MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #22 Vancouver Canucks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 22nd (Last Year - 20th)
GM: TBD
COACH: Adam Foote Hired: May 2025

Things went from bad to worse for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025–26, as the organization finally committed to a full-scale rebuild. With franchise cornerstone and captain Quinn Hughes no longer in the picture, a new era has begun in Vancouver — one centred on rising young players such as Zeev Buium. Complicating matters is a prospect system that currently lacks the kind of elite, high-end talent typically associated with rebuilding teams. That outlook could begin to change at the upcoming draft, where Vancouver holds an impressive 10 selections, including a top-3 pick. Still, it may take several draft cycles before those additions significantly reshape the organization’s pipeline.

There are, however, some encouraging signs within the system. Young defensemen Tom Willander and Elias Pettersson have already established themselves as full-time NHL contributors, while Sawyer Mynio (167th) and Kirill Kudryavtsev (174th) have become reliable presences on the blue line for the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL. Meanwhile, Braeden Cootes (29th) currently sits atop the organization’s prospect rankings and has already appeared in three NHL games. While the AHL may be the most appropriate next step for the 2026–27 season under the league’s updated eligibility rules, he should remain firmly on Vancouver’s NHL radar. Jonathan Lekkerimäki (33rd) has also shown promising offensive instincts in the AHL, emerging as one of Abbotsford’s most dangerous goal scorers. However, injuries have slowed his development and prevented him from fully translating that scoring touch at the NHL level.

A rebuild is now firmly underway in Vancouver, and the road ahead may involve some difficult seasons in the standings. Yet, with the possibility of selecting near the top of the draft this June, the Canucks could take an important first step toward reshaping their future.

1. Braeden Cootes, C, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

   Braeden Cootes surprised everyone when he made the Vancouver Canucks coming out of training camp. While that may have spoken as much to the Canucks depth (or lack thereof) at centre, it also spoke to Cootes’s pro-ready game. He averaged just under 11 minutes per game in three contests with the Canucks before being reassigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Cootes was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he helped the team win a bronze medal. After the tournament, he was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders. Cootes is a high energy, high motor forward who plays a 200-foot, detail-oriented game. His skating is a calling card and is already pro ready. He plays on both the power play and penalty kill at the junior level, but there’s some question as to how much of a scorer he’ll be as a pro. His forechecking and defensive play puts his floor as a third line center, but if his offensive skills and play driving continue to improve, he could be a dynamic second line player.

2. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

   Jonathan Lekkerimaki is a talented offensive forward who has a great release that should net him a significant number of goals once he graduates to full-time status at the NHL level. Lekkerimaki can rip pucks home from the top of the circle, but he’s also got an extremely capable one-timer that can beat goalies cleanly on the power play. Lekkerimaki isn’t just a one-dimensional shooter, however; he also has a nice pair of hands to go along with a cerebral hockey sense that suggests he will pile up assists at the next level. Defensively, Lekkerimaki has gotten better at playing against men in his own zone, and while he isn’t the most physical of players, he competes well enough for pucks that Canucks fans shouldn’t be too worried about his lack of physicality. Lekkerimaki will definitely need to play with linemates that are willing to go grind to help him retrieve the puck, but once he finds those linemates, look out. This player is a 60+ point player in the making, and it’s only a matter of time before we see him break out with the Canucks.

3. Sawyer Mynio, D, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

   Sawyer Mynio has come along nicely as a defensive prospect within the Vancouver Canucks’ system, where he has been tasked with playing tough minutes this year for a post-championship (but depleted) Abbotsford Canucks team. Mynio’s game starts with solid play in his own zone. He’s as reliable as they come defensively, and at times this season with Abbotsford, he has looked like a player beyond his years in his own zone, exhibiting poise with the puck while facing extreme pressure from opposing players. Mynio is also a capable defender who can move the puck well in transition, which won’t harm his deployment at the NHL level. Mynio won’t become a power play option at the NHL level, but he should be able to carve out a nice career as a top four defender who can play reliable minutes on both sides of the puck. Expect Mynio to spend another season in Abbotsford building experience and confidence in his game, but once he gets his NHL opportunity, lookout. He won’t be in the AHL for too long.

