If you somehow missed it, the Vancouver Canucks’ prospects took part in the 2024
Young Stars Classic in Penticton, BC. The young squad, bolstered by solid goaltending and a few seasoned skaters, emerged with an impressive 3-0-0 record despite some shaky starts and overcoming two-goal deficits on back-to-back occasions.
There was a lot to like from most of the skaters, and with little action going on elsewhere, we’ve decided to take today’s report to empty the tank on our notebook with a little something on each prospect.
Standout Performers
If you’re putting the entire weekend in a vacuum, Vilmer Alriksson was arguably the most consistent player on the roster. He skated well on Friday, was the best player (in this author’s opinion) on Sunday, and posted another strong game on Monday. Statistically, he even led the tournament in points with four, scoring goals in consecutive games.
Yes, the goals were a nice touch — especially the one he netted on Sunday — but it wasn’t just about the points. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 237 pounds, Alriksson played to his size. He was crashing bodies, delivering reverse hits, and when he dropped his shoulder on the rush to protect the puck, he was nearly impossible to contain. He may be a fourth-round project, but his package of size and skill continue to make him a very intriguing piece to this team’s pipeline.
Max Sasson didn’t steal headlines, largely because his solid, dependable play was expected from the 24-year-old. Tasked with elevating his younger linemates across all three games, Sasson played with Danila Klimovich, Riley Patterson, Anthony Romani, Vilmer Alriksson, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. His ability to elevate his linemates and put them in positions to succeed was asked of him in Abbotsford last year, and that was clearly the case again this past weekend.
He sees the ice incredibly well, and when he collects the puck in his own zone and decides to go for a skate, you know he’s going to find a lane to catch his opponents flatfooted.
He has great habits, skates well, and plays a solid overall game. Two goals come to mind, beginning with Sasson’s chip and chasing into the offensive zone to win puck battles.
Elias Pettersson, or “E. Pettersson,” as his name bar now suggests, came as advertised in his Young Stars debut. From his first shift, he broke the ice by standing up his opponent at his blueline. It was the first shift of the weekend.
Whether in games or practice, he was consistently looking for his next victim. You wouldn’t know it by talking to him, but on the ice, he is big, mean and can skate well with a good transition game. We expected him to show well in his Young Stars debut, and he delivered.
Kirill Kudryavtsev was also impressive. He showed off his smooth skating, effective active stick in breaking up rushes, defensive play, and knack for making sharp stretch passes. What was most impressive was that he played – and looked good – on his off-hand the entire event. While doing so at a rookie event and doing so at the AHL level are two different beasts, being able to translate that ability to the AHL level could open up significant opportunities for him. With a crowded left side, the pathway opens up wide with just Christian Felton competing for ice time on the right side in Abbotsford.
He’s 23, an AHL All-Star and a leading scorer of the Abbotsford Canucks, so Arshdeep Bains probably should stand out. And he did. Sure, he had just one goal in the tournament, but let’s be realistic; with the number of chances Bains, Räty and Lekkerimäki received, it could have been an eight-point weekend. Apart from the offensive elements, we loved the veteran presence he brought, and when the team needed a pick-me-up, he was right there to be the first player to make his next shift count.
Would we have liked to see a five-goal performance? Sure. But he did everything else right and stood out in many of his shifts.
For our money, Aatu Räty was the Canucks’ top performer on Friday (game one). He was finding his linemates – Bains and Lekkerimäki – all night long with tremendous feeds.
He was getting in on the forecheck and stood out above the pack overall. He delivered just one assist across the entire weekend, but his skating, a highly noted question of need, looked improved. Räty even looked like he had packed on a few pounds over the summer. As it was all last season, the question is whether he can be a consistent procedure on a nightly basis. We believe that the addition of Manny Malhotra will be a positive addition to his development throughout the year, especially up the middle. It’s a big year for the kid.
Nikita Tolopilo allowed just three goals on 43 shots, including a 21-save shutout against the offensively bitten Edmonton Oilers. Much like he did in most cases last season, he was cool, calm, and collected. All three goals scored were either labelled shots or on a breakaway. We expect no different from him in Abbotsford this season, and with the way things have gone with injuries already, could we see him in Vancouver sooner than expected?
Finally, the man of the weekend, Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
He hopped out the gate, ready and as advertised. He and his top trio linemates were running amok against his opposition. He was engaged on the boards, driving the offence and offering several spectacular moments that had the Penticton crowd on their feet.
He nearly set the South Okanagan Event Centre on fire with his snapshot that found the post.
Over the next two games, he was somewhat quieter. While
Lekkerimäki was still engaged in the play, he was getting overpowered by some of his opposition. Yet, his skillset was a clear standout among the crop, and he showed the ability to take matters into his own when he wanted to.
That said, if the weekend offered us anything, it’s that his game is probably best developed amongst the AHL ranks for now. Yes, he had flashes of incredible brilliance, but as expected, his physical game and ability to dictate the game are still a short distance from being NHL-ready.
Don’t get it twisted; he showed all the necessary elements to get there, but as
Stephen Roget recently wrote, there’s just no rush to get up in Vancouver.
Solid Showings
When you’re a recent mid-round draft pick playing in your first rookie tournament, the goal is to avoid standing out negatively. Riley Patterson and Anthony Romani did just that — they didn’t dominate but played solid games.
