Vancouver Canucks recall Podkolzin, Räty, Lekkerimäki, 10 others from AHL Abbotsford

With Abbotsford now out of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs after being eliminated by the Ontario Reign earlier this week, Vancouver is able to make use of its prospect players as a sort of practice squad while the NHL roster faces off against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference semifinals.

Here’s the full list of players the Canucks brought up from the farm on Friday:

F Arshdeep Bains
F Linus Karlsson
F Danila Klimovich
F Jonathan Lekkerimäki
F Vasily Podkolzin
F Aatu Räty
F Max Sasson
D Nick Cicek
D Matt Irwin
D Cole McWard
D Elias Pettersson
D Christian Wolanin
G Zach Sawchenko

Of those players, the most likely to draw into the Canucks’ lineup during these Stanley Cup Playoffs are Vasily Podkolzin and Christian Wolanin, who have collectively drawn into 74 NHL games with Vancouver over the last two regular seasons.

Matt Irwin could also become an option if the Canucks lose a body or two on defence. The 36-year-old defenceman has skated in 461 NHL games over his long professional career and helped the Nashville Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

Beyond Podkolzin, the highest-profile prospects the Canucks recalled on Friday are Aatu Räty and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Räty was one of the main pieces in the Bo Horvat trade with the Vancouver Canucks midway through the 2022–23 season; Lekkerimäki was the Canucks’ 2023 first-round draft pick.

The Canucks currently lead their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers one game to zero after coming from behind to win Game 1 in Vancouver by a 5-4 score on Wednesday evening.

Aside from the injuries sustained by goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith against Nashville in the first round, the Canucks have remained relatively healthy thus far in the 2024 playoffs. They’ll return to action for Game 2 against the Oilers at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. PT.