In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumours, Abbotsford has moved on to the Calder Cup Final after a 4-2 win over the Texas Stars in Game 6. Meanwhile, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Braeden Cootes had dinner with the Canucks brass at the NHL Combine. Could they draft him if they end up keeping their 15th pick? Finally, in other news, Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko were inexplicably absent from 2025-26 season ticket promos (which have since been updated) this week, creating a lot of buzz on social media and around the league itself.
Abbotsford Canucks Move On to Calder Cup Final Against Charlotte Checkers
It looked like it was going to go to a deciding Game 7 tonight after the Stars went up 2-0 in the second period. But then Arshdeep Bains started the comeback with a goal in the final two minutes and the Canucks scored three more in the third to win 4-2 and punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final. They outshot the Stars 17-4 in the final frame, getting goals from Jujhar Khaira, Max Sasson, and Bains into an empty net to send the faithful home happy and secure their first-ever Western Conference championship.
The Canucks will now face the Charlotte Checkers in the Calder Cup Final, who swept the top team in the American Hockey League, the Laval Rocket on June 3, nearly a week ago. It’s been a remarkable run for Vancouver’s farm team, led offensively by Linus Karlsson’s nine goals and 17 points and Bains’ three goals and 11 points. They have also had an MVP-like performance from starting goaltender Arturs Silovs, who has a playoff-leading five shutouts alongside a 1.94 goals-against average (GAA) and .929 save percentage (SV%).
Related: Fixing Elias Pettersson: Is the Canucks Star Forward About to Hit the Market?
The Canucks are now only four wins away from the franchise’s first Calder Cup; the journey begins on Friday, June 13, at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.
Even though a trade could happen involving the 15th pick, the Canucks still did their due diligence at the Combine. As per The Hockey Writers’ own Mark Scheig, they took Cootes to dinner to get to know him more. When that happens, it usually means they are high on him for a potential selection. With the team’s prospect pool in dire need of help down the middle – sooner rather than later – it makes sense that they would be looking at a player like Cootes.
Braeden Cootes, Seattle Thunderbirds (Photo credit: Rick Elvin)
As I mentioned in his draft target piece a few weeks ago, Cootes is exactly what the Canucks need more of in their system. Profiled as a hard-working, two-way center that is already proficient in all zones and can play on the power play and penalty kill as well as key situations at the end of games, he would fill a hole they have had since they traded Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. While he likely won’t be playing that type of role for the Canucks for a few more years, he could take the same route as Horvat and start on the fourth line before moving eventually into the top-six. If they end up keeping the 15th pick, they should definitely be all over drafting him, which it looks like they already are.
It seems like we can’t go a few days without mentioning Pettersson and Demko and their future in the Canucks’ organization. This time, it was the social media/promotions department creating the drama when they didn’t include them in the ads promoting season tickets for next season (from ‘Two glaring omissions in the Canucks’ current marketing campaign,’ The Province, 6/5/25). Almost immediately, everyone was abuzz about the omission, with questions like, Why wouldn’t they include their highest-paid player (and supposed co-face of the franchise) and their starting goaltender in the graphics? And does this mean they won’t be in Vancouver when the season starts?
The players included instead were Kevin Lankinen (who should be considered the backup with Demko in the fold), Kiefer Sherwood, Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, and Jake DeBrusk. [What’s interesting is that after the backlash, they updated the ad, and now have Pettersson in DeBrusk’s spot.] It might have been just an oversight by the promo team, but regardless, it generated a lot of speculation around the league, with insider Frank Seravalli commenting on Halford & Brough that GMs were asking him directly about why it happened. Could this lead to a trade of Pettersson and/or Demko before the draft? Only time will tell.
NHL Draft & Free Agency Await Canucks
While the hockey season is down to its final couple of weeks, the offseason is about to enter its busiest time yet. After the chaos of the NHL Draft floor on June 27 and 28, free agency will begin with a few big names slated to be on the board. Mitch Marner and Sam Bennett headline the festivities, but it’s also looking more and more likely that Brock Boeser and Pius Suter will be in the mix as well. The Canucks don’t seem close to re-signing either of them, and they will unfortunately be available to the highest bidder on July 1. That means they will have to replace their production with another free agent or a trade. Stay tuned, Canucks Nation, the drama has only just begun.
