Friday’s Vancouver Canucks Rundown will go over a franchise record that has been shattered and give an update on the prospects.

A Franchise Record Broken

With their 3-14-1 record through 18 games, that is the worst 18-game start in franchise history. It eclipsed 1997-98’s start, where the team had 13 losses through 18 games. Mark Messier was the captain, and Mike Keenan was the coach. It was a season of turmoil as upheaval began, with the departures of Kirk McLean, Martin Gelinas, and Trevor Linden. While such drama will not exist on the 2026-27 Canucks, they are on pace to finish with 32 points. That would by far be the worst season in franchise history.

In addition, the Canucks have allowed 4.61 goals per game, which is the highest through the first 18 games in the NHL in the last 30 years. That is certainly one way to make your mark in the NHL. Hey, at least the team is relevant in some way.

Call-Ups From Abbotsford Unlikely

Even though some change would certainly be welcome for the NHL team, call-ups from the AHL seem unlikely. Rick Dhaliwal from CHEK’s Donnie & Dhali went on the Halford & Brough show Friday to talk about a variety of items. As we discussed in the latest Canucks prospects update, Abbotsford is on a seven-game winning streak. However, they are playing in a weak division. Upper management, including Daniel Sedin, Ryan Johnson, Manny Malhotra and Richard Seeley, were in San Jose to watch Abbotsford take on the San Jose Barracuda last week. No call-ups have been made other than Jacob Quillan, who was called up out of necessity. A pro scout mentioned that the only players worth calling up would be Braeden Cootes and Nikita Tolopilo.

Why Ruin the Positives in Abbotsford?

For Cootes’ development, it would be unwise to call him up when the NHL team is a mess. Cootes has six points in six games with Abbotsford this season and has been thriving in the environment. He has been out with a hip flexor injury but could return as soon as tonight against the Ontario Reign. If Cootes were called up, the NHL squad would look better, but any improvements would be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Johnson has stated he does not want to “yo-yo” players up and down the NHL and AHL teams. Furthermore, if Cootes plays fewer than 10 games in the NHL this season, he will not burn a year off his entry-level contract.

As for Tolopilo, he is putting up some of his best numbers in his career in Abbotsford right now. Unless Kevin Lankinen permits the team to waive him and send him down to the AHL, which is highly unlikely, there is no room for Tolopilo. Both Leevi Merilainen and Tolopilo require waivers to be sent down, and when the goaltending is already as weak as it is, the team cannot afford to lose any goalies. Therefore, unless an injury occurs, it is unlikely that Tolopilo would be called up.

Aleksei Medvedev Traded to Peterborough

Canucks prospect goalie Aleksei Medvedev has been traded to the Peterborough Petes from the London Knights of the OHL, in exchange for three draft picks. Why is that significant? It is because that is the same team that Canucks prospect Adam Novotny is on. Peterborough may have just gotten twice as interesting to watch, with this development. Medvedev had been struggling with a 3.43 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage for London through eight games. This may be the change of scenery that he needed to get more action in an important developmental year.