The cool Utah Mammoth logo has a neat hidden element in it
The Mammoth are no longer extinct.
Well, in the NHL, at least.
The Utah Hockey Club has announced its rebranding: despite having a cool name and other possible cool monikers, they will henceforth be known as the Utah Mammoth (which we knew thanks to a leak from their YouTube channel).
Solid. Yeti would have been better, but thanks to a copyright dispute, that was out.
So now we have a cool new Utah Mammoth logo, which has a neat little hidden element: some mountains on the head. I like it! Here's a look at the new logo and their uniforms (they're keeping the "UTAH" branding for road games, which isn't as good):
To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here
and view the "Content and social media partners" setting to do so.
A new Ice Age dawns. Introducing Utah Mammoth. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/B2yuoflDRt
— Utah Mammoth (@utahhockeyclub) May 7, 2025
To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here
and view the "Content and social media partners" setting to do so.
Meet the Utah Mammoth, permanent name and identity of #NHL's newest franchise - formerly #UtahHC.
Inside the fan-driven branding process which spanned 850,000 votes, came together in 13 months and includes a few juicy easter eggs. #TusksUp
Story: https://t.co/TRrHaez2dJ pic.twitter.com/B5AGwx72DQ
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 7, 2025
To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here
and view the "Content and social media partners" setting to do so.
Utah Hockey Club is now officially the Utah Mammoth!
They'll wear the (very cool) logo at home and UTAH on the road. Gear goes on sale today at team store and jerseys will be available later this summer. Their NHL draft picks will wear them in June.#TusksUp @utahhockeyclub pic.twitter.com/CegnWAjl1s
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 7, 2025
Awesome.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Utah Mammoth logo has hidden element in it
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
24 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
A pair of Makars on the Avalanche roster? Taylor hopes to one day join brother Cale
DENVER (AP) — Should Taylor Makar someday make the roster, big brother Cale needs to consider altering the back of his Colorado Avalanche sweater. That's the running joke of Taylor, anyway — a 'C. Makar' modification from simply 'Makar' to make room for 'T. Makar.' One Makar on the blue line and another at forward is something they've thought about since they were growing up in Calgary. Because of their age difference — Cale is more than 2 years older — the tandem has never really been on the same elite team. If it happens with the Avalanche, they could join the likes of the Hughes brothers, who have Jack and Luke suiting up together with the New Jersey Devils (brother Quinn plays for Vancouver). Cale, of course, is already well-established as one of the league's top defensemen and coming off a season in which he won the Norris Trophy. Taylor keeps working his way toward the NHL. He started last year at the University of Maine before joining the Avalanche's American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, for the remainder of the season. When big brother speaks, Taylor carefully listens. 'I learn a lot from him,' said Taylor, who's taking part in the Avalanche's development camp this week but not skating as he rehabs from an upper body injury. 'Obviously, we train together. Do everything. It's just cool.' He cracked: 'Hopefully, he has to put a 'C' (for C. Makar) on his (sweater).' Although, it's not a requirement by the league. Sibling rivalry The Makar brothers are highly competitive in whatever hobby, activity or sport in which they challenge each other. By Taylor's scorecard, he reigns over Cale in cribbage, basketball, board games and video games. He gives Cale the edge on the golf course and sometimes in tennis. To hear Cale tell it, though, the rules sometimes get bent. 'He's the feisty little brother that would cheap-shot you when everything was said and done,' Cale recently said. 'I'd usually win and then for some reason I'd call it quits and he kind of gave me cheap shots. As kids, we had a lot of fun like that. It definitely brings back a lot of memories. I think it's helped us later in life in competitiveness.' Cale made his NHL debut in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs and has been a goal-scoring, puck-defending force ever since. He's coming off a season in which he had 30 goals as he became the first NHL defenseman to reach that mark since Mike Green scored 31 for Washington in 2008-09. No surprise, Cale was awarded the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman (he also won the award in 2022, the season Colorado captured the Stanley Cup). Now this was a surprise — the secret celebration his younger brother helped spring to commemorate the achievement. Taylor played a role in organizing a golf outing for the unsuspecting Cale as family and friends gathered in the backyard for the trophy presentation. When the group stopped by during their round, everyone was waiting. 'It turned out well, and he was pretty excited,' explained Taylor, a seventh-round pick by Colorado in 2021. 'It was a cool, special moment for all the people that are really close to him and our family to share together.' The Makar name For Taylor, there's no added pressure having 'Makar' on the back of his sweater given his brother's success. In fact, it's 'pretty cool,' he conceded. Big brother's biggest piece of advice? 'Just be myself,' Taylor said. Cale, 26, certainly is proud of his younger brother. The 24-year-old Taylor is coming off a season at Maine where he scored 18 goals and had 12 assists in 38 games. He then signed an entry-level deal and joined the Eagles, scoring a goal in five regular-season games. 'I think he's got a lot of intangibles that once he puts them all together he's got a really bright career ahead,' said Cale, who was the fourth overall pick by the Avalanche in 2017. 'It's cool to be able to have family this close now.' Watching little brother In April, Cale ventured up to Loveland, Colorado, to watch his brother play for the Eagles. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances — Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was with the Eagles on a conditioning assignment in his recovery from a serious knee injury. It marked Landeskog's first professional game since Colorado's Cup run in 2022. 'First time I've seen (Taylor) play live at least since (youth hockey),' said Cale, who along with teammate Nathan MacKinnon was part of Team Canada's first six players chosen to take part in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Taylor's road to making the Avalanche roster to start the season figures to be difficult. Colorado is a bona fide title contender and stacked at forward. 'Just keep working hard, keep learning,' Taylor said. 'Got a ways to go, but just put everything out there.' ___ AP NHL:
