Why Braeden Cootes Should Start The 2025-26 Season With The Vancouver Canucks

As the Vancouver Canucks head towards the 2025-26 season, one of the big debates revolves around 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes. After a strong showing at training camp, as well as in Vancouver’s first pre-season game, debates have already started surrounding whether the 18-year-old should be on the NHL roster when the season opens. While there are positives and negatives to Cootes beginning the year with the Canucks, giving him a spot on the opening night roster could be beneficial for both the organization and the player. 

Cootes was selected 15th overall by Vancouver in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Listed at 5’11”, 183 lbs, he recorded 63 points in 60 games last season while serving as captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Cootes also plays a position of need for the organization, as he is a right-shot center. 

Before diving into this debate, it is important to note that Cootes still needs to earn this opportunity. As mentioned, he has been a standout so far, but still needs to show that he can have a positive impact against NHL players on a consistent basis. While outplaying others for roster spots won’t be easy, Cootes looks up for the task based on his performances since being drafted by the Canucks. 

Over the past few seasons, there have been examples from around the league of rookies playing so well in camp that they earn a spot on an NHL roster. Fraser Minten played four games for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the start of the 2023-24 campaign before being assigned to the Kamloops Blazers, while last year, Jett Luchanko also played four games, but for the Philadelphia Flyers, before starting his OHL season with the Guelph Storm. In both cases, each player ended up representing Canada at the World Juniors while being over a point per game in the CHL. 

One positive aspect of starting Cootes in the NHL is that it allows the organization to learn more about him, both on and off the ice. Whether it is how he reacts to difficult matchups or even as simple as how the 18-year-old meshes with his teammates, all these factors can help Vancouver’s management staff build a development plan that will benefit Cootes the most. That way, if the Canucks do end up deciding to send him back to the WHL for the rest of the season, Cootes has a better idea of what he needs to work on throughout the year. 

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Playing Cootes in the NHL is also a form of positive reinforcement, as the organization would be rewarding a young player for stepping up during training camp and the pre-season. At the same time, it is a statement to every other player that they need to be on the top of their game as the next wave of players is ready to take their spots. 

If Vancouver is going to go down this route, they need to be careful in how they manage Cootes. For example, having him on the roster but healthy-scratching him would not be beneficial for his development. That is why if they are going to give him a trial, the Canucks must ensure that even if he is only playing eight or nine minutes a night, that he actually makes it onto the ice and isn’t sitting in the press box for long periods of time.  

The fact that this conversation is happening surrounding Cootes is a significant victory for the organization. If anything, it shows that Vancouver made a strong draft selection this past June who has the potential to be a key part of their lineup sooner rather than later. While there are still a few weeks until the season officially starts, it is starting to look more likely than not that Cootes plays NHL games this year. 

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