Penticton’s first two days of Canucks camp have already told a pretty clear story: Manny Malhotra wants pace, wants detail, and wants his group to stop drifting when the play turns north.
That message showed up most loudly early in the second day, when Malhotra halted a drill in Group B and, raising his voice, told his players to “ATTACK”. He thought they were easing off as they entered the offensive zone, and he wanted more speed, more urgency and more plays made off the rush.
The response was immediate. The drills got sharper, and the tempo jumped.
One player who has handled the early pace well is Linus Karlsson. He spent a second straight day on right wing with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, and he kept showing the kind of energy that suggests he knows exactly where he stands in this camp.
Karlsson drove the pace in line rushes and stayed effective in the battle drills. It’s still early, but the way he’s worked in Penticton and the chemistry he’s trying to build with those two veteran linemates makes it feel likely he’ll get a preseason look with them.
Pettersson, meanwhile, looked more engaged on Day 2 after a first day that was fine but fairly quiet. He didn’t look out of sorts on opening day, just not especially noticeable.
Friday was different. He showed more jump, more compete in one-on-one drills, and delivered the kind of pass that reminds you why he can change a drill in a heartbeat - a saucer feed through defenders that landed right on Jake DeBrusk’s stick in a rush sequence.
DeBrusk didn’t finish it, but the play still stood out as a clean flash of what Pettersson can do when he’s feeling it. He just needs to bring more of that creativity into games.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki also made his mark in a hurry. In a Group B rush drill, he took a pass on the right wing and ripped a shot bar down on Aleksei Medvedev almost instantly.
It was quick, clean and easy-looking in a way that not every forward in camp can match. His shot is clearly NHL-ready, and he made sure everyone in the building saw it.
Lekkerimäki even had some fun with the moment, celebrating playfully with teammates after the goal. The challenge now is simple: keep doing that as the level rises.
There was a lighter moment, too, when Zeev Buium stepped on a puck during a rush drill and went tumbling to the ice. His teammates loved it.
Buium didn’t stay down long. He got up, brushed himself off and slid right back into line for his next rep.
Malhotra’s job isn’t limited to the skaters, either. With two daily sessions spread across two sheets of ice in Penticton, there’s plenty for a first-year head coach to keep track of, and he made it clear he’s watching the goalies as closely as everyone else.
He said he’s keeping mental notes on all six netminders in camp, not just the shooters in front of them. “You have to keep an eye on everybody,” Malhotra said with a chuckle.
“You have to be aware of what everybody looks like out here.”
And the calendar is already moving fast. After only two days of camp, a game group will skate in Penticton, bus to Kelowna and fly to Seattle to open the preseason on Saturday.
It’s not much runway, but that’s the reality of the NHL’s earlier schedule. The preseason begins this Saturday and ends next Saturday, and the Canucks will have to make all of their roster decisions before naming their opening-day group.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, NHL veterans can appear in only two of the team’s four exhibition games.
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Liam hgren was one of the standouts, scoring twice and giving his side a noticeable spark, while Elias Pettersson added the goal that forced the game to overtime in the first place. For a camp group still sorting itself out, those kinds of moments matter because they can show which forwards are finding chemistry early and which players can tilt a scrimmage even in a short format. The result itself will fade quickly, but the way a few key names were involved should keep this particular camp storyline in view. [Read more 🡒]
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Among the names drawing attention are Aatu Rty and Braeden Cootes, two young players whose situations are worth watching as the roster takes shape. Malhotras comments suggested the Canucks are looking for more than just energy or promise in these spots, with the opener serving as an early test of who can handle the details that come with NHL minutes. Fans wont get the full picture until puck drop, but the game will at least be available via video stream and radio for anyone wanting an early look. [Read more 🡒]