Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Vancouver Canucks.

There’s a lot of reasons to be legitimately excited about the future of the Vancouver Canucks.

For starters, the team went from being way outside playoff contention to nearly qualifying for the Western Conference final in 2023-24. They now have Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Jake DeBrusk, Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek signed to long-term deals, while Thatcher Demko is now one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.

And their pipeline? It’s looking good too. The Canucks are one of the most active teams when it comes to scouting Europe (their GM is Swedish, which helps), and they’ve got top-quality options at every position. They’ve got high-end players like Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander, the depth in Arshdeep Bains and Sawyer Mynio, and even a decent young goaltender in Artūrs Šilovs.

Biggest Strengths

I love Vancouver’s wingers, but they also have a bit of everything on defense, too. Need an all-around threat? Willander. How about a big, shutdown option? The other Elias Pettersson is here to help. More toolsy picks? Sawyer Mynio and Kirill Kudryavtsev, at your service. I also really liked their picks of Parker Alcos and Basile Sansonnens this year, too. Hughes and Hronek will lead the way for the long run, but having homegrown talents making their way up the totem pole will give them help over the next decade, as well.

Biggest Weaknesses

The Canucks are lacking depth down the middle. Aatu Raty is fine, but he’s far from a given to make the NHL permanently. Beyond that, maybe Riley Patterson will play some NHL games, but I’m not really feeling it for the rest of them. With Miller and Pettersson leading the charge in the NHL, they don’t really need any immediate help higher in the lineup, and Teddy Blueger and Pius Suter both understand their roles deeper in the lineup. But having a bit more help in the hopper wouldn’t hurt, either.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Patrik Allvin
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Todd Harvey
Dir. of Player Development: Ryan Johnson
AHL Affiliate: Abbotsford Canucks
ECHL Affiliate: Kalamazoo Wings

*Tom Willander (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, 20 (Abbotsford, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 15th overall, first round in 2022

Lekkerimäki needed a big Draft+2 season and he delivered. It was highlighted by winning MVP at the World Juniors on home ice, and it continued with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games with Orebro. Given he had just nine points in the Allsvenskan regular season last year before finishing off strong during the postseason, it helped put Lekkerimäki back on the right track – especially since he was healthy. Lekkerimäki finished the season with Abbotsford and will get a chance to play a bigger, leading role this year before challenging for the big squad. I love this shot, the way he gets into open space and while he’s not a physical threat, he doesn’t shy away from board battles as often anymore.

2. Tom Willander, RHD, 19 (Boston University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 11th overall, first round in 2023

Willander took the unusual route for a Swede by going to the NCAA last year and it paid off massively. He established himself as one of the best young defensemen in college, earning a spot on the Hockey East second all-star team. He also played a leading role on Sweden’s silver medal effort at the WJC and will be even more prominent as the team looks to stand on the top step of the podium this winter. The speedy, two-way blueliner has all the makings of an impact top-four option for the Canucks in the long run and BU will be in good shape with him taking on an even more impactful role this year.

3. Artūrs Šilovs, G, 23 (Vancouver Canucks)

Acquired: Drafted 156th overall, sixth round in 2019

*Arturs Silovs (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)*

I’m glad to see that dynamite performance at the 2023 World Championship – where he won top goalie honors after leading Latvia to its first medal ever – wasn’t a fluke. Šilovs had his ups and downs during the regular season, but he was much better than his stats would suggest in Abbotsford where the defense corps wasn’t always playing at a capable level. Šilovs was a big reason why the Canucks stayed alive in the playoffs, leading to the team moving on from Casey DeSmith and opening the backup role up for the 23-year-old keeper instead. If Šilovs can play anywhere like he did in the playoffs, the Canucks might feel comfortable sitting Thatcher Demko more often throughout the season.

4. Elias Pettersson, LHD, 20 (Abbotsford, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 80th overall, third round in 2024

Are we getting close to see two Elias Petterssons in the same NHL lineup? The younger one is set to play his first full season with Abbotsford after an excellent season with Orebro and Vasteras back in Sweden. The big 6-foot-4, 210-pound defender moves so well for his size and his physical play will allow him to transition quite nicely to the AHL. Unlike his namesake, who’ll look to lead Vancouver in scoring again, the blueline variation is more about shutting guys down and keeping them away from the net. I think he’ll establish himself as a second-pairing defenseman alongside someone who’s more active with the puck – Willander, perhaps?

