The Vancouver Canucks have locked up their first 2026 draft pick, signing Adam Novotný to a three-year entry-level contract.
Novotný, taken 24th overall in the first round, is the first player from Vancouver’s 2026 class to put pen to paper. CanucksArmy recently ranked him as the third-best prospect in the organization.
The deal carries an average annual value of $1.075 million over the three seasons. According to PuckPedia, the contract also includes signing bonuses of $102,500, $107,500 and $112,500 in each year of the agreement.
After a strong but brief development camp, the Czech winger is expected to be at training camp in Penticton in mid-September. With the contract now in place, Novotný will get a real shot to push for the opening night roster. If he appears in fewer than 10 games for Vancouver this season, though, the deal will be deferred until he crosses the nine-game threshold.
Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement, “It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill.
A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do things the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC, and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
If Novotný does not crack the Canucks roster this season, he is expected to return to the OHL and rejoin the Peterborough Petes for his second year in Canadian Junior Hockey.
Novotný’s last season was a productive one: 34 goals, 31 assists and 65 points in 58 games. He also helped the Czech Republic to a silver medal at the World Junior Championships, where the team beat Team Canada in the semifinal. Novotný finished that tournament with three assists in seven games.
The other 2026 Canucks draftees - Caleb Malhotra, Brooks Rogowski and Niklas Aaram-Olsen - are likely to remain unsigned, with all three set to join the NCAA either this season or next.
In Other News...
Petterssons Latest Video Has Canucks Fans Wondering Whats Really Going On
Elias Petterssons offseason clip from Los Angeles was enough to light up Canucks social media and, naturally, send trade speculation into overdrive. Any time a player of his stature is spotted away from Vancouver, fans start connecting dots, especially with the league always humming with contract chatter, roster movement and the kind of noise that tends to follow a star in transition.
But the more immediate explanation appears to be far less dramatic than a blockbuster coming together. The trip to Los Angeles is being viewed as a personal offseason choice rather than a sign that something is close on the trade front, which should calm at least some of the panic around one of Vancouvers most watched players. For now, the video says more about how quickly the rumour mill can spin than it does about Petterssons future. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Add Another Young Blue-Line Option Fans Can Track
The Abbotsford Canucks have added another young name to the organizations defensive pipeline, signing Isaac Belliveau to a one-year AHL contract. Belliveau arrives with a bit of pro experience already on his rsum, having spent the past few seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL after starting his development in the QMJHL and signing a three-year entry-level deal with Pittsburgh in 2023.
For Vancouver fans, it is the kind of depth move that is easy to overlook but worth filing away, especially for a blue line that always needs competition and insurance. Belliveau was later traded to the Buffalo Sabres before not receiving a qualifying offer, and while he never reached the NHL with the Penguins, the 23-year-old now gets a fresh chance to carve out a role in Abbotsford and make himself a name worth monitoring. [Read more 🡒]
Elias Pettersson Trade Talk Leaves Canucks Facing One Big Problem
Elias Pettersson is still in Vancouver, and for now that remains the most important part of the Canucks offseason puzzle. Interest from multiple teams has existed around the league, and the trade conversation did pick up before cooling after the 2026 NHL draft, but the reality has always been that moving a player of Petterssons stature is not simple when the contract is sizable and the protections are built in.
The LA Kings, Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins have all shown interest at various points, yet the market has not moved anywhere near a finish line. For Vancouver, the challenge is less about finding attention than finding a deal that fits, and with no agreement close, Petterssons situation still hangs over the roster as one of the more complicated decisions in front of the organization. [Read more 🡒]