A preview of Canucks forward Akil Thomas's 2026-27 season.
Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for the Canucks during the 2026–27 season. Today’s player is Canucks forward Akil Thomas.
Thomas’s 2025–26 Season
A former second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Thomas has spent the majority of his professional career in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, notably with now-Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Richard Seeley as his GM.
Thomas began the 2025–26 season as a member of the Reign, putting together four goals and nine assists in 19 games. At the beginning of December, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues organization in exchange for forward Nikita Alexandrov.
In 20 regular-season games with the Thunderbirds, Thomas scored five goals and four assists. While this was a bit of a decrease compared to the production he had with the Reign earlier in the year, Thomas’s points were relatively spread out — the forward managed to record at least one point every second or third game.
During Springfield’s 2026 Calder Cup Playoff run, Thomas managed to register three goals and three assists. While they took down the Charlotte Checkers in the first-round and the league-leading Providence Bruins in the second, the Thunderbirds ultimately lost to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Division Finals.
On July 1, Thomas signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canucks.
Thomas’s 2026–27 Predictions
Thomas will join the Canucks organization as a depth piece who could easily push for a roster spot barring a strong effort during training camp. While his game doesn’t fully circulate around offensive production, the forward has shown himself as being capable of collecting a fair amount of points at the AHL-level, as he scored 22 goals and 24 assists in 64 games with Ontario in 2023–24.
Heading into the pre-season, Thomas will serve as good competition for players such as Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Trey Fix-Wolansky in competing for a spot as Vancouver’s 13th-forward. At the AHL-level, he’ll provide some offensive depth to an Abbotsford team that endured major roster changes the season prior due to injuries and movement.
Bold prediction: Thomas hits a new career-high in goals at the AHL-level.
Nov 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Akil Thomas (26) plays the puck forward in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesCanucks 2026–27 Player Previews:
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