Welcome back to Blackfish: our weekly Vancouver Canucks Prospect Report.

With our Blackfish roster established, we thought we would bring you up to speed on where everyone will play out their 2025-26 campaigns.

Let’s dive right in.

Every year, there’s a handful of players who walk that fine line between making the Vancouver Canucks out of camp or spending most of the year in Abbotsford as first-call options.

This season, that group includes many intriguing names we’ll be tracking closely.

With the Canucks on an exhaustive search for a second-line centre, the depth chart down the middle is paper-thin. That makes Aatu Räty perhaps the closest thing to a lock to at least begin the year in Vancouver.

Skating has long been his biggest drawback, and a late-season injury robbed him of valuable time to keep chipping away and relieving that issue through the off-season. Still, Räty is in a prime position to start with the big club and either graduate as a full-time NHLer or continue as one of the organization’s top call-up options.

If his rocky playoff stint taught us anything, it’s that Jonathan Lekkerimäki could benefit from more confidence-building time in Abbotsford.

That said, Vancouver’s power play will have a vacancy for someone to claim and score goals, and among the tweener candidates, Lekkerimäki might be the best equipped to run the half-wall. If he doesn’t crack the roster out of camp, expect him to be near the front of the line when the first call-up comes.

Bains will have to battle a line of wingers that includes Lekkerimäki, Linus Karlsson and newly acquired Vitali Kravstrov for a final roster spot. Still, Dakota Joshua’s departure may have created an opening.

While his NHL debut was modest, Bains was a catalyst in Abbotsford’s recent championship run. His changed waiver status, and he is no longer exempt, making him a candidate to be lost for nothing.

Considering the team just re-signed him on a two-year extension, there’s a good chance that they do not want to see that happen.

Willander is going to get every chance to make the Vancouver Canucks out of camp. The organization is clearly high on him, but if he isn’t a clear standout in preseason, there’s no need to rush his development.

If he starts in Abbotsford, expect him to be a prominent fixture from day one and a promotion candidate all season long.

Is there a scenario where Pettersson doesn’t make the opening-night roster in Vancouver? Sure.

Is it likely? Not really.

You couldn’t have scripted a better debut for the young defender. He quickly became a fan favourite with his rugged, hard-nosed play. If he’s not dressed for game 1 of the 2025-26 season in Vancouver, it’s probably only because the team plans to rotate him in and out with Derek Forbort early in the year.

Victor Mancini enters camp as something of a wild card. He’s shown steady growth in his game and brings the kind of physical, smooth skating game is something any backend could use. He’ll be in the battle for that third-pairing right spot with many on this list today.

While some of these players could see NHL time, they’re all projected to be Abbotsford locks to start the season.

With Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen cemented in Vancouver, the Abbotsford crease belongs to Nikita Tolopilo. With a fresh two-year contract in hand, he’s expected to handle the bulk of starts as the 1A. But if injury strikes at the NHL level, he’s first in line for a recall.

There was a lot to like about Klimovich’s 2024–25 season—flashes of high-end skill, improved decision-making, and a more consistent two-way game. Now, it’s about doing it again. He’s almost sure to start in Abbotsford, but if he takes another step, this could be the year he forces his way into a call-up.

The 22-year-old rookie became one of Abbotsford’s most trusted players last season. Manny Malhotra used him in every situation, including stretches as the team’s top centre. He represented Abbotsford at the AHL All-Star break, stepping in for Elias Pettersson, who was called up to Vancouver shortly before.

Mueller even earned his first NHL action late in the season. While he’s a near-lock to start in the AHL, his versatility makes him a strong candidate if they require a pure centreman who can do a little bit of everything.

The surprise European free-agent signing brings an intriguing mix of size (6’3″, 201 lbs), speed, and forechecking bite. Whether he settles into a middle-six or top-six role will depend on his transition to the North American game, but he should be a solid energy player in Abbotsford. Based on his limited body of work, he’s one of the more intriguing players to watch in camp.

Regardless, we expect to see him play in Abbotsford this season.

Acquired in the Silovs deal, Stillman is looking to bounce back from a turbulent season. He posted 24 points as an AHL rookie two years ago, but last season was a grind, splitting time between a dreadful Utica team and adjusting to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s system. The hope is that a stable role in Abbotsford can help him rediscover his game.

Young’s rookie pro season exceeded expectations for a goaltender who was still contemplating a return to junior just months before. This year, he’s expected to share the net in a 1A/1B split with Tolopilo. If injuries hit Vancouver, the crease could be his for a stretch.

Jiri Patera remains in the mix, but management has been vocal about their belief in Young, which should translate into a healthy workload.

Arguably the most impressive rookie in the system last season, Kudryavtsev was a seventh-round steal who became a force in the Calder Cup playoffs. He’ll be leaned on heavily in Abbotsford, and if he can add regular penalty-killing duties to his resume, his stock could continue to rise.

With the additions of Tom Willander and Victor Mancini, and the surge of Elias Pettersson, seeing time in Vancouver is going to be a challenge. As a result, we expect him to be relied on heavily in Abbotsford, but he could be a candidate to see some games further into the season.

