Major reinforcement coming to Vancouver and we just got an announcement
Ilya Safonov and Manny Malhotra could soon become part of the same Vancouver story if this latest Canucks report holds up.
That is why this rumor has real juice.
The claim making the rounds is that Safonov will not extend with Ak Bars and is expected to sign with Vancouver for next season.
If that happens, this is not just another quiet prospect update.
It becomes a real roster development for a Canucks team that badly needs fresh competition, more internal options, and a few players who can shake up the forward picture without a big trade.
Safonov has been sitting in that interesting category for a while.
He is not the kind of name casual fans talk about every day, but inside a thinner organization, this is exactly the type of move that can matter. A player comes over from overseas, arrives with pro experience, and suddenly forces the bottom six conversation to move.
That is what Vancouver needs right now.
The Canucks are still trying to sort out what the next version of this team even looks like. The front office has made it clear that patience, flexibility, and change are all on the table.
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Safonov would give Vancouver something it does not have enough of
Internal pressure.
Too often, Vancouver's depth chart has felt static. The same players hold the same spots, and too many decisions feel locked before camp even opens.
A signing like Safonov changes that a bit.
He would not arrive with superstar hype, and that is probably a good thing. He would arrive with a chance to push for a role, make the coaches look at new combinations, and give management a better read on what it actually has in-house.
That matters even more because Vancouver is still in a spot where it cannot solve every roster issue from the outside.
The club needs help from within.
And when a player leaves a KHL team like Ak Bars instead of staying put, that tells you something too. It usually means the NHL path is real enough now to chase.
For Ryan Johnson, this is the kind of bet that makes sense.
It is younger.
It is cheaper.
And it keeps the organization from relying only on veteran patchwork.
Of course, there is still a difference between hearing a player is coming and watching him earn a job in camp.
That part matters.
But if Safonov really is done with Ak Bars and headed to Vancouver, then this is more than a minor prospect note. It is an opening.
And on a team that still needs new answers up front, openings matter.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 24, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Kaedan Korczak | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Devon Toews | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jack Drury | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Keegan Kolesar | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Parker Kelly | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Manson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Martin Necas | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shea Theodore | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Brent Burns | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||