In The System: Canucks 2021 Draft Class, Trade Acquisitions, & Free Agent Signings Prospect Update

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In The System: Canucks 2021 Draft Class, Trade Acquisitions, & Free Agent Signings Prospect Update

Izzy Cheung · The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks

Thu, Aug 6, 2026 ·

6 min read

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Only one prospect drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2021 currently remains with the organization — goaltender Aku Koskenvuo. Forwards Danila Klimovich , Connor Lockhart, and Lucas Forsell, as well as defencemen Jonathan Myrenberg and Hugo Gabrielson have all parted ways with the team since their draft year.

Also part of the organization now, all added within the past year or so, are trade acquisitions Ilya Safonov and Jack Thompson, as well as free-agent signings Anrī Ranvinskis and Matt Stienburg . Here's how the 2025–26 season went for Koskenvuo, Safonov, Thompson, Ravinskis, and Stienburg.

Aku Koskenvuo

2021 R5, 137 OVR

Abbotsford Canucks, AHL and Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL

The Canucks' lone 2021 draftee after the departure of Klimovich in free-agency, Koskenvuo spent the 2025–26 season familiarizing himself with pro hockey after two seasons with Harvard University in the NCAA .

Koskenvuo began his first pro season in the ECHL with Kalamazoo, recording a collective total of 59 saves in his first two starts for the K-Wings. The landslide of injuries from both Vancouver and Abbotsford resulted in the goaltender quickly being called-up to the AHL . In his first AHL start, Koskenvuo managed to make 33 saves to backstop Abbotsford to their first win in 11 games . He stayed with Abbotsford for nearly a month before being re-assigned to the ECHL in mid-December.

After some time in the ECHL in December, Koskenvuo was brought back up to Abbotsford in January, in what would be his last stretch of AHL play for the remainder of the year. He played in his final game for Abbotsford on January 30, finishing the year with a 3.20 GAA and .895 SV%. The goaltender was also called-up to the NHL during the Olympic break, serving as a practice netminder with Kevin Lankinen at the Olympics and Thatcher Demko injured.

Koskenvuo will likely see more playing time in Abbotsford during the 2026–27 season, though this will be dependent on what Vancouver chooses to do with goaltender Nikita Tolopilo .

Canucks Prospect Aku Koskenvuo Is 'Focusing On Getting Better Every Day' Aku Koskenvuo has bounced around from the Canucks, to the AHL, to the ECHL this season due to organizational injury issues. Through all of it, he remains focused on his own game.

Ilya Safonov

Traded from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations

Ak Bars Kazan, KHL

Acquired via trade during the 2025 off-season, Safonov signed his entry-level contract with the Canucks back at the start of June. The forward was previously picked in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by Chicago , though he never ended up skating for the club that selected him.

Safonov has played for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL since the 2019–20 season, with the 2025–26 season expected to be his last depending on how his journey to the NHL goes. The forward, whose versatility allows him to play at both center and wing, scored 16 goals and 17 assists in 68 games in the KHL this year. While his team ultimately came short of winning the KHL championship , Safonov did put up two goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games.

Since signing with Vancouver, Safonov has made it clear that his goal in 2026–27 is to make the NHL .

"I am not going there with a guaranteed place in the lineup, and I am not arriving as a star... I will have to prove that I belong, and I am ready for that. Based on the conversations we have had, I understand that I will have an opportunity," he said in a translated interview with R.org .

Jack Thompson

Traded from the San Jose Sharks for Jett Woo

San Jose Barracuda and Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

Thompson's time with the Canucks only lasted a total of 14 AHL games in 2025–26, but the defenceman made a strong enough impression to warrant a one-year contract extension signed in mid-June. He went from putting up 12 points in 42 games with the San Jose Barracuda to surpassing that mark in his 14 games with Abbotsford.

The former third-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 started the season off with the Barracuda, scoring his first goal of the year on November 1 against the Ontario Reign. He played in his final game for San Jose on March 4, before lacing up for the AHL Canucks two days later.

Thompson kicked his Abbotsford campaign off with a notable two goals and three assists in his first two games with the AHL Canucks, recording four multi-point games between then and the end of the season. By the end of the season, the defenceman had already carved out a spot on Abbotsford's top-pairing.

From A Mid-Flight Trade To A Nearly Point-Per-Game, Abbotsford's Jack Thompson Speaks On His Time With The CanucksOn March 5, the Canucks traded veteran defenceman Jett Woo to San Jose in exchange for then 23-year-old Jack Thompson. Thompson went on to earn 13 points in 14 games, becoming a key offensive defenceman late in the year for the struggling Abbotsford team.

Thompson will undoubtedly play a big role with Abbotsford come the 2026–27 season, especially now that he has inked an extension with the team.

Anrī Ravinskis

Signed to two-year, $910k AAV contract in 2025

Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

A free-agent signing out of Finland during the 2025 off-season, Ravinskis' 2025–26 season saw him make both his North American pro hockey and AHL debut. He spent the prior two seasons in Finnish leagues Mestis and Liiga, also skating with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL in 2021–22 and 2022–23.

Ravinskis made his AHL debut on October 17 when Abbotsford took on the Laval Rocket. He registered his first AHL point in a 3–2 shootout loss to the Colorado Eagles on November 8, assisting on the game's opening goal scored by Josh Bloom. The forward scored his first AHL goal on January 2 against the Manitoba Moose, finishing his first season with two goals and two assists in 32 games played.

During 2025–26, Ravinskis also ended up taking part in the first Winter Olympics of his career, as he was named an injury replacement for Team Latvia. While his role with Latvia was limited, the forward did skate in four games with his team.

Matthew Stienburg

Signed to one-year, $850k AAV contract in 2026

Colorado Eagles, AHL

Stienburg is the most recent prospect to join the Canucks, as he signed with the organization in free-agency back on July 2. The forward, who turns 26 in October, was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche but has only played in a total of eight NHL games.

Stienburg's hockey career has been pelted by injuries, resulting in his limited playing time on a per-season basis. The forward has not played in more than 20 NHL and AHL regular and post-season games put together through the past two years, with the 2025–26 season seeing him play in only eight with the Eagles. In the eight games that he did skate in during the 2025–26 season, Stienburg scored two goals and one assist.

Stienburg is expected to play for Abbotsford during the 2026–27 season, likely joining fellow free-agent forward signings Akil Thomas and Trey Fix-Wolansky.

All 2025–26 Prospect Updates

2025 Draft Class Prospect Update

2024 Draft Class Prospect Update

2023 Draft Class Prospect Update

2022 Draft Class Prospect Update

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News .

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