The towering Swede is set to make his pro debut this season. While there’s always a chance he sees time in Kalamazoo for additional seasoning, we expect him to stick in Abbotsford. His junior stats never popped, but could his skillset be more catered to professional life? We are about to find out.

As is always the case, the blueline is somewhat crowded, especially with Pierre Oliver Josheph in the mix. While his season will likely be spent jockeying for that third pair role in Abbotsford, there is always the chance that he drops to be the go-to option in Kalamazoo, although unlikely. We see him as an Abby Canuck for the 2025-26 season.

After a strong first full season of pro hockey in the ECHL, Bloom will push hard for an AHL spot in 2025–26. Now entering the final year of his ELC, this is a make-or-break season for him to prove he can stick at the next level. If not, there’s a reality that has him down in Kalamazoo to run out the remainder of his contract.

Fresh out of Harvard and signed to his ELC in the spring, Koskenvuo faces a crowded crease in Abbotsford. That likely sends him to Kalamazoo to start, but like Ty Young last season, he could see AHL games if injuries or inconsistency open the door.

Thanks to the 2025 NHL draft, our CHL section will have some fun names to keep tabs on this season.

Headlining the group is their recent 15th overall selection, Braeden Cootes, who is expected to return to the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he serves as team captain. With his ELC signed, there’s always the possibility he gets a few “show me” games in Vancouver to start the season.

However, our prediction here at CanucksArmy is that, after a couple of preseason appearances, he’ll head back to Seattle for what could be a major draft-plus-one campaign in the WHL.

Sticking to the Western League, Parker Alcos will continue his development with the Edmonton Oil Kings for his third season. We liked a lot of what we saw from him in 2024–25, and now it’s about building on that with an elevated role. If his progress continues, this could be his final year at the junior level.

Shifting east to the Ontario Hockey League, we have four prospects to watch closely.

Likely entering his final junior season, Riley Patterson could be on the move within the OHL. Reports suggest a trade is imminent that would send him out of Barrie, possibly to a team gearing up for a Memorial Cup push. Keep an eye out for that announcement.

Speaking of Memorial Cup bids, Aleksei Medvedev will join our report as the official starter for the London Knights. It’s an exciting spot to develop, as London is highly regarded as the gold standard in the entire CHL. While he could transition to pro as early as 2026-27, there may not even be a need to play in a system as regarded as London.

Kieren Dervin has committed to Penn State for 2026–27, but in the meantime, he’ll continue to develop in Kingston, where he’s expected to slot into a top-six role with the Frontenacs. It’ll be a valuable measuring stick after spending most of his recent seasons at the high school level.

Sixth-round pick Gabe Chiarot will remain with the Brampton Steelheads, looking to continue refining his game and earning bigger minutes.

Whether he jets off to the NCAA or spends another season in the OHL, we are still a few years away from considering him a pro option.

While this year’s NCAA group loses big names like Tom Willander, there are still several intriguing prospects to watch.

Romani joins a powerhouse Michigan State squad loaded with talent that includes Cayden Lindstrom, Porter Martone, Ryker Lee, and Shane Vasaghi, to name a few.

It’s a perfect environment to gauge where his game truly stands. He’s thrived at the junior level for the past two years, despite an injury-plagued 2024–25 season, but can he produce at the collegiate level against older, stronger competition? If so, he could turn pro as early as spring 2026.

Fresh off being drafted, Wilson Björck is making the jump from Sweden’s J20 circuit to the NCAA. Like Romani, this season will tell us whether his standout year at the Swedish junior level was a byproduct of being an older player in a favourable spot or whether his game legitimately warrants the buzz.

You can find him at Colorado College.

The Canucks’ final pick in the 2025 draft, Matthew Lansing, will skate as a freshman with Quinnipiac in 2025–26. It’ll be his first big step into higher-level competition.

Now entering his junior season at Boston University, Aiden Celebrini faces a critical year. While names like Willander are no longer blocking the right side, new arrivals such as Charlie Tretheway and Carter Amico will make it tough for him to further his role on the right side.

Matthew Perkins has transferred to Northeastern in search of a spark. His sophomore season was a step back, so the hope is that a change of scenery will lead to a top-six role and a chance to regain his stock within the system.

Daimon Gardner returns to St. Cloud State for his junior season. Like Perkins, he’ll be looking to rediscover his game after two modest years at the NCAA level.

After a season on loan to the Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL), Basile Sansonnens is back in Switzerland to play in the Swiss men’s league for the Lausanne HC.

The pros to this move are obvious, as he’ll get to face men and the highest competitor from his native country.

The only issue is that Lausanne is considered a strong team and already boasts a strong backend of talent. We aren’t sure where Sansonnens factors in, but meaningful minutes may be hard to come by.

Their preseason begins this week as Euro leagues kick off their 2025-26 seasons.

While initial hopes were that we’d see Ilya Safonov in Vancouver to press for a contract, it appears that he will stick in Russia, at least for now.

The KHL have already kicked off their preseason, with Safonov already suiting up in action for Ak Bars Kazan.

That will do it for this week’s report. Check back next week for another off-season review.

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