The 2025–26 season is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the Vancouver Canucks' pipeline of talent, as a handful of draft prospects gear up for their next professional milestones.
Prospects poised for NHL impact
Among them, forward Braeden Cootes has drawn attention after a productive stretch in the Western Hockey League, where he alternated between the Seattle Thunderbirds and the Prince Albert Raiders, culminating in a call‑up to Canada’s roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he contributed two goals in seven appearances.
Goaltender Aleksei Medvedev, who started the campaign as the London Knights’ primary net‑minder, posted a strong early stretch before a late‑season dip left him with a 3.26 goals‑against average and a .891 save percentage.
Defenseman Kieren Dervin, in his first full Ontario Hockey League campaign with the Kingston Frontenacs, quickly became a scoring anchor, finishing second on his team with 17 goals and 25 points.
Swedish forward Wilson Björck made a splash in his rookie NCAA season at Colorado College and capped the year with a gold medal for Team Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Gabriel Chiarot capped his junior career by helping the Kitchener Rangers capture the Memorial Cup, a performance that has positioned him for a 2026–27 entry into the Canucks organization.
Meanwhile, Matthew Lansing’s freshman year at Quinnipiac University saw him chip in eight goals and ten assists over 40 games, contributing to a run that reached the NCAA championship game.