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CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #7 Sawyer Mynio

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Dave Hall | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 1:00 PM ET

We are back with the 2025 summer edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

Today, we present to you our seventh-ranked player in the system, a smooth-skating and aggressive defender with a booming one-timer.

Our previously ranked prospects:

#20 – Ilya Safonov
#19 – Aku Koskenvuo
#18 – Parker Alcos
#17 – Wilson Björck
#16 – Anri Ravinskis
#15 – Josh Bloom
#14 – Kieren Dervin
#13 – Danila Klimovich
#12 – Riley Patterson
#11 – Anthony Romani
# 10 – Vilmer Alriksson
# 9 – Ty Young
# 8 – Ty Mueller

If you’re curious about our ranking criteria, you can find them in our HM instalment here. Let’s get into it.

Sawyer Mynio

The Vancouver Canucks boast one of the healthiest defensive pipelines they have had in years, and Sawyer Mynio is a considerable part of that come-up.

From a lesser-known third-round draft pick in 2023 to one of the premier defenders in the WHL, this Kamloops native has shot up our prospect ranks over the last few rounds.

The 2024-25 season was an eventful one for Mynio, who began his season as a rotating captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds with the recent Canucks draftee, Braeden Cootes.

Despite suffering an injury that nearly impacted his ability to participate, he then represented his country for the first time, sliding into three games with Team Canada at the World Juniors.

In his return to the Western League, he was dealt to a Memorial Cup hopeful in the Calgary Hitmen. There, he wrapped up his season as one of the team’s go-to options from the backend.

Despite being a strong team, they eventually fell to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Game 7 of the second round.

But with 45 points, he enjoyed another terrific season on a personal level. Despite playing in 14 fewer games, he fell just eight points shy of his career high from 2023-24.

Finding his offensive game has been a significant plus to his game since being drafted in June of 2023. In fact, since that day, he ranks ninth in point totals among all WHL defenders, shooting at a 0.88 clip with 98 points (30 goals, 68 assists).

He now leaves the Western League with two league Finals appearances, a World Junior stint and a WHL Championship on his resume.

Now 20, Mynio is set to make his full-time professional debut with Abbotsford in 2025-26, likely competing for a bottom-four role on the left side.

Thought to be drafted as a top-notch penalty killer, it’s clear that the added responsibility and ice-time have brought out budding offensive potential. Thanks to his plus-rated skating, he navigates the ice with incredible ease and can transport the puck to kick-start plays up the ice.

One of his best tools in his offensive toolkit is his booming shot, which he can unleash with a heavy one-timer or quick and accurate snap shot. That one-timer has become a staple of Mynio’s game, and a weapon that should translate as he grows.

And we aren’t kidding. Here are all 39 of his WHL regular season goals, most of which have come courtesy of that wicked release.

While production has been impressive at the junior level, we don’t necessarily anticipate that it will fully translate to the professional level. Mynio brings many elements to the ice that make him an intriguing prospect, and many of those come on the defensive side of the puck.

On the defensive side, he shuts down opponents with an incredible mean streak. He plays the game with an edge, and despite not sporting the heaviest of frames, he’s a gamer who does not consider losing a battle an option. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in nastiness.

He’s a go-to penalty killer and can play the defensive shutdown game against the opposing team’s top brass. At least at the junior level, that’s always been a part of the game.

His lighter frame could be a challenge against AHL veterans, so adding strength will be crucial to maintain his aggressive style at the pro level.

Ceiling: We love the added offensive punch to his game. His NHL ceiling is that of a number four defenceman, blending shutdown ability, penalty killing prowess, and potential power play contributions to go with his smooth skating.

Floor: His transition will tell all, but with his aggressive defensive nature, his booming shot on the power play and his natural knack for killing penalties, he should be able to carve out a fruitful AHL career.

ETA: We anticipate a couple of years of AHL development before we begin to expect him to see NHL games. Expect potential call-ups in 2026-27 and a push for a spot in 2027-28.

That’s our #7 spot. Stay tuned for another installment tomorrow here at CanucksArmy.

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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