Adam Novotny is forcing his way into the conversation as the Canucks’ top prospect.
That’s a crowded race, and it says plenty that a player like Caleb Malhotra is still very much in the mix. The Canucks’ third-overall pick has only one point in five games at Boston University to open the season, and it came on an empty-net goal. Even so, he’s handling heavy minutes in a difficult league and looks close to breaking through.
“Malhotra is still figuring out the college game, but the skill is undeniable,” said J.D. Burke of Elite Prospects in one scouting report, adding, “Even when he’s overhandling pucks, the savvy and the touch are obvious […] I still see top-line upside.”
Still, Novotny’s start in the OHL has been loud enough to make people look twice.
“One of the most complete, dominating efforts I can remember seeing at this level,” said Elite Prospects’ Mitchell Brown in one scouting report. “We’re in for a big year.”
Through 11 games with the Peterborough Petes, Novotny has seven goals and 18 points. That puts him on pace for 42 goals and 108 points over a 66-game season. Early in the year, that leaves him fourth in OHL scoring, behind projected 2027 first-overall candidate Dima Zhilkin, Zhilkin’s linemate Braidy Wassilyn, and another 2027 prospect, Easton Walos.
The Canucks got Novotny with the 24th-overall pick in 2026 as part of the Quinn Hughes trade, and the numbers he’s putting up are right in line with the kind of post-draft explosion Beckett Sennecke had in the OHL. Sennecke, taken third overall in 2024, posted 36 goals and 86 points in 56 games after his draft year, which works out to a 42-goal, 101-point pace over 66 games. He has since become a first-line winger for the Anaheim Ducks, scored 60 points as a rookie last season, and has opened this year on a 40-plus-goal pace.
That doesn’t mean Novotny is Sennecke. The comparison is more about the company he’s keeping than a straight projection. It’s still a strong sign.
What jumps out first with Novotny is how direct his game is. He brings speed and power, plays north-south, wins his board battles, and finishes with a shot that can beat goalies cleanly. Brown described it this way: “[Novotny] recovered every single puck he had a chance on and escaped with possession,” and even “a few that didn’t seem possible.”
Burke offered a similar read in another scouting report: “He’s one of the fastest skaters nearly every time he takes the ice,” and “possesses the kind of powerful release that can credibly threaten from range.”
He’s also getting pucks on net at a ridiculous clip. Novotny’s 52 shots in 11 games lead the OHL, a rate of 4.73 per game. That’s well ahead of Sennecke’s 3.98 shots per game in his comparable stretch, and it reinforces how frequently Novotny is putting pressure on defenses.
He was already near the top of the league in shots last season, finishing second in the OHL in total attempts. This time around, the finishing doesn’t look fluky either. His 13.5% shooting percentage is perfectly reasonable for a player with his tools, which makes a 40-goal season feel realistic rather than reckless.
The other part of Novotny’s jump is his passing. He’s moving the puck better than he did a year ago and showing more vision in the process.
There was a case for him to break camp with the Canucks this season because his body and style already look close to NHL-ready. But staying in the OHL may have been the smarter move for his development. He still has work to do defensively away from the puck, and his play along the boards can be sharpened.
For now, the extra minutes are doing their job. They’re giving him the kind of reps that should help clean up those details.
And if this start is any sign, Novotny could make a real push for a Canucks roster spot next season. With the way he’s tracking, he looks like a player who should end up playing a major role in the rebuild.
In Other News...
Canucks May Be Eyeing A Blue Line Change During Brutal Skid
The Canucks were back on the ice at UBC after a day off, and the workout came with the kind of shuffling that usually signals a coach looking for a spark. Manny Malhotra mixed up both the forward lines and the defensive pairings as Vancouver prepares to face the Minnesota Wild, with the team still trying to steady itself during a brutal skid.
There was also movement on the blue line, where Jamie Oleksiak could be the odd man out while Guillaume Brisebois looks like the likeliest option to step in. Malhotra and Elias Pettersson both addressed the group's response, and the return of Quinn Hughes looms as another important piece of the picture heading into the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Quinn Hughes Returns To Vancouver With Canucks Fans Facing A Real Decision
Quinn Hughes came back into the conversation this week in Seattle, where the former Canucks captain spoke ahead of his first game in Vancouver since being moved to the Minnesota Wild in December. Even after leaving, Hughes made it clear he still looks back warmly on his six and a half seasons in Vancouver, a stretch in which he established franchise records and wore the captains title. It is the kind of return that can stir up a crowd before the puck even drops, especially for a player who meant so much to the organizations recent identity.
The real question now is how Canucks fans choose to greet him when he steps back onto the ice in Rogers Arena. Hughes said he does not know what to expect, which only adds another layer to a night already loaded with emotion and memory. For Vancouver, this is less about the standings than about an old face returning in a new sweater, and the reaction in the building will say plenty about how his years here are still being held. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Have A New Braeden Cootes Question To Watch
Amid a rough stretch for the big club, the Canucks have had one welcome subplot to track in the pipeline, with several 2026 draft picks turning heads in their leagues. Braeden Cootes has been the name drawing the most attention. The 2025 first-round pick is already playing professionally with the Abbotsford Canucks, and his early AHL start has put him in a class of his own among his draft peers.
For Vancouver, the question is no longer whether Cootes can keep up, but how long the organization will keep him on the patient track. General manager Ryan Johnson has made it clear the team wants to be careful with the young forward, even with his strong opening run in the minors, and that leaves fans watching for the next development step without expecting a quick NHL jump. [Read more 🡒]