In hockey, one player’s misfortune often becomes another’s chance to shine.
The Vancouver Canucks didn’t plan on reshuffling their forward group heading into October, but Nils Hoglander’s injury has cracked the door open. The 23-year-old winger underwent ankle surgery and is expected to miss 8–10 weeks, leaving a gap in the middle of the lineup.
It’s the kind of void that can alter a season — and it may have just created the perfect lane for rookie Braeden Cootes to skate right onto the opening-night roster.
Hoglander carved out a reputation as an energetic sparkplug, a player who could drive play in the bottom six and chip in timely offense. Losing him for the first two months is a blow for Vancouver, especially for a team that’s banking on depth to keep pace in a tough Pacific Division.
But roster crunches have a funny way of revealing who’s really ready. Enter Cootes, the 18-year-old center drafted in the first round, No. 15 overall, in 2025, who suddenly has a golden ticket to show he belongs right now.
Braeden Cootes Makes Strong Case for Opening-Night Spot in Vancouver
Even before Höglander’s setback, Cootes was pushing hard to force management’s hand. His preseason stood out — not just for the highlight-reel plays, but for the complete package. Coaches have praised his work rate, his tenacity on the forecheck, and the maturity in his two-way game. Sportsnet noted that Cootes has “earned another day” almost every time he’s been on the ice this fall, while The Athletic put him among Vancouver’s preseason risers.
The Canucks didn’t expect him to knock this loudly at the door in 2025, but now it’s impossible to ignore.
The Canucks don’t just need a body — they need someone who can slide into an NHL role without dragging down the lineup. Cootes’ track record in junior and his transition into the pros suggest he might be that guy. At 6-foot and 183 pounds, he isn’t going to bully opponents, but he plays with a bite that makes him hard to knock off the puck.
Last season in the WHL, he posted 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds, showing offensive upside that could translate in flashes at the next level. But it’s his willingness to play a responsible, bottom-six style that makes him valuable in the here and now. He doesn’t have to score 20 goals to stick — he just has to keep winning puck battles, keep making the right reads, and keep proving that the pace of NHL hockey doesn’t overwhelm him.
“He’s certainly been one of their best four centers to this point in camp, that’s without dispute,” Jeff Paterson of RinkWide said Monday on the “Sekeres & Price” podcast.
“There’s just a lot to like in his game. I think you’re seeing his headiness. I think you’re seeing a guy that skates pretty close, if not at the NHL level already.”
Canucks’ 2025 First Round Pick Braeden Cootes Has ‘A Lot to Like in His Game’
For the Canucks, giving Cootes a spot isn’t just about covering for Hoglander’s absence — it’s also about planning for the long term. With several contracts coming due and the cap always in play, cheap, NHL-ready talent is worth its weight in gold.
Cootes wasn’t supposed to be here yet. Development plans had him sent back to juniors, possibly after a nine-game tryout, where he could refine his game without the nightly grind of the NHL spotlight. But hockey careers rarely unfold on a neat timeline. Hoglander’s injury has left the Canucks scrambling for answers, and Cootes has presented himself as one. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’s shown enough flashes of NHL polish to earn serious trust.
Opening night rosters are often as much about opportunity as they are about merit. Right now, Braeden Cootes has both in front of him. And if he grabs hold of it the way he’s grabbed every chance this preseason, the Canucks might just have found their next unexpected contributor.
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