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Blackfish: A Canucks organizational roster check-up heading into 2025-2026
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Dave Hall
Aug 26, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 27, 2025, 00:24 EDT
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Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect Report.
We’re fast approaching September, which means hockey season is right around the corner…thank goodness.
Canadian Hockey League training camps officially open this week, and preseason action in Europe is already well underway.
With that in mind, it feels like the perfect time to zoom out and look at the big picture: the Vancouver Canucks’ organization from top to bottom.
While most fans closely track Vancouver’s lineup with a fine-toothed comb, the more minor AHL signings often fly under the radar. Come opening night in Abbotsford, there are always names that casual fans may not recognize.
Furthermore, as the season progresses, there is always confusion regarding which players are on AHL deals and cannot simply be called up to Vancouver without officially signing a contract. A perfect example of this from the 2024-25 season was Sammy Blais, who many in the fan base were calling for weekly call-ups, failing to recognize that he was on an AHL deal.
But again, these signings are typically quiet and don’t receive a ton of press.
So today, let’s cover that ground.
Below you’ll find the author’s organizational chart of who’s currently in the system, whether signed to NHL or AHL contracts.
We want to stress that this chart isn’t a prediction of what we think the lines may be, but rather a depth chart of each player in their respective positions and who could move up and down the three tiers.
Note: Players in blue are waiver-exempt and can be moved up and down without issue. Players in red are signed to AHL-only deals and can only move between Abbotsford and Kalamazoo.
Now, let’s take a look at each section individually.
At the NHL level, we have the obvious dog fight, which we have covered in exhaustion throughout the summer.
Upfront, there are three forward spots realistically up for grabs, those being the bottom-six centre and the 12th and 13th forward positions.
For the centre position, it’s shaping up to be a fight between Aatu Räty, Nils Åman, Max Sasson and even Ty Mueller. That said, with waiver statuses being a significant factor, we do see Räty and Åman as the clear frontrunners to compete for this spot.
Both players requiring waivers complicate things, but given the choice between the two, Åman is the player whom you likely risk making available to other teams around the league. Although injured late last season, Räty has been knocking on the full-time door for some time, and this spot feels like it’s his to lose.
On the wings, several worthy names include Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, Vitali Kravtsov, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The latter is in the running, but given his waiver status and the fact that he may still need some seasoning, it just feels probable to keep him down until the rest of the group can be ironed out.
In our eyes, Linus Karlsson has likely earned the spot, barring injury or disappointing training camp. He was one of the game’s catalysts during an impressive Calder Cup run, and plays a game perfectly catered for bottom-six deployment.
That narrows the battle for the 13th forward spot down to Bains and the newly brought back Kravtsov. Given their two-year extension with the Surrey native, is it worth the risk of losing him right out the gate?
On defence, the sixth and seventh spots are the roles up for grabs.
As of today, we see Elias Pettersson making the big club and swapping to the right side if he has to. That allows Derek Forbort to earn a role on the left side.
Of course, rookie Tom Willander and Victor Mancini will have something to say about this and are both capable of pushing. But like Lekkerimäki, Sasson and Mueller, waiver statuses could easily dictate the safer move to start the season.
As for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, he feels more like a depth option to slot in as either the seventh man or assigned to Abbotsford.
Moving on to Abbotsford, this is where the red names begin to appear. Anything can happen in training camp, so names may juggle and move up or down. However, this is how we see it playing out as of today.
Up front, Abbotsford added a mix of youthful rookies, complemented by some savvy veterans in Mackenzie MacEachern (31) and Joseph LaBate (32), both of whom we expect to play lower down the lineup.
There are a handful of signed AHL names, some of whom could pitch themselves for a spot to swap out of roster spots, but will likely start in Kalamazoo. Those names include: Chase Wouters, Jackson Kunz, Ben Berard, Cooper Walker, Zach Okabe, Nolan Walker and Dino Kambeitz.
As for those who we feel will likely make the team in Abbotsford, Chase Wouters is an obvious choice. He is not only the captain of this team, but a heart and soul type player who can play up and down the lineup.
Fighting for a role will be Jackson Kunz, a Canucks draftee who has officially lost his NHL rights within the organization. Signed to a one-year deal, he will look to impress the organization and earn a contract, likely as a bottom-six or extra forward to start. He can also play on the wings to make his chances even better.
As for those who will likely start down in Kalamazoo…
Kambeitz played a solid fourth-line role last season, scoring 10 goals in 52 games, and was a valuable depth piece during the Calder Cup run. He’ll likely be the first to rotate in, if not make the team in replace of Jackson Kunz or one of the two veterans brought in.
Cooper Walker has now been a call-up option for two seasons in a row and will resume his role as a go-to option when injuries or call-ups occur.
Meanwhile, Berard showed decent in a four-game audition last season, but will likely spend the bulk of his season in Kalamazoo.
Expect Okabe and Nolan Walker to be last resort call-ups.
On defence, there are a variety of scenarios that could unfold. Kirill Kudryavtsev is expected to take on a much larger role and could even switch to the right side, as he did many times last season.
Guillaume Brisebois can also flip sides if needed, so while there’s room to add another right-shot defender, the team may let the young guns (Kudryavtsev, Willander, Mancini, and Mynio) eat those minutes.
Jimmy Schuldt is on an NHL deal, but we expect him to play a deeper role under the noted names.
Abbotsford also added four new defenders on AHL deals…
Joe Arntsen re-signed after a 10-game stint last season, where he showed a real physical presence. He’s likely the first call-up option and could even surprise with a roster spot as a right-shot option should they not bring in another name from the free agent list.
Nikolai Knyzhov brings 81 NHL and 118 AHL games of experience, mainly within the San Jose system. While depth-chart competition makes his path tricky, he’s strong insurance if the young D stumble.
Derek Daschke has been a steady ECHL point producer but will likely spend the year in Kalamazoo unless emergencies arise.
Finally, there is Jayden Lee, a North Vancouver native. Now 24, he brings an impressive winning pedigree as a four-time regular-season ECAC Champion, and one-time National Champion in 2022-23 with Quinnipiac. He was also a part of the best regular-season ECHL team last season with the South Carolina Stingrays.
The issue with him? He stands just 5-foot-9 and weighs 161 pounds. Expect him to be in Kalamazoo.
Between the pipes, there’s a clear depth chart, with one name standing as a wildcard.
Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen are entrenched in Vancouver, leaving Nikita Tolopilo as Abbotsford’s primary starter and first NHL call-up. We assume that Ty Young will take most of the secondary starts after an impressive pro debut.
The wrinkle is Jiri Patera, who complicates the picture. Is he the Vancouver call-up option, or insurance for when Tolopilo gets the call or injuries occur? After missing the majority of the 2024-25 season, it will be interesting to see how they navigate his deployment.
Down in Kalamazoo, rookie Aku Koskenvuo will likely get the “Ty Young treatment” from last year, splitting duties with Jonathan Lemieux while adjusting to the pro game.
Finally, we have the rookies.
The only name on this list that offers any value in this conversation today is Braeden Cootes. Now signed to an NHL entry-level deal, there is a world where he beats a few of the names above and earns a nine-game audition. That said, we do see that option as being relatively low percentage and see him playing some pre-season action before being released back to the Seattle Thunderbirds in late September.
Crazier things have happened, we suppose.
Thanks for reading this week, as we continue to run through our off-season reports. Please feel free to offer any suggestions for ideas you’d like to see before we ramp back into game action in the coming weeks.

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