Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson says the team wants to avoid repeatedly moving young players between the NHL and AHL, arguing that promotions should be stable and development-focused.
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Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said the organization’s approach to development is aimed at preventing what he called “yo-yo-ing” young players between the American Hockey League and the NHL.
Johnson said repeated moves back and forth once a promotion is made are difficult for both the organization and the player, and he wants players’ experiences to be more stable.
Speaking to media as training camp approached, Johnson said he believes players should be placed so that when they deserve the NHL, they receive it—and once they are in the league, they should remain there.
He contrasted that with a model in which a young player gets repeated call-ups while still spending time in the AHL, which Johnson said he does not prefer as a development path.
Johnson said cases of elite players who never play in the American League are rare, and that the objective is not necessarily avoiding the AHL altogether, but avoiding frequent back-and-forth movement.
He said part of the organization’s job is “doing right” by young players by protecting them through a process that he believes better fits their development needs.
In addition, the Canucks were described as having a group of younger players expected to be in Penticton during training camp. Names mentioned included Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Braeden Cootes, Riley Patterson, Adam Novotný, Ilya Safonov, Ty Mueller, Kirill Kudryavtsev and Sawyer Mynio.
The organization’s stated message is that even if a prospect does not earn an opening-night NHL role after training camp and preseason, that outcome would align with a long-term development plan rather than suggesting the player failed to meet expectations.
Johnson’s described preference is that if a player is better served by the AHL for long-term growth, the organization should send them there and keep that decision stable, rather than rushing them or destabilizing their development with repeated NHL/AHL movement.
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