Cootes headlines impressive youth movement on Canucks’ opening-night roster

VANCOUVER — Once every 35 years, whether the team needs help or not, an 18-year-old centre comes along and forces his way on to the Vancouver Canucks.

Thatâ€s how rare Braeden Cootes is, the teenager from Edmonton who was drafted 15th in June but headlines the impressive youth movement that is part of the season-opening roster the Canucks named Monday.

The last 18-year-old draft pick to make the National Hockey League team in his first training camp was Petr Nedved, who was chosen second overall in 1990.

No one expected this of Cootes — except perhaps him.

“Obviously, you have that confidence in the back of your head that you can make it,†he told us a couple of weeks ago. “Anytime you go into a camp, you’re not just going there to get experience. That’s not my mindset. I’m a competitive person. Anytime I go to a tryout or anything like that, I want to make the team.â€

Against heavy odds, the captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds has done it.

And so have five other prospects who spent most of last season in the American Hockey League, where the Abbotsford Canucks won the NHL organizationâ€s first Calder Cup.

The 14 forwards, seven defencemen and two goalies named to Vancouverâ€s roster ahead of Thursdayâ€s season-opener against the Calgary Flames include defenceman Elias Pettersson (Junior) and forwards Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson and Aatu Raty.

With the summer trade of Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Canucks deliberately left room for competition in the bottom half of their roster. The opportunity increased with the pre-season ankle injury and surgery to middle-six winger Nils Hoglander.

The Canucks also have a need at centre, as the club has been unable so far to acquire an experienced pivot after top centre J.T. Miller was traded in January and Pius Suter left as a free agent in July.

So there was an organizational will and ways for the young players to make it. But nobody expected when training camp opened on Sept. 18 that Cootes would be leading a stampede of six prospects on to the roster.

“No, probably not,†general manager Patrik Allvin told Sportsnet on Monday afternoon.

Asked how this transpired, Allvin said he scouted Cootes at the Under-18 world championship in May, where the speedy centre captained Canadaâ€s gold-medal team, and was amazed at the progress heâ€d made by July when the Canucks staged their rookie development camp.

Seeing that, Allvin said he knew Cootes would be even stronger by training camp in September.

“Obviously, he prepared himself really well this summer,†the GM said. “And we were aware of his character and his drive and all the off-ice side stuff with him as a player, but I think he just dedicated himself. He just seemed to absorb (information) and kept getting better — learning how to practise and playing with pace, understanding how we want to play. And the coaches have been really impressed with his coachability. He definitely earned this.â€

Karlsson, 25, Bains, 24, and Raty, 22, graduates of the Canucks†player-development program, would have required waivers to be sent back to the AHL after spending most of the last three seasons in the minors.

But Lekkerimaki and Pettersson, both 21, have played their way on to the Canucks at the start of just their second seasons in North America. Cootes is still young enough to play another two years of junior hockey.

“I can’t believe how good Cootes is,†veteran Canuck Conor Garland marvelled after the Canucks†final pre-season game on Friday. “To get him in the middle of the first round, you don’t see many guys that can come in and (make the team) with a first camp like that.â€

The challenge now for all the newly-promoted prospects, and especially Cootes, is to stay in the NHL. Remember, itâ€s a hard league to make, but itâ€s harder to stick.

The auditioning forwards were helped by the youth of the Canucks†other excellent defence prospects. Victor Mancini and Tom Willander, who did not require waivers to be assigned to the AHL, were the final cuts on Sunday.

With fourth-line centre Teddy Blueger (lower body) and defencemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph (groin) and Derek Forbort (undisclosed) nursing injuries, the Canucks could shift someone to injured reserve and recall one of their players before Thursday.

The successful push by Cootes and Raty does not alter the organizationâ€s stated goal of adding another NHL centre, although their pre-season performances eased the pressure on Allvin to make a move for opening night.

“We’re not sitting here saying we’re desperate,†Allvin explained. “I think that itâ€s, again, an area that we have recognized that we want to improve. Sometimes these deals take a little bit longer than you want. But that being said, I believe in the group we have here.â€

The new wave of young players on the Canucks is a win for hockey operations. Allvin credited Todd Harvey and his amateur scouting staff, minor-league coach Manny Malhotra and his assistants in Abbotsford, and the player-development department that includes Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mikael Samuelsson and Mike Komisarek.

Apparently, it takes a village.

“Everybody has a different path,†Allvin said of the NHL journey. “It’s up to us to put them in a position to succeed, and this is not a sprint to get there for some of them. Sometimes they need more seasoning in the American Hockey League. What I will say is that we have a lot of good people in the organization and great resources to help those young players to get where they want to be.â€

Cootes is just making the journey faster than any Canuck in the last 35 years.

“Bigger picture, what’s the best path for Braeden here?†Allvin said. “I think that’s no different than what weâ€ve been talking about. (Two weeks ago) we were talking about him just getting in the first pre-season game in Seattle. From there, he just continued to earn another opportunity.â€

After Thursdayâ€s game at Rogers Arena, the Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, return home to face the St. Louis Blues on Monday, then open a five-game road trip with back-to-back contests in Dallas and Chicago, starting next Thursday.

Theyâ€re going to need all of their players.

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