There has been a bit of a youth movement in the NHL to begin the 2025-26 season. A number of teams have carried rookies on their roster. Some teams have carried more than one. One team, the Vancouver Canucks, carried their 2025 first-round pick, Braeden Cootes.
Cootes was the 15th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Many expected him to make the NHL, though few saw him making the roster immediately. However, he turned in a good performance in training camp. And with Vancouver’s need for center depth, his inclusion on the team made some sense.
Vancouver rarely sends their prospects to the NHL immediately. In fact, Cootes is the first 18-year-old to make the Canucks roster out of training camp since Petr Nedved in 1990, according to NHL.
However, Cootes has earned his spot to this point. He is still in search of his first NHL point, as he prepares for Monday’s game with the St. Louis Blues. The main thing he’s focused on, though, is playing good hockey.
“It’s been good, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but I’m just trying to take it all in,” Cootes said recently, via NHL.com. “I’m just trying to play my game and not worry too much about making mistakes and just go out there and play.”
When Canucks Need To Make Their Decision
Derek Cain/Getty ImagesThe Vancouver Canucks need to make a decision on whether Braeden Cootes will remain in the NHL for the rest of the season.
Entry-level contracts in the NHL have their own rules and structure. For the most part, players sign a three-year contract, which can kick in at specific points. These deals are signed by 18 through 21-year-old prospects.
However, those contracts may not kick in for the first season. If the an 18 or 19 year old player plays more than nine games in the NHL, the contract kicks in for the first season. For instance, if Cootes reached his 10th game this year, his contract kicks in for the 2025-26 campaign.
On the other hand, if he does not reach that milestone, the contract “slides.” This means that his contract would begin next season. Vancouver can create this slide by sending Cootes back to junior hockey before he plays his 10th game.
Will Braeden Cootes Remain In The NHL?
Vancouver has a tough decision to make. And they will need to make it rather soon. The Canucks play their 10th game of the season on Sunday, October 26, against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Canucks have not tipped their hand as to where Cootes will end up. The 18-year-old is putting his best foot forward. He has made a good case for himself up to this point. For now, though, the team is taking things one game at a time.
“We’re going day by day, game by game,” head coach Adam Foote said recently, via NHL.com. “We’re not going to look ahead at when the schedule gets tough or back to backs or anything like that. We’re just looking at it one game a time. He’s a smart hockey player.”
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