Canucks assign Mancini & Willander to AHL; Fool Makes Team – Hockey Writer – Vancouver Canucks
On Sunday afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks continue to finalize their 2025-26 opening night lineup Assignment of defenseman Victor Mancini Tom Willander joins the American Hockey League (AHL). Willander is expected to be allocated, but given Mancini’s performance in the preseason, he stood out with two goals, and it was surprising to see him being sent down.
Related: Braeden Cootes is forcing him into the Canucks future
Willander was selected 11th by Canucks in the 2023 draft and will debut this season two years later at Boston University. He looks pretty good in the preseason, but obviously needs to play as a full-time NHL defender in the game. He will get a lot of ice time under head coach Manny Malhotra, which may be in the top four for Mancini.
While Mancini should probably be the team, he is the victim of the contract. Since he is free to be sent, the Canucks can keep players like Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson who need to clear the waiver to be sent to the AHL.
With Mancini and Willlander heading to Abbotsford, the Canucks appear to have a 23-man opening squad. This means rookie Braeden Cootes makes the team the 18-year-old team, the first time since Petr Nedved in 1990.
Forward (14)
Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains – Filip Chytil – Conor Garland
Evander Kane – Braeden Cootes – Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Drew O’Connor – Teddy Blueger – Kiefer Sherwood
AATU RATY – Linus Karlsson
National Defense (7)
Quinn Hughes – Philip Herrock
Marcus Pettersson – Tyler Myers
Derek
Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Goalkeeper (2)
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Rankinen
Injured (3)
Niels Hogland
Guillaume Brisebois
Jet Wo
