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Vancouver Canucks Forward Named as Breakout Candidate Ahead of NHL's 2025-26 Season
Photo credit: Vancouver Canucks - X.
A Vancouver Canucks forward, who had a great Calder Cup run, has been named a potential breakout candidate ahead of the National Hockey League's 2025-26 season.
The Vancouver Canucks will head into training camp with an interesting bottom-six battle to keep an eye on as upwards of five or six players will be competing for only one or possibly two spots.
Complicating things even further this year is the change in waiver status for a handful of players on the team, among them including Aatu Raty, Linus Karlsson and Arshdeep Bains, all of whom will now have to be placed on the wire in order to be sent down to the American Hockey League and will be pushing hard for an opening night roster spot this fall.
Vancouver Canucks forward named as potential breakout candidate for 2025-26 season
After his incredible run in the Calder Cup Playoffs, registering 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games, Linus Karlsson is poised to earn a full-time spot on the Vancouver Canucks' roster this coming season.
The 25-year-old forward doesn't really have a lot left to prove down in the American Hockey League and with the Canucks needing an offensive kick in their bottom-six, he could be the perfect option for Adam Foote and the team's coaching staff.
In a recent article for ClutchPoints, Colin Gallant named Linus Karlsson as one of his three breakout candidates for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2025-26 season, saying that if the Swedish forward, along with Aatu Raty, can contribute in a big way for the team's bottom-six, then it'll go a long way in helping the club return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Like Raty, Linus Karlsson is ready to leave the American Hockey League behind for good. He was probably the most impactful player for Abbotsford in their electric run outside of MVP goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer." Gallant said.
He added, "The Canucks have a decent top-six, and it'll be even better if Chytil can stay healthy and live up to his potential. But if the bottom-six can make a significant impact in 2025-26 - especially Raty and Karlsson - it will go a long way in helping the team remain competitive in the Western Conference all season long."
He added, "The Canucks have a decent top-six, and it'll be even better if Chytil can stay healthy and live up to his potential. But if the bottom-six can make a significant impact in 2025-26 - especially Raty and Karlsson - it will go a long way in helping the team remain competitive in the Western Conference all season long."
For Karlsson, who has just 27 games of NHL experience under his belt, 23 of which came this past season, training camp is going to be a best test and there's no doubt he's going get plenty of opportunities to prove himself throughout the preseason, with Vancouver's first game set for September 21st against the Seattle Kraken,
Source: ClutchPoints/Colin Gallant
Vancouver Canucks top breakout candidates for 2025-26 season
Vancouver Canucks top breakout candidates for 2025-26 season
| POLL | ||
AOUT 30 | 1149 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Forward Named as Breakout Candidate Ahead of NHL's 2025-26 Season Do you think Linus Karlsson will make the Vancouver Canucks' opening night roster? | ||
| Yes | 836 | 72.8 % |
| No | 313 | 27.2 % |
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