Seven Canucks players could be on their way out of Vancouver sooner than expected

Every hockey player eventually faces a moment to prove they belong, and the Canucks had a couple of those cases emerge last season.

Linus Karlsson opened last year as a healthy scratch, then turned his contract year into a real breakout, leading the Canucks in even-strength scoring and cashing in on a two year extension worth $2,400,000 annually.

Vitali Kravtsov faced the same kind of pressure and didn't survive it, getting sent down before heading back to Russia entirely.

Seven more Canucks are staring down similar stakes heading into this season.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki looked ready to break out in camp last year, even scoring in the season opener, before an injury during game six derailed everything and eventually ended his season in February.

He posted just 2 goals, 1 assist, and 3 points in 13 games. Now entering his draft-plus-five season and requiring waivers, this is genuinely his year to prove he belongs at the NHL level.

Aatu Raty set a high bar late in 2024-25, then took a step back defensively last season while managing just 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 66 games.

Why this year decides so many futures at once

He led all Canucks forwards with 11 five-on-five points back in early December, proof there's more here than a fourth-line ceiling. If Filip Chytil isn't ready to play center, Raty has a real path to the third-line job.

Vittorio Mancini managed just 3 points in 24 games at the NHL level, a disappointing follow-up after flashing real promise during his debut and then thriving as a top-pairing defender during Abbotsford's Calder Cup run.

Whether a calmer environment and the Manny Malhotra coaching bump helps settle his game is the real question this season answers.

Nikita Tolopilo actually outplayed backup goalie Kevin Lankinen last season, posting a 6-11-2 record with a 3.61 GAA and .881 save percentage despite a genuinely difficult environment in front of him. This is his chance to prove he deserves a full-time NHL role.

Arshdeep Bains struggled at the NHL level after an electric run with Abbotsford during their championship season, managing just 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 28 games. At 25 and already through waivers once, he doesn't have many more chances left to prove he's a real NHL player.

Ilya Safonov, GM Ryan Johnson's first signing, is chasing an NHL job after posting 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 66 KHL games. His face-off ability and defense-first style could fit Malhotra's system, though his footspeed remains a real question mark.

Jack Thompson rounds out the group as a genuine dark horse. Acquired from San Jose for Jett Woo at last year's deadline, he immediately looked like one of Abbotsford's best players, posting 13 points in just 14 games there.

He's a year removed from 31 NHL games but spent all of last season entirely in the AHL. At 24, this looks like his real now-or-never opportunity to push for a permanent NHL spot.

Seven different players, seven different paths, but all facing the same basic question this season. Prove it now, or the opportunity might not come around again.