In this week’s edition of the Vancouver Canucks prospects report, Vilmer Alriksson has been sent back to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after a strong preseason that ended with an entry-level contract (ELC), and a plethora of cuts were made to the Canucks’ training camp roster. Meanwhile, Aatu Raty continues his stay with the parent club after those aforementioned cuts and Jonathan Lekkerimaki returns to Abbotsford despite a promising showing alongside NHLers in the preseason.
Finally, we take a look at some other standouts during training camp as the Canucks count down the days to the regular season when they take on Andrei Kuzmenko and the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena on Oct. 9. Let’s dive in!
Alriksson Gets Rewarded With ELC After Strong Preseason
Alriksson raised his stock during this year’s training camp and preseason, impressing everyone with his size, skating and physicality. So much so that general manager Patrik Allvin felt the need to get his signature on an ELC. He is now officially part of the Canucks’ system, and the third player from the 2023 Draft class to sign his ELC joining Sawyer Mynio and Ty Mueller.
Alriksson wasn’t on the radar of players that could make the team out of training camp, but he showed tremendous development in his game and endeared himself not only to fans but head coach Rick Tocchet. Coaches love it when players listen to their advice and Alriksson did just that when he accepted the challenge of being “disrespectful” when playing against established NHL talent.
“He’s with NHL players and he’s kind of waiting around and being respectful. I want him to be disrespectful, get the puck and want the puck and do what you did in rookie camp…It’s one of the guys we had to talk to. He’s a great prospect for us.”
– Rick Tocchet after the gameday skate ahead of Sept. 24’s game against the Kraken (from ‘Canucks sign Vilmer Alriksson, a towering prospect who packs a punch,’ The Beacon Herald, 9/29/24)
Alriksson played big and wasn’t afraid to throw his body around against the Kraken. He even dropped the gloves with 6-foot-3 John Hayden and held his own. Tocchet was of course impressed by what he saw from the fourth-round pick that is quickly becoming one of the steals of the 2023 Draft.
“His game is just going to grow,” said Tocchet. “He’s a big kid. Great hands and all that stuff is going to come and he’s going to catch up. Hell of an effort to stick up for his team.”
Alriksson was returned to the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after signing his ELC, but he will go back with a lot of confidence knowing that he could be a couple of years away from a spot in the NHL. He had a solid rookie season in 2023-24, recording 17 goals and 33 points in 67 games, but was inconsistent at times. With how well he acquitted himself at the Young Stars tournament and the preseason, there should be more in his bag of tricks. Needless to say, he will be one of the more intriguing prospects to watch in the OHL this season.
Raty Still in Camp After Latest Round of Cuts
Raty has made it to the final round of cuts, and might even make it onto the opening night roster. He has played most of training camp and the preseason on a line with Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander and practiced with them on Wednesday after being the 13th forward on Tuesday. He made it ahead of veteran Phil Di Giuseppe who cleared waivers on Wednesday and was sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks. Based on those lines, he will start the regular season as the third-line center behind JT Miller and Elias Pettersson.
Raty has shown tremendous growth in his game since he was last seen in the regular season with the Canucks. He looks faster, stronger and more than capable of holding down a center-ice spot in the NHL. He has notably been relied on to take faceoffs in the defensive zone and on the penalty kill in the right faceoff dot, which is something the team lost when Elias Lindholm signed with the Boston Bruins in the offseason. He has been relatively successful, too, flipping his stick over to take draws right-handed despite being a lefty.
That attribute has resonated with Tocchet, who mentioned it specifically in his media availability on Wednesday. “And with faceoffs, Raty on the right dot is a luxury we had last year with (Elias Lindholm). If he does make the team, he has to check the box and be a really good faceoff guy” (from ‘Canucks: Who has overwhelmed, underwhelmed to set roster for season opener,” The Province, 10/2/24).
As for Raty, he feels that he’s ready to be a full-time NHL player, saying, “I’ve had a great camp with good details and good linemates who I matchup well with…I’m ready for this. Two years ago, I played 15 NHL games (12 with the Islanders and three with the Canucks) and thought I belonged. My skating is better and I’ll keep working at it and stick battles. Just getting more comfortable in the North American game.”
