Vancouver Canucks Inform Top Prospect He Has a Short Leash to Start the New NHL Season
Photo credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News
One of the Vancouver Canucks' top prospects could be in line for a nine-game trial to start the 2025-26 season after impressing the team's staff early on in training camp.
The Vancouver Canucks are gearing up for their second game of the preseason, which is set for Wednesday night in Abbotsford against the Calgary Flames, and already, several of the team's younger players are leaving a strong impression on the coaching staff.
Last Friday on the second day of training camp, Canucks Assistant Coach Brett McLean spoke very highly of Braeden Cootes, Vancouver's first round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
"I had the chance to talk to him during one of the drills today and he was just excited, as you'd expect. He also stood out today. He had a really good day. Getting on pucks and he's obviously smart and creative in some of the drills. So he's not just out here excited to be here, he's here to make an impression and he's done that through the first two days." McLean said.
Vancouver Canucks' top prospect Braeden Cootes could be in line for nine-game trial
In his first preseason appearance, Braeden Cootes certainly stood out for the Vancouver Canucks, registering a primary assist on Victor Mancini's goal, had one shot and finished the game with a very impressive 57.1 faceoff percentage in 14:56 TOI.
Sunday's contest in Seattle won't be the last we'll see of Braeden Cootes in the preseason and with the way he's playing, along with the hard work he's putting in at practice, some believe that he could even start the 2025-26 campaign in the National Hockey League.
Mike Halford and Jason Brough of Halford & Brough discussed the possibility of Braeden Cootes being on the opening night roster and while he certainly won't be in the NHL for the entire season, they wouldn't be surprised if he does get that nine-game trial before being sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.
"So watching last night. Very interesting player, Cootes. The line with him and Bains and Sherwood, if you squinted really hard, you could kind of see a line that had, early days in the preseason, but established a little bit of identity in terms of how they would play together conceivably. Sherwood is the bang and crash guy. Bains actually does a really good job of retrieving pucks and Cootes is a playmaker too, we saw it on the Mancini goal. He had a nice little give-and-go with Mancini, they set it up, they scored." Halford said.
He added, "So there's a lot to like there. He plays a pretty smart, composed, all the cliques you would have for a guy that goes out there and doesn't make any loud mistakes despite being as young as he is. I still think it's a long road and probably a far cry for him to actually be in the NHL, but I could see them giving him that nine-game audition."
He added, "So there's a lot to like there. He plays a pretty smart, composed, all the cliques you would have for a guy that goes out there and doesn't make any loud mistakes despite being as young as he is. I still think it's a long road and probably a far cry for him to actually be in the NHL, but I could see them giving him that nine-game audition."
If the Vancouver Canucks were to give Braeden Cootes that nine-game trial at the start of the 2025-26 season, it would mean the 18-year-old centerman would remain with the club until after their home game on October 25th against the Montreal Canadiens before being sent back to the WHL.
Again, it's still too early to say for certain whether or not Cootes will end up getting that opening night roster spot as it'll depend on how the rest of training camp and preseason appearances go, but he's putting himself in a very good position early on.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 22 | 1001 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Inform Top Prospect He Has a Short Leash to Start the New NHL Season Do you think Braeden Cootes will get a nine-game trial in Vancouver before being sent back to the WHL? | ||
| Yes | 696 | 69.5 % |
| No | 305 | 30.5 % |
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