Overview

• With the Oct. 9 opener in Calgary nearing, the 3C decision is unsettled between Teddy Blueger and Aatu Räty as 18-year-old Braeden Cootes pushes the conversation by tying for the team lead in preseason points.
• Nils Höglander is out 8–10 weeks after lower-body surgery, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki has earned top-six looks with points in back-to-back preseason games.
• The final forward jobs remain contested, with Linus Karlsson still in the frame and Max Sasson drawing an edge for speed and center versatility, while CanucksArmy reports Vitali Kravtsov has struggled and may fall out of the NHL mix.
• Bottom-pair roles are still open, with Elias Pettersson (D) and preseason standout Victor Mancini in the hunt, PO Joseph profiling as a steady depth option, and Tom Willander projected to start in Abbotsford.
• Goaltending is set with Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen after extensions, though workload distribution remains to be determined following Demko’s uneven 2024–25 and Lankinen’s 51-game season.