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Blackfish: Training camp and preseason takeaways for Canucks prospects
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Dave Hall
Sep 23, 2025, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 23, 2025, 13:53 EDT
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Welcome back to Blackfish: our weekly Vancouver Canucks Prospect Report.
The Canucks are through the opening week of camp, the Blue vs. White scrimmage, and the first of six preseason games.
For the first time since the Calder Cup run concluded in late June, we had a legitimate game featuring both prospects and NHL- and AHL-calibre players.
Let’s check what we’ve seen from each of our Blackfish roster throughout the last week.

Forwards: The fourth-line battle begins

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW
Jonathan Lekkerimäki was given top-six looks through camp and the initial pre-season game, and while his release remains elite, he hasn’t dominated like you’d want from a first-rounder.
While he’s had his moments, particularly showcasing his incredible release by ripping one off the crossbar in Seattle, he hasn’t shown enough dynamism to suggest he’s ready to compete physically as a full-time top-six contributor.
He’s shown growth in his two-way game, hounding puck carriers and staying engaged defensively, but joins Willander – as we’ll mention below – in the “probably not ready quite yet” group.
Danila Klimovich, RW
It was a big year for Danila Klimovich in 2024-25, notching career-highs in nearly every facet of the game. But can he do that consistently?
Well, game 1 of the preseason schedule was a good endorsement for him and an indication of where his game may be.
Playing alongside Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger, the trio played the most 5v5 minutes among any Canucks line in Seattle. Surprisingly, Klimovich actually led the team in Corsi, finishing as the lone Canuck above the 50% mark at 57.89% at 5v5.
He was also deployed in his typical spot as the right side flank on the powerplay, where he fired four of his team-leading five shots on the night.
He still faces a massive uphill battle – if not an impossible climb – to earn a spot out of camp, but if he can carry that into more consistency in the 2025-26 Abbotsford season, could this be the year we finally see a Klimovich rookie lap in Vancouver?
Arshdeep Bains, LW
Now waiver-eligible, Bains is firmly in the thick of names jockeying for a spot on the Canucks’ bottom-six opening night roster.
He looked sharp in the scrimmage alongside Kiefer Sherwood and Braeden Cootes, picking up two points, highlighted by a nifty feed to Kiefer Sherwood to open the game’s scoring.
He was quieter in the pre-season opener despite solid advanced statistics (69.2% Corsi), but he remains a top candidate among this team’s final roster.
Braeden Cootes, C
Braeden Cootes may be the most positive story coming out of camp this season.
At just 18, he looks remarkably composed, making subtle but smart plays that scream NHL readiness.
He even picked up his first unofficial point on Victor Mancini’s goal in Seattle, and has consistently been in the right spots throughout his short audition (prospects game, training camp and pre-season).
On the above Kiefer Sherwood goal, he made the play possible with a clever defensive play in his own zone, kicking the transition the other way. And in the pre-season game, he gained entry to the zone before making a poised play at the blueline to find Victor Mancini for the goal and his first unofficial point as Canuck.
He looked terrific on the powerplay, constantly on the move, slipping in and out of coverage and as already mentioned, he and Bains led the way in terms of Corsi in the game in Seattle.
It’s only training camp. It’s only the Blue vs. White scrimmage. It’s only pre-season.
But eventually, we may have to bend the norms and realize that this kid may just be ready for a quick look at the NHL level.
While we may still be on the team of “go back to Seattle and dominate,” and his work is still very much cut out for him to earn a spot, a 9-game trial may not be as crazy as we initially thought.
Aatu Räty, C
Räty hasn’t shown a noticeable step forward in his skating, but after a late-season injury and shortened off-season, that was expected. He continues to be strong on the puck, effective in 50/50 battles, and a leader in the centre competition.
His preseason debut should give a clearer read, but he continues to be a near-lock for that centre spot in Vancouver.
Anri Ravinskis, LW/RW
Recovering from hernia surgery earlier in the summer, Anri Ravinskis made his debut with the team during the Blue vs. White scrimmage.
While he was relatively quiet in the game, he did make one solid play to set up linemate Vilmer Alriksson from behind the net.
As a relatively unknown European free-agent signing, we are excited to get more eyes on him throughout the pre-season.
Chase Stillman, RW
A penalty shot goal always helps, but beyond that goal, we actually liked what Chase Stillman brought to his debut pre-season game with the Canucks.
He was quick on his feet and stood out on multiple occasions on Sunday evening. Heck, he even took over Lekkerimäki’s spot up the lineup by the second half of the night.
Since being acquired in the Arturs Silvos trade, he has always been on our radars as an intriguing “bounceback” candidate. As with everything in this type of environment, however, we are taking his play early on with a grain of salt.
But so far, we’ve liked what we’ve seen.
Vilmer Alriksson, LW/RW
Vilmer Alriksson scored in the scrimmage on a booming shot and continues to use his size more effectively. We’re excited to see him factor into a pre-season game, which will likely come in Abbotsford when the team hosts the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Josh Bloom, LW
Bloom was the lone NHL-signed player reassigned to Abbotsford in the first wave of cuts. He wasn’t a standout at the Prospect Showcase in Washington, and he wasn’t a part of the team scrimmage in Penticton.
At 22 and entering the final year of his contract, it’s not a great endorsement of his standing within the organization. Unless injury is factored in, it continues a trend of him struggling to keep pace with the rest of the crop.
Ty Mueller, C
Although present and skating before each group in Penticton, Ty Mueller was absent from camp and the Prospect Showcase due to injury. The good news is that it isn’t considered a long-term issue.
The timing is unfortunate, though, as he was set to join the prospects in Washington and build off a strong rookie season in the AHL. His versatility and dependable two-way game make him a player worth monitoring once healthy.