5. Aatu Raty, C, 21 (Abbotsford, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by the New York Islanders in 2023

Raty’s career has been a bit all over the place, but he finally spent a full year in the AHL and came away with a solid 18 goals and 52 points. The skilled center was once viewed as one of the top prospects heading into the 2021 draft but his play fell drastically to the point where there were questions as to whether he’d ever have a shot at the NHL. He played three games late last year with Vancouver after the Bo Horvat trade, but the Canucks elected to give him a consistent environment to work in this year and let him simmer in the AHL. If Raty can build upon that this year, maybe we’ll be talking about Raty making the move up to the NHL for 2025-26.

6. Arshdeep Bains, LW, 23 (Abbotsford, AHL)

Acquired: Undrafted free agent signing in 2022

*Arshdeep Bains (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)*

Will Bains become one of the few CHL UFA signings that actually becomes an NHLer? Bains got a well-deserved call-up to the NHL last year for eight games, coming in the midst of a season that saw him lead in the AHL in scoring early on. He finished with 55 points in 59 games, establishing himself as a big-game playmaker. Bains isn’t big, but he’s crafty with the puck and it wasn’t often that he found himself getting outmatched on the ice. I think Bains has the potential to be a bottom-six helper in the NHL, but if he gets some time with Vancouver this year, I want him to make a bigger impact at both ends than he did in 2023-24.

7. Sawyer Mynio, LHD, 19 (Seattle, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 89th overall, third round in 2023

It was an excellent season for Mynio, who saw his offense jump by more than 20 points with 16 goals and 53 points. He also made his pro hockey debut, ending the season with an AHL game against Calgary in mid-April. Mynio was drafted after a great season as a penalty-kill dynamo, but adding the offensive and physical flair that was missing in 2022-23 really helped establish himself as a legitimate NHL prospect. Mynio also was invited to Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase team and I thought he played a nice, two-way game while getting in the heads of USA’s top players in the finale. I think he’ll be a decent NHLer one day.

8. Kirill Kudryavtsev, LHD, 20 (Abbotsford, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted: 208th overall, seventh round in 2022

Kudryavtsev has come a long way since getting taken in the seventh round in 2022 – and he shouldn’t have fallen that far, anyway. Sure, his offense fell last year, but he became a much better two-way defender than previously thought and was more involved in all situations for the Soo Greyhounds. Given he’s not a dominant offensive player, Kudryavtsev does enough things in different aspects of the game to make him effective – he’s a strong skater, plays well in transition but also can shut you down late in the game. He’s still a bit of a project, but one with some good potential.

9. Anthony Romani, RW, 19 (North Bay, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 162nd overall, sixth round in 2024

*Anthony Romani (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The first thing that stands out about Romani’s game is his hockey IQ. Even last year, that was something that popped, and the results followed with a 68-point increase to 111 this year in his third campaign with North Bay. That all but assured he’d get drafted, with many scouts happy to see him finally live up to expectations after being a strong minor hockey star in the GTHL. He had to deal with playing catch-up after losing his OHL Draft year, where he was expected to challenge for the scoring lead. He has a remarkable shot and his skating continues to get better, but he needs to work on his defensive game still. If Romani has another explosive year with the Battalion, he could make Canada’s World Junior Championship team in December.

10. Melvin Fernström, RW, 18 (Orebro, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 93rd overall, third round in 2024

From a production standpoint, Fernstrom brings quality to every shift. I love the hands; he’s really creative. I can see him being a power-play specialist, but I’m not sure he’s rounded enough to be a serious top-nine threat for now. That’s because he can get caught trying to do way too much and doesn’t have the IQ or awareness to turn it into anything tangible. Still, from a raw skill perspective, Fernstrom can play with just about anyone and was a big part of Sweden’s attack in U-18 action all season long. I also liked him at the World Junior Summer Showcase because he showed that he never stops moving and wants to be engaged physically.

Other prospects: Ty Mueller, C (21), Max Sasson, C (23), Ty Glover, C (23), Josh Bloom, LW (21), Danila Klimovich, RW (21), Riley Patterson, C (18), Vilmer Alriksson, LW (19), Matthew Perkins, LW (20), Daimon Gardner, C (20), Lucas Forsell, LW (20), Jackson Kunz, LW (21), Parker Alcos, RHD (18), Basile Sansonnens, LHD (17), Aiden Celebrini, RHD (19), Jackson Dorrington, LHD (20), Hugo Gabrielson, LHD (21), Nikita Tolopilo, G (24), Ty Young, G (19), Aku Koskenvuo, G (21)