We continue on with our 2026 mid-season Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings here at CanucksArmy.

Today, it’s a 20-year-old defender navigating his first season as a professional defenceman and has been fast-tracked into incredible minutes in Abbotsford. If you’re looking for a refresher on our ranking criteria, be sure to check out our Honourable Mentions installment before diving in.

The Vancouver Canucks’ defensive pipeline remains one of the organization’s strengths, and Sawyer Mynio continues to look like a foundational piece of that group.

After posting 140 points across 227 WHL regular-season games — along with a WHL Championship — the Kamloops native made the jump to the professional ranks this fall. For many 20-year-old defencemen, their first AHL season is typically about survival and slow development. For Mynio, it quickly became about responsibility and quick learning.

“[Mynio is] A guy that has probably been put in a situation where he normally otherwise wouldn’t be in terms of the minutes that he’s logging. But he’s done a good job of just playing with that confidence and poise that we’ve come to know him to play,” said Head Coach Manny Malhotra earlier in the year in an interview with Abbotsford Canucks’ play-by-play announcer, Bradnon Astle.

In a season riddled with injuries and NHL call-ups, Abbotsford’s backend was thrown into flux immediately. Mynio began the year in sheltered minutes, hovering in the low teens. But that didn’t last long. By Game 6, he was eclipsing 20 minutes. By Game 9, he hit the 30-minute mark.

For a solid stretch of games, he was the go-to for even-strength minutes, power play, and penalty kill. He was doing everything right out the gate. That kind of early usage spike isn’t ideal for a rookie, but it says something about the trust he earned almost instantly. And Manny Malhotra wasn’t shy to lean on him.

Despite being so young, the local native isn’t necessarily new to being relied on for everything. By the final year of junior, he was the go-to for every possible scenario. Sure, that was among his U20 peers, but it did help shape him into that responsibility he’s shouldering today. Without that experience, there’s a good chance that he drowns during that stretch.

Now that the roster has stabilized, so has his role. He’s been removed from primary penalty killing duties, but he remains a fixture on the top power play unit. In fact, he has firmly established himself as the go-to quarterback ahead of veterans and other high-profile prospects. That’s above Kirill Kudryavtsev, and that’s above Victor Mancini.

That power play has carried the majority of his offence, too. Through 38 games, Mynio has recorded 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists), with 10 of those coming on the man advantage. The five-on-five production hasn’t yet translated the way it did in junior, but that was to be expected. The pace is quicker, the windows are tighter, and the time and space evaporate at the pro level.

But the tools are there. His vision from the blue line is sound. He walks the line confidently. His shot remains one of his top offensive assets. And most importantly for his game, his skating is a strong point.

Ironically, it seemed his original focal point, and the reason the Canucks drafted him, was more for his defensive reliability and penalty-killing acumen. Over time, it’s the offensive elements that have become more prominent in his game. But it’s not as if he’s a slouch in that department. Although he hasn’t been used much on the PK as of late, we tie it to him playing heavy minutes at the other strengths. We expect him to be a prominent participant for both special teams as he matures and gets stronger.

At 6’1 and 181 pounds, strength remains the swing factor. There are moments along the wall and at the net front where heavier forwards can move him. The base is solid, but he needs another 10–15 pounds of pro strength to consistently win those engagements at the NHL level. The encouraging part is that he competes like no other. When he loses a battle, he does whatever is needed to recover. His gap control is sound, and he uses an active stick to steer attackers outside.

Like most on this struggling Abbotsford team, we don’t look too hard into the minus–18 that shows on his stat line. On a team that has struggled mightily defensively as a whole, no full-time defender is sitting on sparkling numbers. What matters more is how he’s handled adversity. He’s taken on heavy minutes in a difficult environment for a young 20-year-old, and he hasn’t cracked.

Ceiling: A legitimate top-four NHL defenceman who can quarterback a second power play and handle tough minutes if his strength catches up to his instincts and mobility.

Floor: A high-end AHL defenceman and dependable NHL call-up who can fill in without hurting you.

ETA: We don’t expect any Vancouver Canucks deployment this season and likely not out of camp next fall. But if the progression continues, a spring 2027 cup of coffee feels realistic, with a serious push for a role in 2027–28.

That’s our #4 spot. Stay tuned for another installment tomorrow here at CanucksArmy.