Even though the Vancouver Canucks are not competing in the Stanley Cup Final, there are still a lot of news and rumours surrounding the team as we approach the 2025 NHL Draft and free agency. From the national teams announcing their first six players for the 2026 Olympics and the Abbotsford Canucks playing in the Calder Cup Final against the Charlotte Checkers, to the status of two of the Canucks’ biggest unrestricted free agents and the possibility of Marco Rossi coming to Vancouver, there’s plenty to talk about. So, with all that said, let’s dive into the latest edition of the Canucks News and Rumours.
Arturs Silovs & Teddy Blueger Named to Team Latvia for 2026 Olympics
Arturs Silovs got some good news on Monday morning to soften the blow from losing in overtime to the Checkers on Sunday. He was named as one of the first six players of Latvia’s 2026 Olympic team, along with Vancouver teammate Teddy Blueger. He has competed for Latvia in various other tournaments, but never at the Olympics. It makes sense why they named him one of their first goaltenders, though, as his last outing with them was at the 2023 Men’s World Championship, where he finished as the top goaltender and tournament MVP and led his team to their first-ever bronze medal.
Arturs Silovs, Abbotsford Canucks (Andy Nietupski / TTL Sports Media; X: @TTLSports: Instagram: @TTLSportsMedia)
Blueger, meanwhile, is a veteran of Team Latvia, having participated in the U18 World Championship, World Juniors, World Championship and the tournament that helped Latvia qualify for the 2026 Olympics. He was captain of that squad in 2022 and finished with two goals and four points in three games. This will also be his first appearance at the Olympics.
As of this writing, five nations have announced their first set of six for the 2026 Olympics in Milano, Cortana, and so far, the only Canucks named are Silovs and Blueger. However, Quinn Hughes is almost certainly destined for Team USA when they announced theirs.
Abbotsford Canucks Split First 2 Games of Calder Cup Final
The Calder Cup Final started on Friday with an epic Game 1 between the Canucks and Checkers. The Canucks trailed 3-1 early in the game, but came back to tie it at three and send it to overtime. Max Sasson, Nate Smith and Ty Mueller provided the offence in regulation, but it was Danila Klimovich who finished as the hero with a snipe in double overtime on the power play. It was only his third goal of the playoffs, but all three have been game-winners – two coming in overtime. Silovs had a slow start to the game, but ended up with 51 saves on the night. If not for him, the Canucks would not have won, as they only had 30 shots in nearly five periods of hockey.
Game 2 on Sunday was more of the same. All of the scoring happened in the first period, with both teams trading goals twice. John Leonard opened the scoring for the Checkers, only to see Sammy Blais tie it up a little over a minute later. Then, Wilmer Skoog and Linus Karlsson each scored power-play goals to end the period at 2-2. There was no more offence for the next 44 minutes until Michael Benning finished it in overtime on another power play for the Checkers. Silovs was once again the busier of the two goaltenders, keeping the Canucks in the game with 39 saves, as his team was outshot 42-13.
Related: 3 Canucks Prospects That Have Stood Out on Road to Calder Cup Final
While the series is tied heading back to Abbotsford for Games 3, 4 and 5, if the Canucks have any hopes of winning the Calder Cup, they have to start limiting the shots and chances against Silovs. He has now stopped 90 of 96 shots for a wild .937 save percentage (SV%) while his counterpart Kaapo Kahkonen has only had to stop 37 of 43.
The puck drop for Game 3 is on Tuesday at 7 pm PT at Abbotsford Centre. The Canucks have a chance to win the Calder Cup on home ice, but only if they sweep all three games.
Pius Suter & Brock Boeser Most Likely Headed to Free Agency
With July 1 less than two weeks away, Pius Suter and Brock Boeser’s future in Vancouver is a big topic of conversation. On Friday, insider Rick Dhaliwal made a guest appearance on Halford & Brough and provided an update on the two pending unrestricted free agents. Unfortunately, the news wasn’t good, as he told the duo that it’s likely both will enter the market and not sign an extension before then. On Suter, he said that while they want to keep him, his price tag is too high right now. He reportedly wants $4 million average annual value (AAV) as a starting point, but the Canucks will only go to a max of $3.5 million AAV. Fortunately, Suter wants to stay in Vancouver and is willing to continue negotiating leading up to and after July 1. But it will get a lot harder to keep him once other teams start muddying the waters (i.e. send him otherworldly offers), considering the lack of high-quality two-way centers available in free agency.
Pius Suter, Vancouver Canucks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
As for Boeser, the Canucks are showing interest, but it appears he wants to test free agency to see what type of offers will be out there for him. If he doesn’t get what he wants on the open market, he is willing to circle back to Vancouver, but that doesn’t seem likely at this point. He is a proven 20-goal scorer, after all. Someone will give him the contract he wants. The snag in negotiations with the Canucks is term, with reports saying that he wants seven years and the Canucks only willing to give him five. One phone call can change everything, but as of now, we have likely seen the last of Boeser in the blue and green.
Canucks Showing Interest in Marco Rossi
The Canucks have been in the market for a second-line center since they traded J.T. Miller, and the latest reports have them setting their sights on Rossi from the Minnesota Wild. According to Wild insider Michael Russo, they are one team that has shown decent interest in him, while others have become lukewarm in recent weeks. If the Canucks end up trading for him, they will have to sign him to a new contract, as will be a restricted free agent on July 1. He scored a career-high 24 goals and 60 points this season and should be in line for a considerable raise from his $863,334 AAV entry-level deal, with AFP Analytics projecting $4.546 million AAV on a bridge contract (two years) and $7.389 million AAV on a long-term contract (seven years).
Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)
As for what the Canucks would have to give up to get him, Wild general manager Bill Guerin wants a player in return, not futures. But as Russo and Anthony LaPanta said on their podcast, Worst Seats in the House, he might have to settle for the latter. A lot of teams don’t see Rossi as a legitimate second-line center and, as such, won’t pay a high price to get him. The Canucks don’t have a ton of assets when it comes to high-end forwards, so their 2025 first-round pick will likely be the bait they are dangling. Whether that’s enough for Guerin remains to be seen.