Defence: The third-pairing battle just got interesting

Elias Pettersson, LD
At this point, it’s challenging to find new ways to describe Elias Pettersson’s game.
He isn’t always flashy, but he rarely falters during his shifts, and in most prospect/early preseason games, he looks like a boy among men.
He’s simple, effective, physical and a bully in the best sense.
The battle for that final bottom-pairing spot is alive and well, and right now, the dogfight includes D-Petey, Tom Willander and Victor Mancini.
Ultimately, Pettersson holds the cards as the likely player to rise to the top. However, we could see a range of options throughout the season, which includes all three swapping opportunities.
Regardless, he’s been great.
Tom Willander, RD
Tom Willander played his best hockey so far in the preseason opener, but continues to show he may need AHL reps before jumping to the NHL.
His skating, aggressiveness and penalty-killing instincts stand out, and we liked that he was used as the PP1 option in Seattle. Yet, puck control miscues and defensive lapses reaffirm that polishing his game in Abbotsford could be the best path.
Don’t get it twisted, he’s got all the tools in the box. Now, it’s just a matter of applying them at the pro level.
It’s no secret that the organization views him in high regard and is expected to give him every inch to make this roster out of camp. As suggested earlier, we could see a citation which includes all three options slide in and out of action to maximize games.
Victor Mancini, RD
Victor Mancini made his presence known with a loud preseason debut, starting with a thunderous hit on Berkly Catton and adding a goal of his own.
He was the offensive spark plug from the back end, and his smooth skating was very much on display. He showed us all why he wasn’t just a “throw-in” to the J.T. Miller trade last season.
His aggressive and run-and-gun style may not be fully sustainable in a third-pairing NHL role, but it’s a massive asset for Abbotsford — and gives him a leg up in the fight for Vancouver’s right-side depth.
We all know the battle that’s going on for that third-pairing right side, and Mancini just gave himself a considerable leg up after his pre-season outing.
Kirill Kudryavtsev, LD
Kirill Kudryavtsev looked strong in scrimmage action, though he hasn’t cracked pre-season yet.
The russian defender is quietly reminding this team’s fan base: “Hey, don’t forget about me” among this impressive group of blueliners at camp. He won’t make it to the main roster out of camp, but he’s discreetly holding his own on this defensive depth chart.
Sawyer Mynio, LD
It wasn’t all positive on the backend, as Sawyer Mynio did not have the best outing during his preseason game in Seattle.
On two of the Kraken’s goals, the Kamloops native was left scrambling after being in the wrong position and stood out for the wrong reasons on a few occasions. We liked that he was co-leading the powerplay, which is a strong staple of his game.
We aren’t too concerned with his one-game mishap. He’s a player we knew would be included only for experience, and won’t be pushing for a lineup spot anytime soon. It’s simply a sign that he needs some more reps, which he should get down in Abbotsford this season.
We’re still very bullish on Mynio as a prospect.
Parker Alcos, RD
Interestingly, Parker Alcos survived the first wave of roster cuts, joining Cootes as the only CHL players to remain with the team. He wasn’t involved in the scrimmage or pre-season.

Goaltending: Tolopilo shines, Young struggles, Koskenvuo skates with Group C

Nikita Tolopilo, G
Nikita Tolopilo was brilliant in his half-game, stopping 13 of 14 shots with flair. One of the more impressive stops saw him stretch out his right leg to guard the line and keep the Kraken at bay.
Sporting a new Roberto Luongo-esque pad setup, he made a big statement as a goaltender ready to take on the team’s “next up” role.
Ty Young, G
Unfortunately, Ty Young struggled. Granted, he did not have much chance on many of the Kraken’s goals, but he let in his first shot faced and went on to allow four in just 10 shots.
Like Mynio, he’s a young player whom we never had any expectations for to be an NHL player this season, so it’s not a huge detriment to his overall standing as a prospect. At all, really.
He’s a young netminder who just broke in with a spectacular showing at the ECHL level (and some AHL, of course).
Aku Koskenvuo, G
Aku Koskenvuo skated with Group C the entire week and hasn’t been used in a pre-season game yet. We’re still going off the strong showing from the Prospect Showcase last weekend.

Prospects heading home

In addition to Josh Bloom, the following four players – all CHL – have been reassigned to their teams without seeing any pre-season action: Aleksei Medvedev, Riley Patterson, Kieren Dervin, and Gabe Chiarot.
Riley Patterson, C
We are a little surprised that we did not see Patterson slide in for any pre-season action, considering he’s a second-time invite. He returns to the OHL, where he will rejoin his new team in Niagara to play a significant role on the team’s top-six.
And he’s not going back empty-handed.
Despite not seeing any game action, he showed enough at the prospect event and in main camp to warrant a contract, signing his official ELC with the team.
Gabe Chiarot, RW
Patterson wasn’t the only one who went home with a bag, as the team locked up their recent sixth-round pick, Gabe Chiarot, to the same contract. We mentioned in last week’s report that we thought Chiarot had stood out from the crowd in Washington, displaying a strong motor and solid skill set, so it’s nice to see him be rewarded for his efforts.
Aleksei Medvedev, G
Considering he skated with the main group all week after a strong performance at Prospect Showcase, we were also a little surprised to see that Aleksei Medvedev was not handed even a period of preseason action.
But his reassignment just shows how beneficial the team believes his role in London is, and he will get the chance to gain his first start of the season on Friday, when his Knights squad takes on Gabe Chiarot of the Brampton Steelheads. This kid may be the real deal.
The Knights have begun their post-Memorial Cup campaign winless through two games, so they will look forward to having their new “ace” between the pipes.
Thanks for checking in for another week of the Blackfish Prospect Report. With CHL games underway, we will have much more game action to cover, as well as more from the Canucks’ preseason slate.

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