Along with their NHL team making the playoffs, Vancouver Canucks fans will also have American Hockey League (AHL) playoff hockey to watch as Vancouver’s AHL team the Abbotsford Canucks clinched a playoff spot at the beginning of April. Abbotsford currently sits as the fourth seed in the Pacific Division and would play the Colorado Eagles with home-ice advantage if the playoffs began today. Abbotsford has several interesting players on their team and plenty of talent that may end up in Vancouver in the next few seasons.
Arshdeep Bains
Arshdeep Bains has shown NHL potential this season and the Canucks front office has taken notice as he was called up during this season and has played eight games with Vancouver. The Surrey, B.C. native went undrafted but was signed out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) by Patrik Alvin in 2022 after exploding with the Red Deer Rebels by scoring over 100 points. Signing an undrafted player is always risky for NHL teams but so far Bains has proven that the Canucks were right to take a chance on him.
The Abbotsford forward has totalled 52 points this season in the AHL while playing on a line with John Stevens and Aidan McDonough. Bains at one point this season was even leading the league in scoring. He is a very smart player at the AHL level, he has great speed and is always able to find his teammates for quality high-danger scoring chances. This is evident by his 37 assists this season with Abbotsford. He may not be NHL-ready right now, but a good playoff run in the AHL and an impressive training camp this September may earn him a spot on the Canucks roster next season.
Linus Karlsson
After originally being selected by the San Jose Sharks in the third round back in 2018, Linus Karlsson was dealt to the Canucks in February 2019 for Johnathan Dhalen but was not able to take off until much more recently. He signed his entry-level deal with Vancouver four years after he was drafted and made the jump to North America soon after. He played his first full season in North America last season for Abbotsford where he put together an impressive rookie season scoring 49 points in 72 games. This season he has improved even more by scoring 57 points in 58 games and is currently leading Abbotsford in scoring.
Karlsson’s game even took to the eye of Vancouver’s front office and he was called up for a four-game stretch with the Canucks. He could not register a point in those games, but even a little NHL experience will do wonders for young players. He will also be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of this season so he will be looking to impress the front office even more to secure a contract for next season.
Filip Johansson
Another reclamation project by Alvin and his staff, Filip Johansson was once a highly touted prospect back in the 2018 Draft as he was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Wild. He has turned into somewhat of a late bloomer as his development had stalled after being drafted, so much so that the Wild did not sign him to an entry-level deal after picking him so high in the 2018 Draft. After not being signed by the Wild, he continued to play in Sweden with Frölunda of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) where he continued to progress. He then signed with the Canucks as a free agent in the summer of 2022 and began his North American career this season in Abbotsford where he has found a new home.
Johansson has played 53 games in the AHL this season totalling five goals and 13 assists for 18 points becoming a steady option for the Canucks on the backend. Some players don’t take off right away and take some time to develop and it seems like Johansson may be one of those players. He is also an RFA at the end of this season like Karlsson and will be looking to impress Vancouver so he can earn another contract.
Abbotsford’s playoffs will begin soon and these three players will be major contributors to their team going forward in what they hope is a long playoff run.
More must-reads: