The Vancouver Canucks took part in their first pre-season game of the 2025–26 season on Sunday night, suffering a 5–3 loss at the hands of the Seattle Kraken. While the team had some gaffs throughout the night, there were a few players who stood out and helped further their case of making the main roster for opening night. Here are three players who stood out in last night’s match against the Kraken.
Victor Mancini
Sunday night’s game was virtually an audition for the Canucks third-pairing defencemen favourites, as Mancini, Elias Pettersson (D), Tom Willander, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph all dressed for the match. Despite strong showings from some, Mancini was by far the most noticeable — in a good way. He set the tone with some early physicality, not shying away from making big hits. Mancini also finished the game with the highest TOI (23:21), as well as the most minutes played on the power play for defencemen (5:53). Offensively speaking, he scored the Canucks’ first goal of the game – and the pre-season — off a lasered shot from the top of the faceoff dot.
The competition for a full-time roster spot will be tough to wade through, but with his performance on Sunday, Mancini may have just catapulted himself into number one on the list.
"My Goal Is To Make The Team.": Canucks Victor Mancini Is Focused On Becoming A Full-Time NHLer Heading Into The 2025-26 Season
Victor Mancini has had an interesting 2025 to stay the least. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks at the end of January and then a few months later, won the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks. As for the 2025-26 season, Mancini is focused on earning a full-time spot in the NHL and become a consistent contributor on the blue line.
Nikita Tolopilo
Nikita Tolopilo only played in half of Sunday night’s game, as he and Ty Young split the start so both goaltenders could get some playing time. However, the limited minutes didn’t stop Tolopilo from showcasing his skills. The game began with Tolopilo needing to make multiple saves, including stopping a dangerous chance from Shane Wright during the first period. Had it not been for Tolopilo, the first half of the game could have had a much different goal margin. Instead, by the time he’d finished his half of the game, Tolopilo stopped 13 of 14 shots faced.
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Joseph LaBate
Part of the discussion around Sunday’s Canucks group was the youth in the lineup, as Vancouver only dressed the minimum amount of veterans required in their pre-season lineup. While he may be a newcomer to this Canucks roster, Joseph LaBate is not unfamiliar with Vancouver. He was drafted by the organization back in 2011, and stayed with them until his departure in 2018. This off-season, LaBate signed with the Canucks in free agency, and seems to already be becoming a fan favourite. The forward dropped the gloves with Seattle’s John Hayden and put up an assist in the team’s effort. He also tied Nils Åman for the game’s lead in hits made with four on the night despite playing a little less than 10 minutes total.
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