The Vancouver Canucks prospects are currently in Washington State to battle the Seattle Kraken in the 2025 Prospects Showcase. Game 1 did not go as planned for Vancouver, as they ended up falling 5-3 to the Kraken. Despite the loss, there were a few standouts from the game, including Alexei Medvedev, Vilmer Alriksson and Elias Pettersson.
Alexei Medvedev
Medvedev was arguably the Canucks best player on Saturday night. He came up with some highlight-reel saves, and was the main reason why this game was close from start to finish. Ultimately, Medvedev lived up to expectations in his first start with Vancouver and showed why the Canucks were eager to draft him in the second round.
Post-game, Manny Malhotra spoke positively about Medvedev's performance, saying, "He was outstanding. Obviously, he kept us in the game for the first two periods. Made a few ten-bell saves. Just kind of highlighting his athleticism and his compete in the net. He did a great job of making the saves that we expected him to make, and then obviously coming up with some extra ones for us. Gave us a lot of life and kept us in it for two."
Vilmer Alriksson
Moving to the forward group, Alriksson really stood out all night. He was physical and scored a beautiful goal where he used his size to shield the puck before Niklas Kokko. In the end, Alriksson used his size to his advantage as he was a pain in the neck for Seattle's defenders all night.
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During his media session, Malhotra spoke about Alriksson's development to this point, saying, "I think for him, from what it looks like to me, he has a better understanding of how big he is and how to use his frame. He moves really well for a big man, and he's able to attack the net. Today, pulled away from some guys with his speed, so I think he's just understanding how to use his body a little bit better now. And he has a lot more confidence coming into this camp."
Elias Pettersson
As expected, defenceman Elias Pettersson stood out as one of Vancouver's top players. He was laying massive hits and created the Canucks third goal of the game with his shot. Pettersson was also able to win board battles constantly and showed an ability to transition the puck out of the defensive zone.
The 2025-26 season is shaping up to be a massive one for Pettersson. Many, including The Hockey News, have the 21-year-old making Vancouver's opening night roster thanks to his impressive performance after being called up last year. Even though this is a prospect tournament, he looks ready for another solid season, but this time as a full-time NHLer.
The Canucks will not have to wait long for revenge as the second of this two-game series goes tomorrow in Seattle. Just like Game 1, Game 2 will be streamed, with more details being released closer to game time. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT from the Kraken Community Iceplex.
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