The Vancouver Canucks continued their pre-season win streak Friday with a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. With the victory, the Canucks improve to 2-1-0 as they officially hit the midway mark of the pre-season. Here is a look at three standouts from Friday's victory.
Braeden Cootes
What a Rogers Arena debut for Braeden Cootes. The 18-year-old center opened the scoring for Vancouver and was named the first star of the game. Cootes also went five for nine in the faceoff while posting an xGF% of 82.73 at even strength.
Cootes continues to demonstrate why he deserves a spot on the opening night roster. No moment seems too big for the 2025 first-rounder, as he was able to thrive while playing as the Canucks second-line center.
Center Elias Pettersson
Is it too soon to say that Elias Pettersson is back? In all seriousness, EP40 kicked off his 2025 pre-season with a strong performance on Friday night. Not only was he able to generate some offensive chances, but he also threw four hits while finishing 10 for 14 in the faceoff dot.
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The most encouraging part of Pettersson's night came during his time on the power play. He showed off his shot and was able to create scoring opportunities with tape-to-tape cross-ice passes. Ultimately, it was a good start to th year for Pettersson, who, at times, looked like his old self.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Another young player who had a memorable performance was Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The 21-year-old finished the night with an assist while leading Vancouver in hits with six. Lekkerimäki also recorded three shots on goal, which included a breakaway that was stopped late in the second.
If Lekkerimäki wants to make the opening night roster, he needs to replicate his performance from Friday night throughout the rest of the pre-season. The Swedish winger looked fast all game and was able to constantly win his matchups while playing on the Canucks second line. After a slow start, Lekkerimäki is finding his form at the right time, as he showcased how impactful he can be at both ends of the ice.
Vancouver continues their pre-season on Sunday when they battle the Edmonton Oilers. This will be the first of two meetings between the Canucks and the Oilers, with both teams playing once at home. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 pm PT from Rogers Place in Edmonton.
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