Ty Mueller is turning heads in Abbotsford, and the early numbers make a pretty strong case for a bigger opportunity.
Through four games with the AHL club, the 23-year-old has four goals and an assist. He leads the team in points and has been used in all situations for the Abbotsford Canucks, which is exactly the kind of workload that can start forcing a conversation about the next step.
That next step, of course, is Vancouver. Mueller has already appeared in eight NHL games for the Canucks, but he still hasn’t gotten the kind of extended run that really tells you what a prospect can do at the top level. With Vancouver in a rebuild and Mueller producing right away, the timing feels right to find out whether his game translates.
There’s also some built-in comfort here. Mueller already knows Ryan Johnson and Manny Malhotra, and Malhotra’s trust in him has been obvious from the way he’s been deployed over the last two years. That familiarity could make the jump to the NHL smoother if the Canucks decide to give him a real look.
The path to that call-up isn’t simple, though. Vancouver would first need to move out a few players and make sure the return doesn’t occupy an NHL roster spot. An injury could also open the door, but that kind of opening might only lead to a short-term stay.
Johnson’s approach to younger players adds another layer. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want prospects bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL, so if the front office isn’t ready to commit to Mueller full-time, someone else could get the nod first.
Still, Mueller has done enough to put himself in the picture. He’s handled the AHL stage well, and with 14 shots in four games this season, he’s showing that the offense is not just coming from empty space. If Vancouver wants to use this rebuild to evaluate what it really has, Mueller is a name that deserves a look.
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Kevin Lankinen was left to absorb most of the damage after allowing six goals on 25 shots, and the result only deepened the concern around how this trip is unfolding. Through the first three games, Vancouver has been outscored 17-5, a stretch that is starting to make the road trip feel less like a rough patch and more like a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]