Three Canucks Prospects to Watch in Abbotsford This Season

Braeden Cootes, Ty Mueller and Kirill Kudryavtsev are three prospects to watch with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2026-27.

Cootes is the headliner. Vancouver selected the center 15th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and he became the first 18-year-old to make the Canucks' opening-night roster since Petr Nedved in 1990.

He played three NHL games before returning to the WHL. The move to Abbotsford would give Cootes his first extended run against professional competition and the heavy minutes needed for his development.

Mueller scored a career-high 16 goals for Abbotsford last season, third-most on the team. He also appeared in six games for Vancouver during an injury-heavy stretch and scored his first NHL goal in the regular-season finale against Edmonton, finishing a breakaway pass from Curtis Douglas.

Kudryavtsev recorded 20 points in 44 AHL games last season. The defenseman also played three games for Vancouver and collected his first two NHL assists.

All three have already appeared in the NHL, making them realistic recall options rather than long-term projects. Cootes needs professional reps, Mueller must build on his late-season opportunity, and Kudryavtsev has a chance to show that his puck movement and defensive detail can translate to a larger NHL role.