The Vancouver Canucks have long needed to commit to a rebuild, and as they transition to a new management group in the front office, they are finally heading in that direction.
They had a deep and diversely skilled 2026 draft class which bolsters a solid group from last year. Now they need to develop that talent and keep the focus on the next era of Canucks hockey.
With the NHL off-season is in full swing, we have the perfect opportunity to look at each team's prospect pool, going in alphabetical order, which means it's Vancouver's turn.
In our annual Prospect Pool Deep Dive series, Tony Ferrari will dig into each team's top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of the pipeline, a quick overview of their latest draft class, where each team's positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
Going back to the bubble playoffs in the summer of 2020, the Canucks have had a couple flashes of high-end play with their current core, followed by disappointing stretches of play.
From 2020-2024, the Canucks only had two first-round picks and one second-rounder, leaving them without much in the way of prospects during that stretch. They've made three first and three second-round picks over the last two years, which has signalled their commitment to starting a rebuild, which is long overdue.
The biggest boost to their prospect pool and young core has been the trade that sent their former captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for Zeev Buium , Liam Ohgren , Marco Rossi and a first-round pick.
Adding three young NHLers and a first-rounder that they used to add another asset helped get their rebuild started on the right track.
While all three have exhausted their rookie eligibility and won't count towards their prospect pool moving forward, they are the kind of young talent Vancouver needed.
Rossi is the eldest of the group at 24, but he's already taken a top-six role and could play on their top line next year if Elias Pettersson continues to struggle or the Canucks find a trade partner.
Zeev Buiumis the big name in the return because he will be looked at to fill the shoes of their departed captain, fairly or unfairly. Buium's skating and playmaking ability are truly impressive. He's a bit undersized but Canucks fans know that an undersized blueliner can have some big time success.
Buium will have every opportunity to assert himself as a potential No. 1 defender after an encouraging rookie season split between Minnesota and Vancouver.
The most underrated part of the deal was Vancouver's acquisition of Liam Ohgren . The Swedish winger is a north-south, workhorse of a forward. He loves to get in on the forecheck, plays his tail off defensively, and he has a great shot.
Ohgren is the kind of player that can help set the tone for a line. He looked quite good as a bottom-six option for Vancouver after the trade and he could be looking to earn a bigger role heading into next season.
After almost making the NHL in his first season after being drafted, Braeden Cootesis going to be challenging for a spot once again this year at training camp . Cootes is a smart two-way player, committed to playing hard at both ends of the ice. His skating and motor are impressive, pressuring opponents in every way possible.
Offensively, Cootes continues to develop as a dual-threat attacker, focusing his play on getting the puck to the middle as a passer and puck carrier. Even if he does make the Canucks, he's going to likely be an important member of Team Canada at the World Junior Championship later this year.
Playing in 37 NHL games over the last two years, Jonathan Lekkerimaki just hasn't found comfort at the top level . He's a one-shot scorer who can be a dangerous offensive player when he's at his best.
Now that former Djurgardens teammate Liam Ohgren is in the fold, the Canucks could look to pair them and hope that the chemistry returns at the NHL level. Lekkerimaki is going to be looked at to play a big role as the team looks to start getting younger and more skilled.
Kirill Kudryavtsevlooked much more comfortable at the professional level in his second year in the AHL and he seemed confident with the puck on his stick in his very limited NHL action.
He's a puck-moving, pace-pushing defender who likes to get involved in the attack. His growth defensively has also been encouraging but the Canucks are going to need to see him take some big steps if they want to use him at the NHL level with regularity this year.
Zeev Buium (D), Tom Willander (D), Jonathan Lekkerimaki (RW), Elias Pettersson (D), Liam Ohgren (LW)
Round 1, 3rd overall - Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
Round 1, 24th overall - Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
Round 2, 33rd overall - Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)
Round 2, 41st overall - Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW, Orebro (Swe-Jr)
Round 3, 78th overall - Dmitri Ivchenko, G, Omskie (Rus-2)
Round 4, 97th overall - Yaroslav Bryzgalov, LW, Medicine Hat (WHL)
Round 5, 129th overall - Connor Davis, RW, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Round 6, 176th overall - Lucian Bernat, RW, Tappara (Finland Jr.)
Round 6, 184th overall - Samuel Eriksson, D, Farjestads (Swe-Jr)
This year's draft class is going to be the foundation in which the next era of Canucks hockey is built on. It wasn't necessarily a generational group of players, but it was the first draft in which they accepted their fate and focused on building up their prospect pool.
The head of the class was Caleb Malhotra, a center who was arguably the most improved prospect year-over-year who also happens to be the son of Vancouver's new head coach.
Malhotra is a fantastic playmaker who has become more dynamic throughout the year. He has some really solid two-way habits as well, bringing a bit more physical edge as he's added muscle to his frame.
His game isn't always flashy but he always seems to be making positive impacts on the ice. Malhotra's rise late in the year was a hot topic , but the reality is that the Canucks got a very good player at third overall who should be an important piece in the rebuild.
