Canucks News & Rumours: Novotný, Cootes, Safonov, Schimek & Medvedev – The Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

There’s nothing particularly fun about losing a prospect game 7-3, but the Vancouver Canucks’ opening night of the prospect showcase wasn’t without some encouraging signs. The Seattle Kraken took control late and made the final score look far worse than the first 40 minutes, but a few individual performances were still worth watching.

For the Canucks, the biggest question coming into the showcase was how some of their more intriguing young players would look when the games finally started. Adam Novotný was certainly one of those players, and while he had a shaky opening period, he finished the night looking very much like the player Vancouver selected 24th overall in June. There were also some encouraging signs from a line featuring Braeden Cootes, Ilya Safonov and Bennett Schimek.

Adam Novotný Took a Little While to Get Going

Novotný didn’t exactly come flying out of the gate. He had the puck on his stick a lot in the opening period, but some of his passes didn’t connect. That’s hardly unusual for a young player playing his first game in a Canucks uniform, particularly with a group that had spent very little time together.

The second period was a different story. After Seattle went up 3-1, Novotný jumped off the bench, called for the puck and walked down the left side with some room. He then snapped a terrific shot into the top corner. He finished the night looking like the player Vancouver hoped he was when it selected him 24th overall in June.

There was more to like after that. Novotný made a couple of clever plays along the end boards, including one sequence in which he curled around the net to create some space and put a puck toward the goal that eventually led to Sawyer Mynio’s rebound goal. Later, he got involved physically, taking a hit in the corner and responding with one of his own before taking the puck toward the net.

That combination was probably the most encouraging part of his night. Novotný wasn’t simply trying to make pretty plays. He showed a willingness to compete for the puck and play through contact. The third period was quieter, but whenever the ice opened up on the power play or at four-on-four, he looked dangerous carrying the puck through the neutral zone.

Cootes, Safonov and Schimek Give the Canucks Something to Watch

The other encouraging development was the play of the Cootes-Safonov-Schimek line. The three players seemed to find each other repeatedly throughout the game, creating chances even though they didn’t get much production to show for it.

There were several good passing sequences, including one in which Safonov found Cootes in the slot and another where Cootes feathered a pass to a streaking Safonov. That particular play eventually resulted in a penalty and helped set up Vilmer Alriksson’s early second-period power-play goal.

What makes the line particularly interesting is the different paths these three players have taken. Safonov has six years of professional hockey in Russia behind him. Cootes is a 2025 first-round pick who already appeared in three NHL games as an 18-year-old last season. Schimek, meanwhile, was an undrafted college player who only played 13 American Hockey League (AHL) games at the end of last season.

Schimek looked like he belonged with the other two. His five goals and 11 points in those 13 AHL games may have been easy to dismiss as a small-sample hot streak, but he showed some of the same qualities here: quickness, evasiveness and a sneaky-good shot. That makes him one of those players worth watching a little more closely as the showcase continues.

The goaltending was a different story. Aleksei Medvedev allowed seven goals, but the number doesn’t tell the whole story. Vancouver’s defence included plenty of invitees, and Medvedev was repeatedly left dealing with odd-man rushes, breakaways and extended pressure. At the same time, he also had a few routine shots he would probably like to have back. At 19, there’s no reason to draw any major conclusions yet, but his inconsistency certainly makes him an interesting player to watch in Game 2.

What Else Stood Out for the Canucks Prospects?

The other little observations were encouraging, too. Alriksson’s shot appears to have taken another step forward, Yaroslav Bryzgalov was everywhere during one memorable first-period shift, and Joe Arntsen’s centre-ice fight certainly got everybody’s attention.

A 7-3 loss isn’t the result the Canucks wanted, but prospect showcases aren’t really about the final score. They’re about identifying which young players are starting to separate themselves from the pack. After one game, Novotný looks like one of those players. Cootes, Safonov and Schimek gave the coaching staff something to think about as well.