Patrik Allvin weighs in on Braeden Cootes, Canucks’ recent signings, and more

The NHL season might be less than a week old, but Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin already had a lot to say when he met with reporters on Tuesday.

Looking on during the team’s practice at UBC, Allvin took stock of what he saw across the week of training camp in Penticton and his club’s preseason opening loss to the Kraken in Seattle.

“I thought the pace was good through the three days up [in Penticton]. A lot of young guys got a taste of it here, and the older guys picked it up too,” Allvin said. “It was a significantly higher pace in the drills that Adam and his staff was running here over the last couple days.”

“I thought we struggled a little bit earlier there in Seattle with a fairly young lineup. Tolopilo kept us in the game, played really well. I did like that there was no quit. The guys were playing hard to the end there, so good for them to have a day off yesterday and back at it here today.”

When it comes to how they want the Canucks to play, Allvin and Foote are on the same page about pace of play. Last season, the Canucks struggled to strike the right balance between attacking and defending, and Allvin knows that has to change for them to find success this season.

“The game is so fast now, and I think that’s [where] the eye test with the data test comes in, that the pace is higher,” Allvin said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can skate, and Adam is running with simple, basic drills that you play fast, predictable hockey, so good for the players buying in there.”

If there was one topic Allvin knew he’d be asked about Tuesday, it was always going to be the impressive play of Braeden Cootes. The GM had a pretty glowing review of his top pick from June’s draft, calling Cootes’ early returns a ‘pleasant surprise’.

“We talked about his character and compete leading up to the draft. He’s taking an opportunity and earning another day, really fitting in well here and continue to practice with us.”

But Allvin was quick to sidestep any discussion about Cootes’ staying with the NHL club long term, seeing this more as a learning opportunity for him and the other prospects still skating with the team.

“For all the young players here, the mindset of earning another day, I don’t think they should look too far ahead of themselves,” Allvin said. “We all know that the veteran guys are picking it up here once we get closer to the opening night, so for them it’s just to learn every day, and I thought in this group practice today was hard.”

“So far, he’s definitely earned his way, and based on his performance in the first game, I would be hoping that he earned another game here.”

Tuesday’s scrum also marked the first availability since the Canucks signed draft picks Riley Patterson and Gabriel Chiarot to entry-level contracts. Both forwards were officially assigned back to their respective junior teams on Sunday, but Allvin noted the development he’s already seen – particularly from the older Patterson – in the short time since they each joined the organization.

“It’s more of a long-term commitment with a guy like Riley, and Gabe here as well,” Allvin said of his two newest signings. “My message to the players as of yesterday, nothing really changed. It’s actually getting harder now.

“We want to continue to work with both of them. But both of them were, in my opinion, really impressive in different ways. Obviously different style of players. Hopefully they feel good about themselves, but it’s just the start of the journey.”

Ahead of Wednesday night’s tilt in Abbotsford with the Calgary Flames, Allvin confirmed the first skating group would be ones in the lineup. Among them is Max Sasson, who’s expected to centre a line of Abbotsford legends with Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson on his wings.