Ahead of a five-game road trip, the Vancouver Canucks are making some roster changes.

Head coach Adam Foote announced on Tuesday that centre Braeden Cootes is being sent back down to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. In a subsequent move, forward Max Sasson is being called up from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.

Cootes, 18, played in Vancouver’s first three games of the 2025-26 season, posting a minus-two plus/minus in 10:47 of average ice time with a 38.5 face-off win percentage.

According to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Foote praised Cootes for his brief NHL stint to open the season, adding that the youngster will be able to apply that experience back in Seattle.

The NHL rookie was a point-per-game player with the Thunderbirds last year, logging 63 points (26 goals and 37 assists) in 60 a

See Full Page