First impressions matter.

But maintaining that impact year after year is the real challenge.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2023, Vilmer Alriksson has steadily raised his stock within the Vancouver Canucks‘ system with each training camp audition. Now entering his third year, he looks ready to take on the pro game.

After turning heads at last fall’s Young Stars tournament in Penticton, where he co-led the event in scoring, the towering Swedish winger once again made his presence felt this past weekend at the inaugural Prospect Showcase in Washington, USA.

Planted on the team’s top line alongside fellow countryman Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Alriksson showed that he appears ready to take that next meaningful step in his hockey journey — professional hockey.

“Just make an impact on the everyday,” Alriksson reflected after Game 1 in Everett, Washington. “You know, just try to do my best today and then focus on being in the moment.”

That mindset was on full display in Game 1 against the Seattle Kraken prospects, where Alriksson opened the scoring with a beautiful goal by using his 6-foot-6 frame to shield the puck, drive through the middle of the ice and finish with confidence.

It was the type of power-forward goal that teams dream on, and precisely the kind of impact the Canucks hope to see more of as he transitions to the professional ranks.

Though not known for heavy point totals, his unique profile enables him to pull off these power-move type plays from time to time. Now, it’s just about finding the consistency to use that broad reach and body to commit on a night-to-night basis.

“From what it looks like to me, he has a better understanding of how big he is and how to use his frame,” head coach Manny Malhotra noted following the Game 1 loss to Seattle. “He moves really well for a big man, and he was able to attack the net today, pulled away from some guys with his speed.”

Though his two seasons in the OHL with Guelph have not been offensively dominant — 68 points (32 goals, 36 assists) across 110 games — Alriksson brings a toolkit that goes beyond the scoresheet.

His blend of length, mobility, and forechecking tenacity makes him a headache to play against and an asset in all three zones. While consistency in his shift-by-shift motor has drawn criticism as an area to develop, his defensive details and heavy presence rarely waver. As a result, linemates typically rave about having an asset like that on their wing.

“It was great, a big body, obviously,” said linemate Riley Patterson, who stepped in as Alriksson’s centre in Game 2. “The pucks he creates in the corners, on the forecheck, helps us a lot. Stalling the defenceman and for us to just come and pick up the puck makes our life easy.”

That ability to win battles and extend possessions is exactly what coaches value in a bottom-six NHL role. It’s also part of what earned him an NHL entry-level contract last fall — highlighted by a spirited preseason tilt with an NHL 269-game veteran, John Hayden — and what could earn him an everyday role in Abbotsford this fall.

“I think he’s just understanding how to use his body a little bit better now, and just he has a lot more confidence coming into this,” said Malhotra.

Alriksson might not carry the same scoring expectations as some of his peers, but his development arc is trending in the right direction.

If this weekend was any indication, he looks primed to carve out a legitimate spot in Abbotsford’s lineup — and if his confidence and physical game continue to evolve, it’s not hard to imagine him knocking on the NHL’s door in the not-too-distant future.