The Canucks are bringing a younger squad to Seattle for their first pre-season game of 2026. Here are five players to watch on this roster.
The Vancouver Canucks will play in their first pre-season game of 2026 tonight when they take on the Seattle Kraken. According to this morning’s skate, Vancouver will be bringing a relatively young group to Seattle for tonight’s game, with players such as Braeden Cootes and Adam Novotný projected to make the trip out to Seattle.
While it will be important to watch every Canucks player taking part in tonight’s game, here are five particular skaters whose impact could dictate Vancouver’s future roster.
Braeden Cootes
The main question surrounding Cootes in this year’s pre-season and training camp is whether he will ultimately end up making Vancouver’s main roster or not. He’ll have a big opportunity to prove himself in tonight’s game, as he is projected to center the Canucks’ first line while also getting some minutes on Vancouver’s first-unit power-play.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Lekkerimäki is one of a few players that have had a very strong 2026 training camp thus far. While he’s proven himself capable of securing a full-time roster spot in the past, Vancouver currently has a glut of forwards that could ultimately end up pushing him out depending on his pre-season performance. As it stands, this doesn’t seem like it will be the case, though a strong performance tonight will definitely help.
Trey Fix-Wolansky
An under-the-radar pick for a player that could make Vancouver’s main roster is Fix-Wolansky, who has impressed so far at training camp and has played NHL minutes in the past. The forward enters tonight’s pre-season game projected to be paired with Ilya Safonov and Adam Novotný. He also spent Vancouver’s practice this morning on their second-unit power-play. As one of the more veteran players in tonight’s game, he’ll have a good opportunity to prove himself against the Kraken.
Ilya Safonov
Safonov has been an interesting player to keep tabs on throughout the pre-season, training camp, and prospects showcase. The forward, who is currently slotted in at centre for tonight’s game, enters the 2026–27 season with an eye on a full-time roster spot, having signed out of the KHL in order to achieve that.
Kirill Kudryavtsev
Possibly the most intriguing narrative to follow in tonight’s game will be who makes the best case to take Vancouver’s seventh-defenceman spot. As it stands, the battle looks to be primarily between Kirill Kudryavtsev and Victor Mancini, though in 2025–26 it was Mancini who ended up playing in more NHL games between the two. That being said, Kudryavtsev has had himself a stronger camp thus far and appears to have been given more opportunities — such as quarterbacking Vancouver’s first-unit tonight as well as during the prospects showcase last week.
Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) and forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) during a stop in play against the Calgary Flames in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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