With the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline set for Thursday, January 8, at 5:00 pm PT, activity around the league has been hectic. According to reports, a pair of moves could soon involve Vancouver Canucks prospects.

On Monday, Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal reported that Vancouver’s 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes is expected to be traded from the Seattle Thunderbirds to the Prince Albert Raiders. While the report has generated significant attention, the WHL has yet to officially announce the transaction.

Dhaliwal followed that report on Tuesday with another Canucks-related note, indicating that defenceman Parker Alcos is also on the move from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Kelowna Rockets.

Kelowna, currently sitting eighth in the Western Conference with a 17-14-3-2 record, has been aggressive in bolstering its roster ahead of a playoff push. As the host city for this year’s Memorial Cup, the Rockets are widely expected to be active buyers at the deadline. Earlier this week, the club announced the addition of Vojtěch Čihař, the 2026 World Junior Championship MVP and Czechia’s leading scorer at the tournament. Kelowna also acquired Vancouver Giants captain Ty Halaburda, who previously attended Canucks’ development camp.

Alcos, a Port Moody native, was selected by Vancouver in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. Now in his fourth WHL season, the 19-year-old right-shot defenceman is in the midst of a career year. Through this season, he is just one point shy of his career high, recording 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) while posting a plus–29 rating, which ranks fifth among all WHL defenders.

Across 167 career games with the Oil Kings, Alcos has totalled 44 points (four goals, 40 assists), 103 penalty minutes, and a plus–17 rating. His game has been defined by steady defensive play, mobility, and confidence moving the puck from the backend. The Canucks have until June 1, 2026, to sign him to an Entry-Level deal before his rights officially expire and he becomes a free agent.

With the trade deadline approaching and official confirmations still pending, both situations remain worth monitoring closely.

The trade has now been confirmed, and Alcos will be heading to the Kelowna Rockets. He was the focal piece in a package that included a 2028 seventh-round WHL Prospects Draft Pick to the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, a 2026 third-round WHL Prospects Draft pick (originally belonging to Prince George), and a 2027 second-round WHL Prospects Draft Pick.

“It is never an easy decision to move a player who has been a part of your organization for a long time,” said Oil Kings President and General Manager Kirt Hill in the team’s press release. “With the recent acquisitions on our back end, we had to make a corresponding move to get our numbers in the right spot. We are proud of the steps he was able to make with our Club and we are happy he will get the opportunity to play for the Memorial Cup and continue his development close to home and his NHL team in Vancouver. It has been great working with Parker over the last 3 seasons and watching him grow as a player and person. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and dedication to the organization and wish him all the best in Kelowna.”