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7h ago

Canucks Push Young Core as Training Camp Shapes Rebuild

Management has adopted a patient, multi‑year development plan to decide which prospects will form the franchise's future.

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Vancouver Canucks' Braeden Cootes looks on during the opening day of the NHL hockey team's training camp, in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Braeden Cootes (80) on the ice during Vancouver Canucks Development Camp at Rogers Forum in Abbotsford, B.C., June 29, 2026.
Braeden Cootes #80 of the Vancouver Canucks warms up prior to his first NHL game against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena on October 9, 2025 in Vancouver, Canada.

Overview

  • Vancouver has shifted into a formal rebuild that prioritizes players 21 and younger as the foundation for the roster going forward.
  • The club brought a large group of prospects to its Penticton training camp to evaluate who can earn an NHL role and who should continue developing.
  • Nineteen‑year‑old centre Braeden Cootes is living in a hotel while competing for a spot and says he would prefer heavy minutes in Abbotsford over limited play in Vancouver.
  • GM Ryan Johnson and coach Manny Malhotra say they will limit frequent AHL/NHL 'yo‑yoing' and make roster decisions based on what best serves each player's long‑term development.
  • Vancouver added veteran leaders Brendan Gallagher and Luke Schenn to mentor young players and has committed long term to rookie blueliner Zeev Buium with an eight‑year, US$75‑million extension.