With the 15th pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks have selected Braeden Cootes from Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
About Braeden Cootes
A player with a non-stop motor, Braeden Cootes had himself a strong draft-year season that was topped off by being one of Team Canada’s most consistent and productive players at the Under-18 World Junior Championships (WJC), where he tallied 12 points in six games played. The showing by the Seattle Thunderbirds player helped boost his draft value on top of averaging just over a point-per-game with the team (63 points in 60 games played).
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Tracker
Cootes brings it at both ends of the ice and is rewarded more often than not, making his presence felt constantly. He has a keen sense for the game and is a player who is hard not to notice on the ice. After a busy last year-plus, which included playing for Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Team CHL in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, and the aforementioned U-18 WJC, he has been rewarded with hearing his name called in the draft.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Cootes’ work ethic is infectious. He has an unrelenting motor and no matter the score, he never stops pursuing the puck and pushing the play. Few teams in the league have a counter to him simply because he’ll just outwork whoever he’s up against. For that reason, he’s often the first player into the corner or the front of the net and fearlessly challenges bigger players for positioning. Some more strength could help him win more of these battles, but already, he doesn’t lose many because he keeps coming back when he’s pushed away.”
Braeden Cootes, Seattle Thunderbirds (Photo credit: Rick Elvin)
“He doesn’t have enough power in his shot to be a big-time sniper, and his puck movement lacks the creativity and deception of strong playmakers. However, he still showed excellent puck work throughout 2024-25 and was the Thunderbirds’ go-to offensive player in most situations because of his ability to react impossibly quickly to sudden changes. That gives him a huge advantage when chasing down pucks or removing lost possession, since he is frequently the first one to jump on the loose puck. You can also see his quick reaction time in his wrist shot, which he can put a lot of power into without needing much space, and his sharp passes right on his teammate’s tape.”
Full profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Canucks’ Plans
With the addition of Cootes, the Canucks are getting a player who will make an impact at both ends of the game. He may take another couple of seasons before he cracks the NHL, but he will be worth the wait. He nestles himself into a top spot in the organization’s farm system and helps set them up even better for the future at the center position.
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