Ty Young’s place in the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect picture has shifted since midseason, but the drop in the rankings doesn’t come with any real alarm bells. He sits at No. 18 in CanucksArmy’s summer top 20, down from No. 9 at midseason, a slide that reflects both the organization’s influx of new prospects and a tougher statistical year for the 21-year-old goaltender.
Young’s first pro season in 2024-25 was hard to miss. He posted a .926 save percentage with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings, then got 11 games with AHL Abbotsford and turned in a .904 save percentage there too. The follow-up in 2025-26 was more uneven in both leagues, but that kind of dip is hardly unusual for a young goalie trying to carve out a professional path.
That’s especially true with netminders, where development rarely moves in a straight line. Young was a player people were wondering about just two years ago, when he lost his WHL starting job in Prince George to Joshua Ravensbergen. Once he turned pro, those concerns faded quickly.
At 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds, the left-catching Young still has the traits that made the Canucks’ staff, especially Ian Clark, take notice in the first place. He has size, length, lateral movement, and the ability to seal the ice naturally. One down year doesn’t change that foundation.
The opportunity ahead looks real, too. If the Canucks carry three goaltenders and Nikita Tolopilo spends most of his time on the NHL roster, Young should be in the mix with Aku Koskenvuo for AHL starts in Abbotsford. The addition of Mitchell Weeks this week also gives the organization more depth and flexibility in both the AHL and ECHL.
For a goalie who won’t turn 22 until September, there’s still plenty of runway. Young should get meaningful playing time this season, and the Canucks have time to let him settle in at the AHL level.
Projection-wise, the upside remains the selling point. Young’s ceiling is still viewed as that of a legit NHL starter, even if reaching it is another matter entirely.
His floor, at least for now, looks like an AHL backup, with the reminder that goalie development can change fast. As for an NHL timeline, CanucksArmy pegs him as a backstop who could be ready around 2028-29, while noting that every goalie is only a few unfortunate events away from an NHL debut.
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