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Canucks sign first-round pick Adam Novotný to three-year entry-level contract

Photo credit: Steven Ellis | The Nation Network

By Jacob Fraser

Aug 11, 2026, 16:30 EDT

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced they have agreed to terms with Adam Novotný on a three-year entry-level contract.

Selected 24th overall in the first round of the 2026 draft, Novotný becomes the first of the draft picks to sign an entry-level deal with the club. Novotný was recently named the third-best prospect in the organization by CanucksArmy.

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#Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Adam Novotný on a three-year, entry-level contract. DETAILS | vancanucks.co/4z76aTX

7:00 PM · Aug 11, 2026

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The terms of the deal have Novotný making an AAV of $1.075 million per season over the next three years. After an impressive, yet short, development camp, the Czech winger is expected to join the team at training camp in Penticton in mid-September. Now that he is under contract, Novotný will have a chance to prove himself and potentially make the opening night roster. If he does not suit up for more than nine games this season with the Canucks, however, this deal will defer until he surpasses the nine-game mark.

In a statement, Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said, “It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill. A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do things the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC, and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.”

According to PuckPedia, Novotný will earn signing bonuses of $102,500, $107,500 and $112,500 in each of the three years.

Assuming Novotný does not make the Canucks roster this season, he is slated to return to the OHL with the Peterborough Petes for his second season in Canadian Junior Hockey.

Last season, Novotný impressed with a 34-goal, 31-assist campaign for 65 points through 58 games. He was also a part of the silver-medalist Czech team at the World Junior Championships that took down Team Canada in the Semi-Final matchup. He finished the tournament with three assists in seven games.

Fellow 2026 Canucks draftees, Caleb Malhotra, Brooks Rogowski, and Niklas Aaram-Olsen will likely remain unsigned by the team, as all three are slated to either join the NCAA this season or the following year.