Sawyer Mynio, who’s off to world juniors with Team Canada, could be another Canucks prospect up for trade at the junior level
Brampton (14-12-4-0), who feature Canadian world junior team forward Porter Martone and goalie Jack Ivankovic, are seventh in the Eastern Conference, but just four points out of fifth. Guelph (9-18-2-1) are last in the top-10 West, six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot on that side.
Alriksson, 19, has 11 goals and 23 points through 26 games with Guelph. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound winger from Sweden was a 2023 NHL Draft fourth-round selection by Vancouver.
Mynio, 19, was a 2023 third rounder by the Canucks, taken 18 picks ahead of Alriksson. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound defencemanis with Team Canada, prepping for the world juniors in Ottawa. His Seattle Thunderbirds team (11-19-2-1) sits last in the WHL’s 11-team West.
The Thunderbirds went to the Memorial Cup national tournament two seasons ago, and spent heavily in trade to load up for that playoff run.
Mynio has already signed his entry-level contract with the Canucks and is expected to play next season in Vancouver’s system rather than return for another year of junior. Seattle could trade him this season, looking to restock their draft pick cupboard, but it’s not a lock that they will do that.
Pending pros in junior aren’t automatically looked like pending unrestricted free agents in the NHL. Junior teams routinely hold onto high-end older players to give younger players a role model or to try to help with attendance or even to be loyal to the player. The Tri-City Americans kept Carey Price, the Regina Pats hung into Jordan Eberle, and the Vancouver Giants never moved Brendan Gallagher, to offer a few examples.
The player’s pro team isn’t necessarily keen on him being flipped to a contender, either, since an early end to his junior season means that he can go play minor pro to finish the campaign.
With all that in mind, here’s our latest power rankings. Last week’s ranking is in parenthesis. Players need to be born in 2000 or later to be eligible. Players with Vancouver are exempt.
2. Tom Willander, D, Boston University Terriers (2)
The 19-year-old Willander (16-2-7-9) didn’t have a point in a 4-2 win for BU (9-6-1) over UMass on Wednesday, but the sophomore did have a season-high five shots. The 2023 first rounder is part of the Sweden team that opens the world juniors in Ottawa facing Slovakia on Boxing Day.
3. Aatu Räty, C, Abbotsford (NR)
Räty (9-4-4-8) notched a goal Sunday in his first game with Abbotsford since Nov. 3. The 22-year-old, who came over from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade in January 2023, had been reassigned from Vancouver that day.
The 23-year-old, who signed as a free agent in March 2022, had two assists Sunday. Bains (9-2-7-9) sat out Saturday. No word from the team on why.
Pettersson (24-1-9-10) didn’t have a point in the two games versus Manitoba, but did have a season-high four shots Sunday. The 20-year-old 2022 third rounder continues to be second on the team in plus-minus (plus-seven).
6. Kirill Kudryavtsev, D, Abbotsford (6)
The 20-year-old Kudryavtsev (22-2-11-13) recorded an assist Sunday. The 2022 seventh rounder leads Abbotsford’s defencemen in scoring.
7. Artūrs Šilovs, G, Abbotsford (7)
The 23-year-old was reassigned to Abbotsford from Vancouver on Tuesday morning after filling in as backup due to a flu bug sidelining Kevin Lankinen. A 2019 sixth rounder, Šilovs (2-0-0, 1.51, .929) should be in the mix for Friday and Saturday games for Abbotsford against the visiting Tucson Roadrunners.
8. Sawyer Mynio, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (8)
9. Danila Klimovich, RW, Abbotsford (5)
The 2021 second rounder missed both Manitoba games and is now been absent for three games. No response from the team on why. The 21-year-old Klimovich (20-9-4-13) remains second in goals and shots (60) with Abbotsford.
10. (Tie) Vilmer Alriksson, LW, Brampton Steelheads (NR)
Alriksson had two goals in Guelph’s 6-4 loss to Owen Sound last Wednesday and has seven goals in his past 11 games. Brampton is at Brantford Wednesday.
10. (Tie) Nikita Tolopilo, G, Abbotsford (NR)
The 24-year-old stopped a combined 42 shots in the back-to-back shutouts over Manitoba. Tolopilo (7-6-0, 2.64, .897) signed with Vancouver as a free agent in March 2023.
Dropped off the list: Cole McWard, D, Abbotsford (9); Ty Mueller, C, Abbotsford (10).