Six takeaways from Canucks’ 2026 training camp in Penticton as roster questions take shape

The Story

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2026 Training Camp has concluded after four days of practice and evaluation in Penticton, setting the stage for the remaining pre-season games and the ongoing question of what the early-season roster could look like. While nothing from camp is final, the session offered a structured look at where the organization’s attention has been focused, from defensive pairings and competition for roles to how high-effort veterans and emerging prospects have approached the week.

A major storyline centered on the competition for one depth spot on the blue line, often framed as the “seventh-defenceman” battle. The camp’s examples pointed largely toward Victor Mancini and Kirill Kudryavtsev, both of whom have accumulated NHL time in recent seasons but have not yet locked in a long-term role. The material describes how the pairing situation evolved over the four days, with Mancini taking a step back as the week progressed, particularly after the Canucks’ first pre-season game.

That opener came on Saturday, ending in a 4–2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. The observations tied some of the momentum in this defensive competition to game moments, including a defensive lapse described in connection with a turnover that led to a Seattle goal. Kudryavtsev, meanwhile, appeared to move into more prominent usage in the week’s preparations, including what the report describes as first-unit power-play minutes during both the Prospects Showcase and pre-season.

Power-play reps and practice chemistry are not guarantees of an NHL job, but they can shape how coaches plan for upcoming decisions. The camp observations also highlighted that the organization appears to be thinking beyond just the first pre-season portion, including the possibility of a role for Kudryavtsev with the Abbotsford Canucks if he doesn’t secure a full-time spot in Vancouver.

Financial considerations were included as another factor in the defensive decision-making landscape. According to the material, Mancini is on a one-way deal worth $1 million annually through 2027–28, meaning his pay would be the same whether he plays in the NHL or the AHL. By contrast, Kudryavtsev is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, which the report notes could make him less expensive if he is assigned to Abbotsford.

Another pairing-related thread involved Luke Schenn’s early presence with Zeev Buium during the first two days of camp. The report describes Buium and Schenn as working well together in practice, with Schenn positioned as a veteran presence for the younger defenceman. It also notes that the broader Canucks camp context included comparisons to a mentorship-style role Schenn previously filled for Quinn Hughes.

As the week progressed, the camp observations describe how the Buium-Schenn pairing shifted on Day 4, with Buium ultimately paired with the player most associated with Schenn’s earlier defensive role during the timeline. Even as the line combinations changed, the material included specific comments from both players about what Buium learned from working with Schenn—particularly around “little things” defensively and offensively, reflecting a focus on details rather than only big moments.

On the forward side, the report describes Brendan Gallagher as one of the most noticeable players at camp, with his impact presented as effort and persistence across drills and skating. A standout example came during a board-battle drill in which Gallagher fought for the puck for more than 30 seconds without giving up position, a moment used to illustrate a consistent theme: showing energy regardless of whether the session produced highlight-reel plays.

The material also described how Gallagher’s camp-line combinations worked early on, including a connection with Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor during the first two days. On Day 4, the report notes that Sasson’s placement changed due to him being moved into a different group after playing in Saturday’s pre-season game. Gallagher’s assessment, as presented in the observations, framed the potential of that trio as something fans could watch if the lineup arrangements developed the right way.

Leadership and fan-facing moments were also part of the camp’s closing narrative. After Saturday’s scrimmage in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre, the report says Gallagher was one of three players who addressed the crowd, with the other two identified as Luke Schenn and Brock Boeser. The appearance of multiple veteran voices in that setting underscored an emphasis on establishing group identity beyond the ice sessions.

Prospects were another focal point of the week, with the report emphasizing that Vancouver’s more NHL-ready future options have been visible even if the organization might not immediately deploy them full-time. Braeden Cootes was described as an early standout since the 2026 Prospects Showcase the week before, with camp use that included working primarily with Arshdeep Bains and Adam Novotný. In the first pre-season game on Saturday, the material states Cootes ended up with Jonathan Lekkerimäki on his other flank and registered two points in Vancouver’s effort.

Adam Novotný’s camp impression was also highlighted as an extension of his strong prospects work, with the observations crediting physicality, sustained effort, and showing off skills the report associates with his style. The camp write-up framed other prospects as receiving attention in specific drills or game moments, including Gabriel Chiarot in Saturday’s in-team scrimmage, Yaroslav Bryzgalov in O-zone drills, and Vilmer Alriksson in drills and Saturday’s pre-season game.

In terms of roster question marks, the report pointed to Filip Chytil as a player who could factor into Vancouver’s plans if he avoids setbacks. It says Chytil was healthy and able to fully participate in camp, standing out particularly during Days 1 and 2. The observations detail that his line placement shifted across the four days, starting on a line with Brock Boeser and Paul Cotter, before centering a line that also included Paul Cotter and Brendan Gallagher on Day 4.

The final camp takeaway tied coaching preparation and practice structure to the new head coach’s approach. The report described Manny Malhotra’s practices as high tempo and varied in exercises, with an emphasis on instruction that could interrupt a drill rather than letting a session run on autopilot. It also referenced an end-of-practice “bag skate” sequence that included Malhotra and the coaching staff joining players, as described through remarks attributed to Schenn and Buium in the camp observations.

With camp completed, the practical significance for Vancouver supporters is that the groundwork for lineup and role decisions has narrowed. The report frames the next three pre-season games as the continuation point for the defensive “seventh” battle, the evaluation of how far prospect momentum can carry, and whether Chytil’s health and positioning at centre become a meaningful answer to the organization’s early-season questions.

The most immediate context for readers in Vancouver is that the Canucks’ camp concluded in Penticton with multiple layers of evaluation already visible: power-play usage, shifting pairings over Days 1 through 4, and the blending of veteran leadership with prospect energy in both on-ice sessions and the Saturday scrimmage at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The closing days of camp also reinforced a broader message about how Vancouver is trying to establish standards—through tempo, contested play, and structured roles—while still leaving enough openness for the pre-season to test combinations that could matter once the regular-season roster decisions begin to solidify.