The Vancouver Canucks are back on the ice September 12 and 13 for the 2026 Prospects Showcase, and the first matchup against the Seattle Kraken gives fans an early look at a few names worth tracking.
The opener goes at 4:00 pm PT on September 12 at the Rogers Forum in Abbotsford, and Vancouver’s lineup features a mix of new faces, rising prospects and a few players trying to push their way into bigger roles.
One of the most interesting is Ilya Safonov. The Russian forward signed with the Canucks this off-season after spending his entire career in the KHL, and the 25-year-old is now trying to show he can make the jump to North American hockey.
Practice line rushes had him skating with Braeden Cootes and Bennett Schimek, a spot that puts him squarely in the conversation for the 13th forward job in the NHL. Safonov is on a two-way contract, so his path could include time between Vancouver and the AHL.
How his game translates will be one of the key things to watch.
Sawyer Mynio arrives with a different kind of momentum. The 21-year-old just finished an impressive rookie season with the Abbotsford Canucks, where he put up 21 points in 58 games and showed he could handle top-four minutes.
He’s now in his fourth year with the organization and is expected to log plenty of ice time for Abbotsford again this season. The bigger question is whether he gets into an NHL game this year.
He has earned trust with Manny Malhotra and remains a prospect the organization values highly, which leaves the door open if injuries or trades create an opportunity.
Then there’s Vilmer Alriksson, who doesn’t exactly blend in. At 6'6", 214 lbs, the 21-year-old winger brings size that jumps off the page and the kind of strength that lets him move opponents off the puck.
At practice, the Canucks appeared to be building a jumbo line with Alriksson alongside Brooks Rogowski, listed at 6'7", 235 lbs, and Austin Brimmer, listed at 6'4", 223 lbs. Alriksson’s first AHL season was a grind offensively - he had nine points and 56 penalty minutes in 43 games - but another year of pro experience should make him more comfortable heading into this campaign.
The showcase gives Vancouver a first real chance to see where these three stand, and each one brings a different storyline into Game 1.
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Vancouver also got the kind of response it was probably looking for after a blown lead in the previous contest, with the group steadying itself to pull out a 3-2 win. For a team trying to build confidence and continuity at this stage, the result mattered less as a polished finish than as a sign the prospects could reset, respond and close out a tight game when it counted. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Prospect Sawyer Mynio Looks Much Closer To NHL Ready
Sawyer Mynio has spent the summer around NHL company, and for a prospect trying to turn a strong rookie season in Abbotsford into something bigger, that kind of work matters. The young defenceman, fresh off being named Rookie of the Year for the Abbotsford Canucks, trained alongside NHL players such as Luke Schenn and says the guidance from coaches Manny Malhotra and Jordan Smith has helped shape his development as he heads into his fourth training camp with Vancouver.
For the Canucks, Mynio is one of those names worth keeping an eye on because the conversation is no longer just about long-term upside. Hes focused on building on last season and continuing to grow as a pro, and that steady progression has him looking much closer to NHL ready than he did a year ago. Whether that translates into a bigger role this fall will be the next step, but the foundation appears to be getting stronger. [Read more 🡒]
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Cale Makar, Moritz Seider and Adam Fox remain the easy anchors in that debate, the kinds of defensemen who still separate themselves by reputation and recent play. But once the conversation moves beyond the obvious stars, Hroneks case gets more compelling, and that is where the real argument starts for Vancouver fans. Depending on how you value performance, consistency and role, he can look closer to the upper tier than many would have expected, which leaves the Canucks with a player who is becoming a legitimate measuring stick rather than just a useful piece. [Read more 🡒]