Malhotra may not be a true top-tier center at the NHL level but he's going to be a very strong component for the next decade.
With the first-round pick that Vancouver got from Minnesota, the Canucks selected winger Adam Novotny. He's a high-end transition player with an excellent shot. His defensive game is strong, using his blend of speed and physicality to pressure and disrupt play in his own end.
Novotny had a slow start in the OHL as he adjusted to the league, but he had a great second half and looked fantastic down the stretch. The Canucks banked on the players who improved throughout the year in round one.
The Canucks opened round two by selecting Brooks Rogowski. The former baseball player is one of the most moldable balls of clay in the draft. At 6-foot-7, Rogowski is a very good skater and skilled handler.
His game is versatile. Rogowski has been capable of playing a leading offensive role, showcasing some excellent puck protection and passing ability, along with a very good shot. He's also a very solid defensive center, using his length and mobility to cut down passing lanes and close on opponents.
Heading to Michigan State after one more year in the OHL, Rogowski is a project well worth taking on.
With their second pick in round two, the Canucks added Niklas Aaram-Olsen, a quick-footed sniper who has been very good in Sweden's top junior league. He isn't the most consistent player, but Aaram-Olsen is a difference-maker offensively. On the power play in particular, his shot is a weapon.
The speedy Swede needs to be more engaged defensively at times but he's a fun player to add to the system.
The Canucks need a goalie of the future and they may have found it in third-rounder Dmitri Ivchenko. A technically skilled and mobile goalie, he is at his best when he is playing calm and composed in his crease.
When things get hectic, he can lose his positioning a bit but with ideal size and a strong base of skating and excellent form, Ivchenko has potential as a pro-level netminder.
In round four, overager Yaroslav Bryzgalovwas added to the pipeline, bringing some power-forward elements to their system. The Belarusian forward showed much more consistent offensive impact this past season in his first WHL season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, utilizing his passing much more effectively.
He has a path to be a fourth-liner if his offense never comes to fruition, but he's a long shot in general.
The Canucks drafted a second straight overager in Connor Daviswith their next pick. Davis is a bone-crushing physical player, who's like a heat-seaking missile on the ice at times. His offensive skill isn't anything special, but he's able to chip in and play a complementary role while providing the edge any good bottom-six line needs.
After a good season at the Slovakian junior level, Lucian Bernatis heading to the OHL next season to join the Owen Sound Attack and get acclimated to the North American game.
He had some really impressive moments at the U18s for Slovakia, using his 6-foot-4 frame and good hands to get himself into shooting positions. He has a lot to round out away from the puck, but he's always putting effort in around the ice.
Samuel Erikssonwas the final pick for Vancouver, giving them a massive defender who uses his size and physicality to keep pucks out of danger. He has a good shot but he's not really an offensive presence. Eriksson is a safe, stay-at-home blueliner who wants to play the game without much fuss.
The center position took a big step thanks to the last two drafts.
Cootes was a major addition last year but adding Malhotra and Rogowski this year made the position deep with some really good talent at the top. They are still missing that dynamic, true No. 1, but they have a few players who could all fit as middle-six centers.
Rogowski seems like the most likely to move to the wing among the big three at the top of the depth chart, but there is going to be plenty of time as they all develop.
With Tom Willander and Zeev Buium already at the NHL level, there isn't much left on the blueline when you look at the prospect pool.
Kudryavtsev is an interesting prospect to be sure but he shouldn't be your top defensive prospect. They Canucks will need to look to the back end next year when at the draft.
This year they only drafted one defender, which generally isn't the plan when draft day arrives. Next year, they may have to put a little extra focus on the area.
A very solid first year in college, Anthony Romani was a player who stagnated in his final year of OHL hockey so seeing the bounce back was a welcome occurrence.
He become a much better shooter over the last couple of years which added some depth to his game which was once strictly focused on rush-attack playmaking. He's a hard worker and the college level has done wonders for his two-way game as well. Romani should be a really interesting player to follow as he takes on a bigger role with Michigan State this year.
The Canucks have a roster littered with young players and the next player to join them could very well be Braeden Cootes.
Ultimately he was sent back to the WHL, but Cootes is the kind of player that has the versatility to play lower in the lineup and develop as he plays if he does make the NHL roster on day one. He's a highly competitive player who is always working to give his team advantages. It will be interesting to see how he looks in training camp.
LW: Adam Novotny, Jackson Kunz, Anri Ravinskis, Vilmer Alriksson, Kieren Dervin, Wilson Bjorck
C: Caleb Malhotra, Braeden Cootes, Brooks Rogowski, Riley Patterson, Matthew Lansing,
RW: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Niklas Aaram-Olsen, Anthony Romani, Gabe Chiarot, Conor Davis, Lucian Bernat
LD: Kirill Kudryavtsev, Sawyer Mynio, Samuel Eriksson, Basile Sansonnens
RD: Parker Alcos, Aiden Celebrini
G: Alexei Medvedev, Dmitri Ivchenko, Ty Young, Aku Koskenvou
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition.
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