{"id":466375,"date":"2025-04-11T10:12:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T14:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=466375"},"modified":"2025-04-11T10:12:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T14:12:19","slug":"three-players-who-could-make-the-canucks-roster-in-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/11\/three-players-who-could-make-the-canucks-roster-in-2025-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Players Who Could Make the Vancouver Canucks Roster in 2025-26"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> found themselves stuck in an injury-riddled hole, their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, stepped in to help. Five members of Abbotsford skated in the team\u2019s 4\u20133 win against the New Jersey Devils<\/a> on March 24. Since then, Vancouver has dressed seven different Abbotsford players. Despite their limited NHL stints, some of these players could easily push for a roster spot next season. To do so, they\u2019ll need to build on their strengths and improve on their limitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aatu R\u00e4ty Impressed Early On\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cWhen we first got him, his skating was just OK,\u201d Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet <\/a><\/span>said<\/span><\/a> of Aatu R\u00e4ty<\/a> during the 2024\u201325 training camp period. \u201cThe development guys and the Abbotsford guys did a helluva job with him, because to me he\u2019s a different player than he was last year. He had a good year last year, but I see another level.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

R\u00e4ty was acquired by the Canucks after the team traded former Captain Bo Horvat<\/a> to the New York Islanders<\/a>. He came into this year’s training camp with the goal of making the team. He dressed in the Canucks’ season-opener, but was sent back to the AHL two games after. The 22-year-old saw NHL playing time in November and December, but very clearly made his biggest impact in the AHL. This can be attributed to the different playing style he has had to adopt in each league. In the AHL this season, he put up 17 goals and 22 assists. He was named the AHL Player of the Week on January 19, 2025. This came after he put up nine points in four games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

R\u00e4ty’s Strengths This Season<\/h2>\n

One of R\u00e4ty\u2019s biggest strengths in the AHL and with the Canucks season has been his work in the faceoff dot. Currently, he ha<\/span>s won 57.59% of the 290 face<\/span>offs he has taken in the NHL. He relies on his backhand to win draws; a method suggested to him by former NHLer Olli Jokinen<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I think it\u2019s a great way to get the advantage,\u201d he <\/span>explained<\/span><\/a> back in October. \u201cA lot of guys are really strong on their strong side, but it\u2019s hard to set up for the weak side. The ref is kind of in the way and you don\u2019t get the leverage, so it\u2019s a unique trick but I think it works.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a way, this entire season has acted like a test for R\u00e4ty. One of the reasons why R\u00e4ty hasn\u2019t stuck in the lineup long-term is due to his consistency. The Canucks have adjusted this by having R\u00e4ty skate with high-forechecking players like Dakota Joshua<\/a> and Kiefer Sherwood<\/a>. This line was formed on March 26, against the Islanders, and immediately resulted in a goal from R\u00e4ty. As great as he has looked with Joshua and Sherwood, the Finn will need to produce the same kind of energy on his own in order to drive a line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Elias Pettersson (D) Has Proven Himself at the NHL Level<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Elias Pettersson<\/a> (not that one) made his NHL debut on January 25, 2025, against the Washington Capitals<\/a>. This promotion came after he was named to the 2025 AHL All-star Classic. Ultimately, he wasn\u2019t able to attend the AHL All-star weekend, as he was called-up by the Canucks. Pettersson remained on the roster throughout the season save for during the 4 Nations Faceoff break. While it hasn\u2019t been said explicitly, he may as well be a full-time NHLer come next season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe really wanted to guard him a little bit but now that he\u2019s taken small little bites, we\u2019ve got to give him more,\u201d Tocchet <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> of Pettersson after the defender\u2019s first few NHL games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Pettersson Will Be A Lineup Regular Next Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the best things about Pettersson is how solid he is on both sides of the ice. Despite only <\/span>having three points in his 25 games w<\/span>ith Vancouver this season, he\u2019s been more than capable of helping the team gain ground in the offensive zone. Pettersson does this by executing crisp breakout passes from deep in his own zone and not hesitating to bring the puck out by himself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defensively speaking, Pettersson is more than qualified to remain in the Canucks’ lineup. Though his defensive partners have rotated throughout the season, his physical presence has always been consistent. Of all current Canuck defensemen, Pettersson is fifth in hits th<\/span>rown with 37. All players above him in this list have played at least 10 games more than him<\/span>. The 20-year-old doesn\u2019t shy away from throwing a hit to nab the puck. He also doesn’t back down from a fight, as seen Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche<\/a>. Pettersson even drew <\/span>comparisons<\/span><\/a> to Ulf Sameulsson<\/a> from Tocchet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to pinpoint many weaknesses for Pettersson other than his lack of NHL experience. Even so, this can\u2019t be held against him. All things considered, his transition from the AHL to the Canucks has gone well. Don\u2019t be surprised to see him in Vancouver\u2019s opening night roster come October 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You May Not Notice Victor Mancini, but That\u2019s Not a Bad Thing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pettersson is not the only big, physical AHL defenceman to make his Canucks debut this season. Victor Mancini<\/a>, who became a Canuck following January\u2019s J.T. Miller <\/a><\/span>trade<\/span><\/a>, has played in 13 games this season for Vancouver. He joined Abbotsford on February 11, playing in five games for the AHL Canucks before being called up by the big club. His playing time has been limited mostly due to Vancouver shifting their defensive core<\/a> around. However, from the small sample size provided, Mancini has shown that he has the makings of an NHL regular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really want to get better in my own game, because I know if I\u2019m getting better, I\u2019m helping my team be better. To be able to learn from Manny Malhotra<\/a>, Adam Foote<\/a>, Rick Tocchet, and these guys, the knowledge that they have is really exciting to me because I know it\u2019s going to help me grow. I\u2019m excited because as time goes on, I\u2019m just going to be able to learn more and more,\u201d Mancini <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> in a February interview with the Canucks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving Mancini From the AHL to the NHL\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From his play this season, it\u2019s clear that Mancini has done exactly what he said he would. He effectively utilizes his 6\u20193, 229-lb stature to break up opponents\u2019 chances and clear them from his team\u2019s zone. Mancini\u2019s reach is a big strength that he has carried from the AHL to the Canucks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDefensively, just his ability to close plays and take away time and space in the corner was primarily the reason he was out in those situations and is one of his major assets,\u201d Abbotsford Head Coach Malhotra said of playing Mancini on his team\u2019s top pairing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One advantage that Mancini has over Vancouver\u2019s other defensive prospects is that he shoots with his right hand. Of the Canucks’ non-lineup regulars, only Mancini, Cole McWard<\/a>, Jett Woo, and Noah Juulsen<\/a> shoot with their right. Woo is physically tough, McWard has some offensive upside, and Juulsen has a good set of NHL experience for a depth defenceman. However, Mancini plays a much more well-rounded style compared to these three. If Mancini doesn’t make the Canucks’ lineup out of training camp, he should be the team’s first call-up when injuries come knocking once again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing- Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the Vancouver Canucks found themselves stuck in an injury-riddled hole, their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, stepped in to help. Five members of Abbotsford skated in the team\u2019s 4\u20133 win against the New Jersey Devils on March 24. Since then, Vancouver has dressed seven different Abbotsford players. Despite their limited NHL stints, some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5509,"featured_media":466471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4548,4547],"tags":[5577,112,2012],"class_list":["post-466375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl","category-hockey","tag-aatu-raty","tag-ahl","tag-rick-tocchet"],"modified_by":"Andrew Willis","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466375"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":466472,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466375\/revisions\/466472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}