The Vancouver Canucks are looking to rebound after a disappointing season in 2024-25 and will now be looking towards the playoffs. The team has done a pretty good job at drafting talent over the last several years and has added players to their organization that will be useful over the next number of seasons. Many of those drafted players will be looking to make their NHL debuts in 2025-26 and could find an established role on the team after their first game.
Tom Willander
The long-awaited debut of Canucks 2023 first-round pick Tom Willander could finally arrive this upcoming season after the former Boston University Terrier signed an entry-level contract with Vancouver during the offseason. Willander will most likely be starting this upcoming season with the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he can get more acclimated with many of the Canucks’ other prospects. But I would expect him to be the first defenceman that Vancouver calls up when one of their players inevitably goes down to injury. Willander may be an NHL defenceman already, but Vancouver doesn’t have many spots available right now, so he may have to begin his season with Abbotsford.
Once he makes his NHL debut, I feel Willander can make an immediate impact for the Canucks. His entire time at Boston University, he was the team’s quarterback on the power play and one of their top offensive defencemen. His offensive skills were shown in full stride at the World Juniors as he was one of Team Sweden’s most productive and most counted on defenders in all scenarios. Once he is placed into the Canucks lineup, he will have many chances to show his talents in both the offensive and defensive zones. It will be up to him to prove that he can stay in the big leagues for an extended period of time.
Sawyer Mynio
Sawyer Mynio has finally become eligible to play pro hockey after finishing his Western Hockey League (WHL) career. After being selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft by Vancouver, he has continued to grow his game in the junior levels. He spent last season with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Calgary Hitmen. During his time with those two teams, he recorded 45 points in 59 games as a defenceman and was a part of Calgary’s run in the WHL Playoffs. He also played three games for Canada at World Juniors.
Related: Canucks Will Have a Great Defence Corps in 2025-26
Now Mynio will get the chance to play with Abbotsford in the 2025-26 season and get his first taste of professional hockey at the AHL level. As a skilled defender, Mynio will fit in well in Abbotsford and have the opportunity to further improve his game, learning from some of Vancouver’s top prospects. If Mynio continues on the trajectory he is on, I could definitely see him getting a call-up during the season if the Canucks need another defender.
Vilmer Alriksson
After being drafted by the Canucks in 2023 out of Djurgårdens of the J20 Nationell, Vilmer Alriksson decided to move to North America early and join the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Alriksson joined the Guelph Storm in 2023-24 and recorded decent numbers with 33 points in 67 games. Not the best season points-wise, but his production was enough to get him signed by the Canucks. This past season was a little more difficult as he split time between Guelph and the Brampton Steelheads, along with dealing with injury troubles. He finished his final OHL season with 35 points in 43 games, improving his total from last season in fewer games.
Now, Alriksson has a great chance in front of him for his first AHL season to hopefully stay healthy and make an impact with Abbotsford. Getting the chance to play with great offensive prospects in the Canucks’ system like Arshdeep Bains and Ty Mueller will be a great help to Alriksson as he begins his pro hockey career. If he can get off to a good start in the AHL and prove he belongs there, Vancouver will have to take notice and may even call him up if they get injuries in their forward core.
Vancouver has done a good job drafting over the past three seasons, and these potential call-ups are a reflection of that. Injuries have become a part of the NHL, and knowing that the Canucks have players in the AHL who could play NHL games when needed is a great luxury to have. These players may not have long NHL careers, but they can definitely make their NHL debuts this season.
