Blackfish: Previewing the Canucks’ upcoming prospect tournament in Seattle

We’ve made it.

By week’s end, players will once again pull on Vancouver Canucks jerseys and jump into game action.

Sure, it’ll take shape in the form of a prospect’s tournament, but Canucks hockey is Canucks hockey in our books.

For years, the Canucks have hosted one of the league’s premier showcases in Penticton, the annual Young Stars tournament. Top prospects from the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg made the trip to British Columbia for a multi-team mini-tournament.

Unfortunately, that tremendous format is gone now.

In its place is a smaller two-game set between the Canucks and Seattle Kraken prospects.

• Game 1: Saturday, September 13th – 6:00 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena (home of the Everett Silvertips).
• Game 2: Sunday, September 14th – at the Kraken’s practice facility (details still TBA).

Seattle has already announced its roster, while Vancouver has yet to reveal its lineup. Still, based on availability, system depth, and a few confirmations, we have a strong sense of who will be there.

The exception always applies to outlying invitations. Last year, we saw Victoria native and former Vancouver Giant Ty Halaburda receive an invite, so outsiders who we can’t predict could come into play.

Today, however, let’s take a look at those players who we expect to be there and who will be absent.

Forwards

Likely returnees

Danila Klimovich, RW: A tournament staple at this point, the Belarusian forward is expected to return for his fifth year as a drafted prospect. Coming off a career-best season, this will be his first step toward proving he can keep that momentum going.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW: The Swedish sniper will highlight the forward group for the second straight year. After a strong AHL debut season, expectations are high for him to pop even more this time around. Given his status, the expectation is for him to stand out amongst the crowd.

Ty Mueller, C: Abbotsford’s “Unsung Hero” from last year should be back for another tour. The 22-year-old played every role imaginable during the Calder Cup run and should no longer be sitting off anyone’s radar. Whether it’s a fourth-line role or pure depth, a future as a centre in Vancouver is very much on the table.

Vilmer Alriksson, LW/RW: Whether it was co-leading the Young Stars tournament in scoring last fall or putting Canucks faithful on their feet with a pre-season fight, Vilmer Alriksson was one of the standout prospects on the previous year’s exhibition slate.

Now looking to impress the Abbotsford Canucks for a permanent spot, the towering Swede should be a big – no pun intended – addition to the forward group next weekend.

Aatu Räty, C: The Finnish pivot took real steps forward in his game last season before a late injury placed him on the shelf for the remainder of the year. Now expected to make a full-time push in Vancouver, a weekend like this is the perfect way to get his legs under him before a big training camp kicks off the weekend prior.

Josh Bloom, LW: After a promising year in the ECHL, Bloom needs to prove he’s ready to stick in Abbotsford. At 22, and entering his final year under contract, this is his chance to stand out.

Riley Patterson, C/RW: Fresh off his OHL trade, Patterson will attend his second Canucks camp before what could be his final season at the junior level.

Potential Additions

Braeden Cootes, C: The 15th overall pick should be one of the most intriguing names in Everett/Seattle. Already logging pre-season games with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1G, 2A), he won’t have to travel far to make his anticipated Canucks debut. He will be a prospect to watch all weekend.

Anri Ravinskis, LW/RW: Signed as a 22-year-old free agent from Liiga, we anticipate Anri Ravinskis receiving the invitation. He should slide right into a middle-six role in Abbotsford, and this will be our first real glimpse of him on North American soil.

Chase Stillman, LW/RW: Acquired in the Arturs Silovs trade, Stillman is looking to regain stock after an uneven start to his pro career. At 22, we hope to see him stand out against a younger crowd.

Kieren Dervin, C: With just a few games of OHL action under his belt to date, it will be interesting to see how Kieren Dervin stands out amongst the crowd. Taken in the third round of the 2025 draft, there’s an element of surprise to his game, considering the experience on his resume to date.

Gabe Chiarot, RW: Fellow 2025 draftee, Gabe Chiarot, will also be in attendance for the first time in his young career. While it’s only pre-season, he has compiled 7 points (3G, 4A) in just a trio of games to co-lead the OHL’s exhibition slate. We are excited to see if he can take that to the prospect weekend.

Defence

Likely Returnees

Elias Pettersson, LD: Sure, he may just be a Vancouver Canuck when all is said and done, but at just 21 years old, there’s a good chance that Elias Pettersson will revert to his role as a prospect for the weekend to get some good reps before training camp.

Kirill Kudryavtsev, LD: From seventh-round pick to Calder Cup standout, you’d be hard-pressed to find a young defender more critical in last year’s Calder Cup playoffs than Kirill Kudryavtsev. His strong two-way play put him on the map, which even led to a brief audition in Vancouver. He should now play a significant role in the team’s backend as a veteran.

Sawyer Mynio, LD: Beginning his first pro season, Mynio is one of the organization’s fastest-rising defensive names and should be a name to keep an eye on this weekend. The only issue? Depending on how they configure the lines, he could sit in the shadow of Pettersson and Kudryavtsev on the left side.

Parker Alcos, RD: Coming off a strong Development Camp at UBC, Alcos should get his second look in a Vancouver Canucks prospect tournament.

Potential Additions

Tom Willander, RD: The headline addition. Since being drafted, Tom Willander has been busy at Boston University, so this will be fans’ first look at him in Canucks colours at a prospect’s event. Expect him to be one of the weekend’s most prominent players.

While it’s going to be a crowded blueline, the Vancouver Canucks will likely give him every opportunity to make the team out of training camp, so this weekend is a good way to get some reps under his belt before his first official training camp.

Victor Mancini, RD: Despite having both AHL and NHL experience, we anticipate Mancini getting the call to suit up for the weekend. He’s in that all-important dogfight between himself, Willander and Pettersson for that final role in Vancouver, so there’s a good chance they want to see where his game is at.

Goaltenders

We expect Ty Young to get the starter’s workload, though formats vary. The Canucks could bring four netminders — Young, Nikita Tolopilo, Aleksei Medvedev, and Aku Koskenvuo — with each splitting 30-minute duties. Or, they could bring just three, excluding Tolopilo from that list.

Regardless, this should be the fans’ first chance to see both Aleksei Medvedev and Aku Koskenvuo live in an event.

Maybes and Invites

Some players sit in the “too old for this, but maybe” category: Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Nikita Tolopilo. All are established enough that their inclusion isn’t guaranteed. But if they need additional players or want to give them additional reps, they could still be brought in to suit up.

Potential AHL invites include: Jackson Kunz (F), Cooper Walker (F), Ben Berard (F), Joe Arntsen (D), and Jonathan Lemieux (G).

Player’s overseas

Two prospects could technically make the trip for the tournament and training camp. That said, both are now full participants in their respective leagues’ regular seasons and have already taken part in games.

Ilya Safonov, a 24-year-old who attended the team’s Development Camp in July, is back in Russia with two regular-season games under his belt.

The same goes for Basile Sansonnens, who’s also made his regular season debut with Lausanne HC, skating on the team’s third pairing amongst men.

Not Attending

As we’ve seen with Tom Willander, NCAA prospects will not be available to participate in any of the events over the next few weeks.

This instantly cuts the following players from participating:
Anthony Romani, Wilson Björck, Daimon Gardner, Aiden Celebrini, Matthew Perkins, and Matthew Lansing.

Our predicted roster