old. He’s expected to make his Abbotsford debut this weekend at Rogers Forum.
The second addition came somewhat out of left field, with Austin Brimmer signing out of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has already made his debut and brought plenty of energy, adding some edge in a bottom-line role.
On the back end, Abbotsford welcomed back Kirill Kudryavtsev, who had been sidelined since January with a high ankle sprain. His boxscore numbers won’t necessarily show it (no points), but his two-way play was something the team clearly missed. Using an active stick, he broke up numerous plays and quickly resumed his role on the penalty kill and power play. We continue to pound the table for him to receive an opportunity in Vancouver before the season ends.
He and Sawyer Mynio have been two bright spots on the Abbotsford blue line this year. Both have handled special teams responsibilities, often rotating as the team’s go-to power play quarterback. While Mynio likely won’t see NHL action this season, he’s certainly a name to watch for a potential look next year.
Speaking of NHL looks, it’s time to give Ty Mueller a few well-deserved cookies. In what has been a turbulent season overall, the 23-year-old has been one of the team’s most reliable soldiers, shouldering top-line centre duties and playing in every situation.
During Trade Deadline day, it was reported that Mueller jumped on a plane to potentially join the Vancouver Canucks in Chicago, only to turn around at the airport and return to Abbotsford. The next day, he responded by scoring two goals after a gruelling 48-hour grind. Mueller now co-leads the team with 13 goals and sits second in points with 30, continuing to do a bit of everything for this team.
Meanwhile, Danila Klimovich has been on a nice run of late, collecting six points in his last six games, including four goals and 20 shots on net. With 64 career AHL goals, he now sits just six shy of Linus Karlsson for the franchise lead in Abbotsford history.
Many fans have asked whether he deserves an NHL call-up. The short answer? Sure, why not? At this point, there’s very little downside to giving him a game or two at the NHL level. We still question whether his hockey IQ and consistency will be able to cut it at the highest level, but given that this could be the final stretch before he becomes an RFA, perhaps it’s time to find out.
Another recall came in the form of Josh Bloom, who returned to Abbotsford after an outstanding run in Kalamazoo. This move was somewhat expected as Abbotsford was heavily shorthanded, but Bloom certainly earned it.
During his 19-game ECHL stint, he led the entire league with 28 points, earning ECHL Player of the Month honours for February. Back in Abbotsford’s lineup, he hasn’t found the scoresheet yet through two games, but he has brought his usual energy and has generated a few dangerous looks around the net.
Ty Young was also recalled to Abbotsford and appears to have rediscovered his form. Thanks to a dreadful 0-7-0 start, his season numbers will likely look rough by year’s end, but his recent play has been excellent. In three games since returning, Young has stopped 81 of 84 shots, going 3-0-0 and recording his first career AHL shutout.
Now it’s Aku Koskenvuo’s turn to try and find that same rhythm. Back in Kalamazoo, he has struggled significantly, allowing five or more goals in four of his five starts.
The goalie carousel continues to spin.

CHL

The Vancouver Canucks currently have six prospects playing in the CHL, and all six are set to participate in the upcoming playoffs.
Riley Patterson, enjoying a true breakout season, scored the game-winning shootout goal that clinched a playoff berth for the Niagara IceDogs.
He has added six more points (two goals, four assists) over his last six games and is pacing to finish just shy of the 90-point mark. Patterson now holds a 20-point lead over the next closest IceDog scorer and sits on the cusp of the league’s top-10 scoring list, just 10 points behind the OHL leader.
Meanwhile, Braeden Cootes’ Prince Albert Raiders have already clinched their division and appear poised for a deep playoff run. Cootes has missed a few games recently with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day in the WHL’s weekly report, but he is expected to return this weekend. He took a scary hit into an open gate last week.
Between injuries, World Juniors, and making the Vancouver Canucks out of training camp earlier in the season, Cootes is expected to play just 46 WHL games this year. Even so, he is on pace to finish just shy of his career-high 63 points in 14 fewer games.
We remain somewhat puzzled by Gabriel Chiarot’s recent scoring drought in Kitchener. He hasn’t recorded a point in eight games, and it’s not due to lack of opportunity. Chiarot continues to play top-six minutes and see power play time, and he’s getting shots on net — they simply aren’t going in. At his current pace, he’s tracking toward 37 points in 62 games, which would only narrowly surpass his previous career highs.
In goal, it’s probably fair to say that Alexei Medvedev has temporarily lost the starting job in London. Twenty-year-old Sebastian Gatto has started each of the team’s last five games and currently holds a 21-7-2-3 record with a .921 save percentage.
Medvedev, meanwhile, has dropped his last three starts and carries disappointing numbers across the board. The encouraging part is that he remains very young, turning 19 next September. He’ll have every opportunity to reclaim the crease next season after another offseason of development following a promising start to the year.
Kieren Dervin, who missed over a month with an injury, returned to Kingston’s lineup and immediately recorded an assist. While his scoring totals aren’t eye-popping, his 47 points would currently rank fourth among OHL rookies if he still qualified for that label. Because he played games last season, he no longer does — but his impact has been stronger than the numbers suggest on a middling Frontenacs squad.
It’s safe to say that we’re very interested to see how his game translates to the NCAA when he joins Penn State in 2026-27.

NCAA

The NCAA postseason has begun, and several Canucks prospects remain alive as conference playoffs continue.
Anthony Romani has enjoyed a strong freshman season with Michigan State. The Spartans finished first in the Big Ten and earned a bye into the semifinal round.
Their opponent is now set: Ohio State, the conference’s fifth seed. Romani finished the regular season tied for fourth on the team with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 34 games. He has spent the entire season on the same line, typically serving as the team’s third unit.
You can catch that single-elimination semifinal Saturday at 4:30 PM.
Matthew Lansing’s Quinnipiac Bobcats also finished atop their conference (ECAC), earning a first-round bye. They will face Clarkson in a best-of-three quarterfinal series and are considered heavy favourites.
Lansing had an impressive freshman campaign for a seventh-round pick. Despite bottom-six usage, he finished with 18 points in 36 games. Considering the Bobcats’ high-powered offence and strong overall roster, that production is somewhat expected. It’s encouraging, nonetheless.
Their series begins on March 13 at 4:00 PM.
Aiden Celebrini’s Boston University Terriers have advanced to the quarterfinal round, where they will face UConn on Saturday at 10:00 AM. Celebrini continues to serve in a third-pairing role with limited offensive production.
Once BU’s season concludes, Celebrini will be able to decide whether to turn pro. We’re not entirely convinced the Vancouver Canucks will offer him a contract, but Abbotsford could certainly use additional depth on the blue line.
Matthew Perkins and Northeastern are the final Canucks prospect still alive in the Hockey East playoffs. The Huskies advanced by defeating New Hampshire, with Perkins contributing an empty net goal and an assist.
They now face UMass in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, March 14, at 1:00 PM.
The only Canucks NCAA prospect eliminated this week was Wilson Björck, whose Colorado College squad dropped back-to-back games in their best-of-three series.
Björck finished his freshman season with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 31 games. We expect him to return to college next year and assume a larger role with the Tigers. While the raw production wasn’t eye-popping, we did like his overall game and the energy he brings to the lineup. He’s always on the move and shows some intriguing offensive ability if he can find a way to finish at the NCAA level.

Rest of the World

Basile Sansonnens and Lausanne HC finished the regular season mid-table and will now enjoy a brief break before beginning their playoff run.
They will face Genève-Servette HC, the third-place team, in a best-of-seven series.
Sansonnens wrapped up his first professional season with three assists, 22 blocked shots, and an average of 11:59 of ice time, primarily skating on the team’s third pairing.
With the calendar quickly flipping toward April, the focus around the prospect system will begin shifting toward playoffs and offseason decisions. And we’ll be here to keep you up to date.
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