4. Kirill Kudryavtsev, D, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

   Kirill Kudryavtsev is one of the more intriguing prospects in the Vancouver Canucks’ system; he is a sturdy defender who also has good offensive ability, and this combination of attributes is becoming more and more of a rarity in today’s NHL. When Kudryavtsev is in the offensive zone, he’s exceptional at using tight space along the wall to create give-and-go plays with his teammates. He’s also good at creating passing lanes using his deceptive stickhandling, and he has a nice release from the point that can beat goalies through screens. Kudryavtsev is also a capable defender in his own zone, but he still has room to improve the level of physicality and mean streak he displays in his own end. He can also be too passive at times with his gap control, which gives opposing forwards more time and space to make plays. Kudryavtsev ultimately projects as a bottom-pairing defender who can play on both sides of the puck and may develop into a second-unit penalty killer at the NHL level.

5. Alexei Medvedev, G, London Knights (OHL)

   Numbers-wise, Medvedev has seen a large dip in save percentage, but such is to be expected on a retooling London squad that lost loads of integral parts from their back-to-back championship runs. Medvedev has remained calm and composed in the Knights’ crease, with strong positioning and technical movement. His athleticism is very good, allowing him to get cross-crease quickly and deny one-timers. The key weakness to his game this year has been his tracking through traffic, and occasionally, he’s gotten beaten trying to lean off-center and peek through bodies. The Canucks did not hesitate to select Alexei in the top 50 in the 2025 draft, clearly seeing him as a potential successor to Demko. In terms of NHL projection, Medvedev projects as more of a 1B goalie in a tandem, as he’s been far more effective splitting time in the crease and rarely has faced a high work rate.

6. Victor Mancini, D, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) (Currently on Vancouver Canucks, NHL)

   Victor Mancini is a strong defender with good size who competes extremely hard in his own end. Mancini is never going to wow you offensively, but he has a good first pass for a player of his size (6-foot-3, 229 pounds), and he can make simple plays in the offensive zone to keep the pressure alive for his forwards. Mancini’s bread and butter ultimately comes with his play in his own zone, where he’s excellent at using his frame to angle opposing players away from his own net. He’s also very good at using his stick to get into shooting lanes, which forces pucks away from his own goal and out of trouble. The Abbotsford Canucks have struggled this year in their own zone after their Calder Cup championship last season, but when Mancini is on the ice, their play in their own zone has vastly improved and it’s due in part to Mancini’s calming presence. Mancini ultimately projects as a bottom-pairing defenceman who can be counted upon to kill penalties at the NHL level.

7. Ty Mueller, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

   Ty Mueller has really come a long way as a prospect since his freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the NCAA. Drafted as an older forward, Mueller is a dependable player at both ends of the ice. He does not have any one standout offensive attribute that screams high-end NHL skill, but he is good at everything and can be a very good complementary piece to players that are more skilled on his line. Defensively, Mueller tracks pucks well and always puts himself into good positioning, which allows him to break up plays in his own zone before they happen with his impressive reads. Projecting Mueller to the NHL level is difficult, however, because he is not talented enough offensively to play in an NHL top six, but also not strong enough defensively to really occupy a checking role at the NHL level. Nevertheless, Mueller has continued to grind away at his game, particularly on the defensive side of the puck, and there’s a chance he could become a fourth line forward at the NHL level.