How long Raty remains with the club will be dependent on his performance between Garland and Hoglander, plus Pius Suter’s health, as he has missed the last two practices after being banged up against the Oilers in Monday’s 3-2 shootout loss.
Lekkerimaki Heads Back to Abbotsford
After being one of the standout forwards at the Young Stars tournament, Lekkerimaki got the privilege of skating with Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk during training camp and parts of the preseason. He acquitted himself well with the two veteran NHLers when he was aligned with them, and finished the preseason with a goal and three points. He didn’t blow the doors off with his play, but was solid defensively and looked like he belonged in the NHL.
In the end, while Lekkerimaki probably played well enough to make the team, he’s better off developing in the AHL as a top-line forward this season rather than being thrown into the fire expected to produce offensively on a second line in the NHL. He will get top power play time and upwards of 20 minutes a night in Abbotsford, along with the possibility of being called up when injuries strike. The fact that the coaching staff was impressed by his play bumps him up a notch in the pecking order, probably ahead of Linus Karlsson, who was the primary call-up last season when a top-nine forward went down. Regardless, he will be an exciting prospect to watch throughout the season, wherever he ends up.
Other Standout Prospects During the Preseason
Ty Mueller
Ty Mueller played in two preseason games this year and was noticeable against the Oilers who iced most of their top forwards and starting goaltender. One play, in particular, caught my eye when he protected the puck against an Oilers defender and got a good shot away on Stuart Skinner. He also had a glorious chance off a feed from fellow former NCAA player Nate Smith that Skinner sprawled to stop. All in all, he was impressive and will be one to watch in the AHL after finishing his career in college with the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he posted 11 goals and 26 points and was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.
Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson (or D-Petey) had a solid, if unspectacular, showing in his first preseason with the Canucks. Paired with Filip Hronek throughout training camp (and when he was dressed in the preseason), he showcased all the attributes that fans and scouts have been enamoured with since before he was drafted; mobility, poise, and physicality. He was also trusted to log top-four minutes, which speaks to the two-way game he already possesses, posting 20:48, 17:53, and 18:57 ice times in the three games he played respectively. Those ice times will probably become pretty familiar to Abbotsford fans as he will likely log those same numbers alongside Christian Wolanin, Jett Woo, Akito Hirose or Cole McWard this season.
Sawyer Mynio
Sawyer Mynio only got into one preseason game, but that was all he needed to impress Tocchet: “[Mynio] is a great prospect for us. He’s poised out there.” He was also mentioned specifically by the head coach after the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, so he definitely made an impression. But seeing that the Canucks were already in Seattle, he was sent back to his junior team, the Thunderbirds, following their 3-1 loss to the Kraken. He will try and build on the breakout season he had in 2023-24 when he led the defence corps with 16 goals and 53 points in 63 games. He is already off to a good start, recording an assist in his first game on Sept. 28 against the Wenatchee Wild which saw the Thunderbirds win 5-4 in overtime.
Kirill Kudryavtsev
Continuing the theme of defencemen, Kirill Kudryavtsev looks poised to turn pro this season. While he could still be returned to the OHL to compete for a Memorial Cup in his overage season, he appears ready to make the jump to the AHL or ECHL. The competition for roster spots in Abbotsford will be tough sledding, but he has the two-way game and toolbox to give new head coach Manny Malhotra some pause when considering who he will deploy on opening night. The way he presented himself during the Young Stars tournament when he was one of the Canucks’ top defenders and impressed Tocchet during training camp, he could surprise and force his way onto the roster.
“I actually don’t mind watching him out there…I think he’s going to push that Abbotsford defence.”
– Tocchet discussing Kudryavtsev after the second day of training camp in Penticton
Since Kudryavtsev was drafted in the seventh round in 2022, he has steadily increased his stock to become one of the Canucks top defensive prospects. His calm two-way game, which includes accurate passing and adept stickwork defensively, could be a staple of the defence corps in a few years. Not bad for a guy who was only 17 picks away from not hearing his name on the draft floor.
Lots of Intriguing Prospects to Watch in 2024-25
The Canucks have a surprisingly interesting prospect pool to watch this season, and the Young Stars and preseason just solidified that fact. Whether it’s in the AHL, OHL, WHL, NCAA or overseas, we will endeavour to keep you up to date throughout the season with the weekly prospects report. Stay tuned!