Watching the powerplay from above, we got a good sense of Romani’s vision for the ice and offensive instincts as he ran the unit from the half-wall. He also scored a nice goal, which helped his case. You could tell that there is some shaping of his game to do, but you could also sense the IQ and reasoning for 111 points at the OHL level. It was pretty impressive for a sixth-round draft pick.
Patterson didn’t have any standout moments aside from his deflected goal, but he was steady and had his moments, much like Romani. At no point did we look to the sky and wonder what his reasoning was; instead, he seemed to play a strong and simple two-way game. It was nothing fancy, but it was a sound weekend overall.
That same sentiment also applies to Parker Alcos, who just turned 18. At 6-foot-4, we saw an intriguing profile, especially if and when he adds size to that frame. He’s mobile, plays sound defensively, and although he felt hesitant at times, he didn’t stand out negatively. Which, in this case, is a compliment.
Getting the nod on Saturday, Ty Young looked shaky at times but also came up huge in various spots in the game. The opening frame of that game was all Winnipeg, as they were hemmed in their own zone for much of the period. However, Young stopped all 13 shots faced. The same can be said for the final few minutes, while the Jets pressed to find an equalizer while down by two. Instead, Young came up big. There is no doubt it is out now; it’s either Kalamazoo, or you can expect a trade to go down in Prince George.
Christian Felton had a decent showing, and this was our first opportunity to see him against his peers outside Development Camp. He even scored a nice individual effort goal — something he wasn’t particularly known for, having scored just seven goals in his four-year NCAA career. We won’t get too excited over a 24-year-old at this tournament, but he played like a solid third-pairing option for Abbotsford.
Ty Glover lived up to expectations. He’s physical, skates hard, and plays with the energy you want from a bottom-six player in Abbotsford. We don’t expect him to push for spots in Vancouver, but his tenacity is a valuable asset to the farm.
Hoping to See More
Danila Klimovich showcased why he can be a frustrating prospect to track. At times, his game featured unnecessary spin-o-Rama passes and a lack of dynamic offence. Yet, he also had his moments, particularly on Monday, and actually led the tournament with three assists.
Disclaimer: The tournament statistics were not great, so they may or may not go up or down by a point.
We loved Manny Malhotra’s willingness to give him the opportunity. Contrary to a few months ago, when his coach (Jeremy Colliton) might have benched him for similar plays, Malhotra continued to give him top-six and powerplay minutes.
On Monday, Klimovich was noticeably more confident with the puck, getting involved in the offence and ripping shots from the half-wall — a part of his game that’s key to his success. It wasn’t a perfect weekend, but it wasn’t bad either. There are still elements of his game that need (major) refining, but at just 21, we hope a more supportive coach could help him reach his potential.
Ty Mueller and Josh Bloom are vying for spots in Abbotsford this year, and while neither played poorly, we were hoping for more from both. In Bloom’s case, his limited fourth-line roles in two of three games without powerplay time didn’t give him much chance to showcase his skills. Still, his energy on the ice was noticeable, and he even scored a goal off his foot.
Coming off an up-and-down season, Bloom needs a proper shot to show his capabilities, so we had hoped to see more of him, but he’ll have further opportunities come training camp…we hope.
Mueller played fine, but we felt he didn’t fully display his complete game. His powerful shot wasn’t utilized much, and he seemed to be going through the motions as a third-line center. After this weekend, we won’t be shocked if he starts the year in Kalamazoo, but as fans of his two-way game, we were left wanting a little more.
Sawyer Mynio, a player whose game we are big fans of here at CanucksArmy, didn’t fully showcase his best stuff over the weekend. However, he mentioned battling the flu earlier in the week, so we’ll give him the pass for now. While his skating was still impressive, his offensive flair and shot selection seemed a bit off from what we’ve seen in the past. He’ll be returning to Seattle as the go-to option on the backend, so he’ll have plenty of time to regain form and show us why we like his aggressive game.
Akito Hirose, 25, left us wanting more. He played in the shadows of the younger defencemen, Pettersson and Kudryavtsev, and despite being on the top powerplay unit, he didn’t stand out in the way you might expect from a 25-year-old. He’s a smooth skater, and you can see the glimpses of why he’d be intriguing, but as a grizzled veteran, you’d hope to see more.
Basile Sansonnens only drew into one match, which certainly did not start as he had hoped. In one of his first shifts, he threw an unnecessary puck directly to the opposition and followed it up by drifting out of position to chase the puck carrier. Unfortunately, Matvei Gridin is not a player you want to give that type of chance in the slot, and he delivered on point. Aside from that error, he played fine. He’s big and skates fine, but his game feels very raw, and that was certainly the case.
Invited Players
We’ll keep things brief since Ty Halaburda and Deagan McMillan have not officially signed up for the team. However, both left us impressed in their lone game, playing on a line with AHL-signed Cooper Walker. They brought great energy, drew a penalty, held their own against stiff competition and even combined for a goal.
While it may not be enough to earn a contract from Abbotsford, their performances certainly put them on the radar of scouts in attendance.
Overall, the Canucks’ prospects showed resilience, potential, and areas for growth throughout the Young Stars Classic. With the main training camp on the horizon, let’s see how they compete against true NHL talent.
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