8. Wilson Bjorck, RW, Colorado College (NCAA)

   Bjorck dominated in the Swedish J20 bracket last season. His motor was on full display, showcasing an unrelenting energy on the ice. His feet were always moving, either on the forecheck, on the back check, or to get into good spots for his teammates. Bjorck had a good feel for where to be, when to be there, and the proper angles to take to maximize what his end goal was. His skating was only above average, and some questions remained about his game translating to the smaller ice surfaces of North America. Bjorck would make the move overseas for this season, joining Colorado College. Despite the questions, his game did translate quite well to the college scene. Despite his production being only modest, his underlying stats show that he was an important piece of the team. His transitional game has been a bright spot, where he has been leaned on heavily by his peers. There are definitely still moments where he struggles with time and space with the puck on his stick, thanks to the smaller ice surface, but with another two seasons in the NCAA, he will almost certainly be adjusted and able to produce more offence. He projects as a potential middle six energy winger with center capabilities.

9. Anthony Romani, RW, Michigan State University (NCAA)

   Romani, a sixth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, was drafted out of the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. His selection comes after he produced 111 points in 68 games, including 58 goals, after previously going undrafted in 2023. His shooting ability, as evidenced by his OHL-leading goal totals, was on display consistently. Romani’s playmaking ability was also evident at times, though it was overshadowed by his goal-scoring traits. The very next season, he would play just six games with North Bay, before being dealt to the Barrie Colts. In total, he played 35 games and registered 35 points, including 21 goals. While his regular season was nowhere near the same level as the previous season, it was in the playoffs where he shined. In 16 postseason games with Barrie, he posted 24 points. The following season, he made the jump to the NCAA, joining Michigan State. In 35 games this season he has produced 27 points. His shot is still a weapon, though he hasn’t been a dominant goalscorer just yet. With another year or two in the NCAA, as his role expands and he becomes more comfortable at the collegiate level, Romani has the skillset to shine. He projects as a middle six goal-scoring winger with power play upside.

10. Riley Patterson, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) (Currently on Abbotsford Canucks, AHL)

    Patterson was traded over the offseason from Barrie to Niagara after wanting a fresh start, and he made his mark on a floundering Ice Dogs group. The Etobicoke native’s production has taken a massive step in 2025-26, bringing him within striking distance of the league lead in points. His shot is a great asset. He shoots low, rarely misses the net, and forces goaltenders to make difficult saves when coming across the crease. He gets power and a quick release from his wrister, and his one-timer is extremely consistent in forcing rebounds if not scoring. His wheels give him added depth, allowing him to contribute on the rush, and while he doesn’t throw hard hits, he uses his body effectively in battles to separate the puck from opponents. It’s clear the Vancouver Canucks made a savvy selection at 125th with Riley, and this past fall, they signed him to an entry-level contract. Most likely, expect Patterson to return to the OHL for the 2026-27 season, but with the dreadful outlook of the Canucks over the next 24 months, spots could open up if he puts on a masterclass at training camp.

11. Nikita Tolopilo, G, Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

    Just barely still eligible for our list due to his age, Tolopilo has strung together back-to-back solid AHL seasons and has been largely excellent in limited NHL action this year too. The big Belarussian goaltender may not be a future starter, but he does look like someone who could work in a platoon or back-up role moving forward.

12. Danila Klimovich, RW, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

    It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for a breakout from Klimovich, a big Belarussian winger. Instead, we’ve seen regression this year and that may mean that his time in the organization is drawing close to the end.

13. Vilmer Alriksson, LW, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

    While Alriksson does seem to have his fans in the Canucks’ fan base, having modest expectations for him is important. The big winger can bang bodies and he’s athletic for his size, but he’s not likely to develop into more than a fourth line option for the Canucks in the future.

14. Kieren Dervin, C, Kingston Frotencas (OHL)

    Drafted out of the storied St. Andrew’s College program, Dervin has the skill and creativity to be a pro player. But, the physical tools need time to catch up. He’s been OK with the Frontenacs this year in the OHL, but the Canucks won’t know what they have in Dervin until he’s played a few years at Penn State.

15. Matthew Lansing, C, Quinnipiac University (NCAA)

    Best described as a lunch pail type. Lansing is a hard working pivot who projects as a bottom six, penalty killer. However, he has had an impressive freshman season with Quinnipiac.