The Vancouver Canucks using their AHL team properly has often been a sore point. No complaints about Albany as a program, but 3,800 kilometres was one heck of a commute for a casual call-up.
Canucks Using AHL Abbotsford to Its Fullest
The latest NHL-level talent to get sent from Vancouver to the minors was Nils Åman. The 6’2″ centre has played in four games this season, though none in the four before his demotion. It’s a straight numbers game for the Canucks, and Åman was squeezed out.
There was reason to fear he would be selected from waivers, as a decent defensive centre with good size. But he made the trip intact, and the 24-year-old will be suiting up with Abbotsford and getting far more ice time while he’s there.
He could be their third line centre – fitting his potential NHL role – or get moved up to the top six as a winger. Either way, it will be more than ten minutes a night and every night. That will hurt neither his confidence nor his skill.
Sending Talent Away Is Good, Actually
With the Canucks slowly increasing the talent in their system, the Abbotsford version is less reliant on seasoned veterans. They still have some, of course, but the top scorers are no longer AHL veterans like Sheldon Dries or Nic Petan.
This isn’t to say they don’t have those long-time veterans. John Stevens is there for a reason, and it’s not to be called up in case of injury (sorry, John). You still want a winning environment for your prospects to learn in, and the vets help.
But the NHL Canucks are using the AHL Canucks to get their young guys in shape. That means to prepare them for the roles they might play when and if they make it to the top league. That’s why someone like Åman might have more time on the third line in Abbotsford despite being a prospect.
Square Peg, Round Hole, Whittling Knife
There are options for Åman and the team. His coach in Abbotsford is Manny Malhotra, a faceoff champion in his NHL days. If there’s anyone who can teach younger players how to win the puck, it’s Malhotra.
At 24, Åman’s best chance of getting to the NHL and to stay is as a defensive specialist, like Malhotra was. Work on his draws, concentrate on positioning, and be ready to eat pucks on the kill. On the other hand, that’s not going to get him a shot at a big paycheque.
His relatively slight frame and quiet play are not suited to your typical fourth-line player. Should a team want a fourth line that is a crash-and-bang set of mobsters, Åman will be on his way out again. It would have to be with a weaker team than Vancouver is right now, but it could still happen.
Adding NHL-level scoring to his resume can get him more ice time and the possibility of a higher spot in the lineup. He’s reached point-per-game scoring in the AHL in 2023-24, but only for 15 games. Prove he can hit that long-term and his value will only increase.
If Åman improves his scoring, that might turn him into a trade chip, too. He’s got one more year on a cheap deal, and he’s unlikely to bump any of Vancouver’s current talent. So moving him up in the AHL lineup to get him scoring opportunities also makes sense for the Canucks.
Canucks Using AHL for Growing Bains
Arshdeep Bains does not need to pass through waivers to be sent down, yet he remains in Vancouver. You could say he went the opposite route to Åman in getting his NHL shot. One drafted, one not; one a scoring champion, one very much not.
Both players needed to focus on who they were and how they would reach the big leagues. Åman hasn’t changed his game much in moving from Europe to North America. He looks for quietly efficient plays and thinks of his side of the ice first. Bains went from the WHL scoring leader to, well, a fourth-liner.
That’s not an insult, either. He knew full well that the jump from junior to pro is a huge one, and dominating as an overager is expected in the CHL. He wasn’t going to have an age or size advantage at the next stage, so he needed to outwork other players instead.
Full credit to him, as well. He came in expecting to work for his spot, and he did. He listened to his coaches, learned how to play lower in the lineup, and do more with less. Those aforementioned veterans were going to get the bulk of scoring chances, so he figured out how to pick his spots.
And it worked.
A Healthy Rotation
Bains worked on his all-around game in his first pro year, adding scoring in his second. He likely knew he wasn’t getting an invite to the scoring lines when all he had to show was a WHL pedigree. But proving he was responsible with the puck and proving he could find the net with it?
Welcome to the NHL, Ashdeep! Oh, and since you’re here and we trust you, here’s a chance with Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland. Enjoy!
Bains will almost certainly be part of the numbers crunch when Dakota Joshua returns to play. It makes no sense for him to be a healthy scratch, as he’s waiver-proof and has a two-way deal. Management has made no secret of adding as much cap space as they can throughout the year.
If he does eventually join Åman in Abbotsford once again, that’s hardly a mark of shame. It just shows that the Canucks are using AHL Abbotsford like they always wanted to. Bains and Åman are proof they finally have enough talent to make it worth doing.
Main Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
