The Vancouver Canucks headed into Tuesday’s preseason matchup against Calgary with a lineup far less seasoned than the Flames’. Calgary iced a group in which every skater is expected to crack the NHL roster, while only two or three Vancouver skaters could realistically be with the club on opening night.
That made Calgary’s 3-1 win at the Saddledome predictable, especially once the Flames seized momentum in the second period. Even so, the Canucks kept the game scoreless for 35 minutes and demonstrated some pushback in the third, making it a promising showing in several ways.
The middle frame revealed Vancouver’s lack of experience, as Calgary generated a string of odd-man rushes, but Kevin Lankinen delivered stability between the pipes, and Braeden Cootes kept making his presence felt. Arshdeep Bains eventually buried Cootes’ setup in the third period to give the Canucks their lone goal.
Kevin Lankinen provides preseason steadiness for the Canucks
Lankinen made his first preseason start and is anticipated to get just one more look before the regular season begins. With Thatcher Demko still recovering from major hip surgeries, Lankinen is once again preparing to step in as Vancouver’s Game 1 starter.
The netminder bounced back well after struggling in Saturday’s lone training-camp scrimmage. He turned aside 27 shots against Calgary, including point-blank opportunities from Martin Pospisil and Ryan Strome, while also tracking the puck effectively through traffic around his crease.
Lankinen did get a piece of Joel Farabee’s breakaway attempt on Calgary’s opening goal, while Samuel Honzek scored on a rebound that left him no chance. Matt Coronato’s close-range finish on an odd-man rush accounted for Calgary’s other goal.
With the pressure surrounding his role and the need for a bounce-back season after a difficult campaign last year, Lankinen now has a positive performance to build on as Vancouver continues its preparations.
Braeden Cootes powers Canucks preseason offense
Nineteen-year-old Cootes has been involved in all three goals Vancouver has produced through its first two exhibition games, teaming up with Bains on each of them. His vision was again on display against Calgary when he intercepted a rim-around, carried the puck into the corner, and threaded a pass between defenders to Bains in the low slot.
Cootes earned a spot on the Canucks’ roster out of training camp as an 18-year-old last season, becoming the first Vancouver player in 25 years to do so. He appeared in only three NHL games before returning to junior hockey, but he is seeking a longer opportunity this fall.
As a first-round pick from 2025, Cootes is eligible to play in the American Hockey League this season. That could give Vancouver another development option, particularly with general manager Ryan Johnson emphasizing patience.
Cootes said he trusts management to make the decision that is best for his long-term development. He wants to establish himself in the NHL but acknowledged that playing major minutes in the AHL could potentially be more beneficial than receiving fourth-line NHL minutes. He also sees that option as a significant step forward from another season in the Western Hockey League.
NHL runway leaves Canucks preseason margin
With only four pre-season games and fewer than two weeks between the opening of training camp and the regular season, Vancouver’s young players have limited time to make their case. Coach Manny Malhotra said the Canucks have roughly eight to 10 ice sessions along with two games in which players can demonstrate their readiness.
That makes attention to detail during both practices and morning skates particularly important. Malhotra emphasized that players need to show what they can do once the games begin because the available preparation time is so short.
The NHL’s new two-game pre-season limit applies only to players with at least 100 NHL games. That restriction does not cover Cootes, 18-year-old first-rounder Adam Novotny, or minor-league hopefuls such as Bains, Victor Mancini, and Guillaume Brisebois.
Vancouver is expected to use NHL-heavy lineups for its final two home rehearsals, beginning Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. Malhotra said the limit has become a topic among veteran players, some of whom would prefer the opportunity to appear in three or four games.
Vancouver Canucks preseason notes on NHL hopefuls
Bains, Brisebois, and Tom Willander served as Vancouver’s alternate captains in Calgary. Willander, who is 21 and entering his second professional season, has appeared more confident with the puck during this pre-season, although he missed a basic boxout on Morgan Frost in the third period, and both players ended up falling onto Lankinen.
Aatu Raty was heavily involved throughout the game and was effective on the penalty kill. He also went 15-5 on faceoffs as Vancouver faced the more physical and experienced Calgary lineup. Mancini, meanwhile, has not made much of an impact through two games while competing for a depth role on defence, despite his size, mobility, and attitude.
Ty Mueller’s continued development has received less attention with the focus on Cootes, while Russian prospect Ilya Safanov has also drawn notice in his battle for a depth position. Safanov led the Canucks with six hits in Calgary.
Malhotra said the Canucks needed a stronger overall performance after Calgary’s veteran lineup controlled much of the game. Vancouver did respond in the third period after the lines were shuffled, winning more puck battles and spending less time in its defensive zone, but the coach described the reaction as coming too late.