The Vancouver Canucks recently released their roster for the Young Stars Tournament taking place in Penticton starting on Sept. 13 where the team’s prospects will face off against prospects from the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets. The roster consisted of many notable names like Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Elias Pettersson but some players may go under the radar. The Canucks have done a good job at getting diamonds in the rough in past drafts and this tournament will be a great way to see the talent in the prospect pool. Three names stood out to me as ones fans should keep an eye on.
Ty Mueller
After getting drafted as a double-overaged player and signing his entry-level contract in March, Ty Mueller has already made quite an impression on the Canucks staff. He tottaled 26 points in 40 games last season at The University of Nebraska-Omaha and helped lead his team to the playoffs where they sadly lost to the University of Minnesota in a thrilling 3-2 game. He was also a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for best college hockey player. Mueller signed with the Canucks shortly after and looked to get into some games in the American Hockey League (AHL) but was unable to.
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Mueller is a smart forward who has great offensive instincts and creates plays with his vision. He also has a lethal one-timer that he used several times as the set-up man on the Nebraska-Omaha power play. For this upcoming season, Mueller looks to be an impact player in Abbotsford as he will be playing in his first season of professional hockey. He will be a great player to watch for fans that attend the Canucks rookie showcase and for those who attend Abbotsford Canucks games.
Parker Alcos
A player that some look at as one of the biggest steals in this past draft, Parker Alcos was picked in the sixth round of the 2024 Draft from the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). “He may be my favourite pick for [the Canucks] at the draft,” said Elite Prospects content director Cam Robinson on Vancouver sports show Donnie and Dhali. “His skating is projected above average at the NHL level.” Along with his skating, Alcos is already 6-foot-3 at only 17 years old. “When you put those things together, quite often that results in a 10-year NHL career.”
On the ice, Alcos can be a pain to the other team. He uses his 6-foot-3 frame to the best of his ability by laying big checks along the boards and doing whatever he can to turn over the puck and send it up to his wingers. He won’t help you much on the offensive side of the puck as he only had one goal last season in 67 games, but he is your prototypical defensive defenceman who is heavily relied upon to kill a big penalty or hold a lead in the last minute. He is exactly the type of player that the Canucks will need in the future and fans should watch him live either at this event or when the Oil Kings come to Vancouver to play the Giants.
Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kirill Kudryavtsev’s style of defence is the complete opposite of Alcos’. While Alcos is focused on defence as his main priority, Kudryavtsev’s main focus since joining the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has been to put up points. During his draft year in 2022, he scored 39 points with the Soo Greyhounds and then followed that up with a 50-point season on a team that did not qualify for the playoffs. This past season, his production took a small step back as he scored 47 points in the regular season but had great production in the playoffs with nine points in 11 games. Another important stat for Kudryavtsev is that he has been able to stay healthy his entire OHL career as in all three seasons he has played at least 65 games.
Kudryavtsev has amazing offensive instincts for a defenceman along with a great skating ability. He was often the quarterback on the Greyhounds’ powerplay as he always looked to set up players for open chances. He will need to work on his defensive game as he matures into the next levels of the Canucks system if he wants to make the NHL at some point in what he hopes to be a long career. Vancouver signed Kudryavtsev the season after they made him a seventh-round pick but there is a big log jam at defence in the Canucks system. If he wants to play in Abbotsford this season he will need to fight for a spot or else he will be back in the OHL with the Greyhounds. This may be the only time fans get to see Kudryavtsev play this season and he is worth the price of admission.
These rookie tournaments are always a lot of fun for fans and the players. This year will be no different as there are several players to keep an eye on. But these prospects have gone under the radar in the Canucks system and I believe fans should take the time to watch them as they could be members of the team within the next five years.