New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
Canadiens' continued pursuit of unicorns stands tall at development camp
BROSSARD, Québec – Development camp is very different this year for the Montreal Canadiens. There is no fresh first-round pick taking part because the Canadiens didn't make a first-round pick after trading both of theirs to the New York Islanders in the Noah Dobson deal. The only first-round pick in camp is Michael Hage, a serious departure from the first three years of this administration's rebuild. Advertisement Hage is headed back to the University of Michigan for his sophomore year in the fall. There is no Juraj Slafkovský like there was in 2022, the first development camp under Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, and there is no Lane Hutson like there was last year. It would be very surprising if anyone at this development camp played games for the Canadiens in the next two years, the first such development camp of this rebuild. These players are, by and large, longer-term projects. But one player at camp already has an NHL contract in his back pocket. He went undrafted in his first year of eligibility and was then drafted last year by the Canadiens in the fifth round, during a commercial break in the coverage. Tyler Thorpe found out he was drafted when a buddy of his called him to let him know, as commercials continued rolling on television. Then, Thorpe came to rookie camp last fall and stood out. He is 6 feet 5 inches, long and physical, and can really shoot it. He has puck skills. The only deficiency is his feet, which still need work. But the Canadiens saw enough in one rookie camp to give Thorpe some serious motivation to go back to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL and work on the things that will help him reach the NHL with the Canadiens. He was given the mandate of playing big, and if he did that, there was a strong chance there would be an NHL contract waiting for him at the end of the season. Thorpe scored 27 goals in 68 games and led the Giants with a plus-11 rating, but more importantly, he began imposing himself physically with more consistency and using his physical gifts to their utmost potential. 'After rookie camp and throughout the year, they were telling me that if you play the right way, if you play the style of game I like to play and my body size helps me play, then a contract would be there for me,' Thorpe said Wednesday after the second day of Canadiens development camp. Advertisement That's what Thorpe did, and on April 8, three days after his final game with the Giants and less than two years after he went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, Thorpe signed a three-year entry level NHL contract and reported to the Laval Rocket. This came one year (less a day) after Florian Xhekaj, also undrafted in his first year of eligibility and taken in the fourth round of the 2023 draft as an overager, signed after the completion of his OHL season with the Brantford Bulldogs. Xhekaj is another long, rangy, physical forward who just finished an excellent rookie season with the Rocket. He is not exactly the same player as Thorpe, but they are definitely in a similar bucket. They share a type — a rare type that can be very effective in a seven-game playoff series if they can get the details and habits rounded out to reach the NHL. 'What they said to me, and I fully agree with them, is I have stick skill,' Thorpe said. 'I can shoot the puck, I can pass, I can stickhandle, but it's just morphing that into the big frame. So obviously that comes with the gritty play, the hitting, the forechecking. Just kind of morphing those two together, that's kind of been their message so far.' Thorpey channeling his inner Michelangelo today! 🐢 From 2️⃣6️⃣ Connor Levis to Tyler Thorpe with his 2️⃣6️⃣th of the season!#REMAXforCMN | @remaxcanada | @bcchf | @TheWHL | @CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo — Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 3, 2025 Thorpe had the advantage of having a late growth spurt. When COVID-19 hit in 2020 when Thorpe was 14, he was about 5-7. By the time he was 17 and playing in the WHL, Thorpe was about 6-4, and today he's 6-5. So, those stick skills came from his days as a smaller player, but he's still learning how to be a big player and use that frame to its fullest potential in the pro game. Advertisement 'My first year when I played Junior B, I was trying to be the little guy, get the nice goals, make the nice plays,' he said. 'But once I got to the WHL, they said, this is your role. I love throwing a big hit now, so I was more than happy to do that.' In other words, even today, Thorpe is a bit of a blank canvas, blessed with physical gifts and a background as a skill player. His feet most definitely need to catch up, and he's working with noted Vancouver-based skating coach Barb Aidelbaum on that and has made it the priority of his summer, but the bet the Canadiens are making on him is clear. It is the same bet they made on Xhekaj, whom co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov famously referred to as a unicorn in the Canadiens 2023 draft meetings. But it didn't stop in 2023. Because if they draft enough of them, one of them might hit and help them in a Stanley Cup playoff series one day. And thus, the Thorpe pick in 2024. We had heard strong rumblings the Canadiens would be seeking this unicorn again in the 2025 draft. We thought it might happen in the first round with Jack Nesbitt, but the Canadiens traded both of their first-round picks. We thought it might happen in the second round with Will Moore or Matthew Gard, but the Canadiens traded picks No. 41 and 49 to move up and draft super-skilled Russian winger Alexander Zharovsky at No. 34, a player they feel has top-six upside. But in the third round, the Canadiens traded up again to place their unicorn bet. Similar to Thorpe, with the third round of the 2025 draft crawling along at a snail's pace, the draft broadcast went to commercial just before Hayden Paupanekis' future was about to be determined. As the broadcast came back, it was announced the Canadiens had traded picks No. 79 and 108 to the Boston Bruins for pick No. 69. Advertisement Paupanekis was home in Winnipeg surrounded by family, and all of a sudden, coming out of a commercial break, he was drafted by the Canadiens. 'Out of nowhere it was Montreal's pick …and then I hear my name,' Paupanekis said Wednesday. 'When I learned they traded up for me it meant a lot. They didn't think I was going to be there at 79.' When asked why he thinks the Canadiens drafted him, Paupanekis hit the nail on the head. 'I think they drafted a big player,' he said, 'a guy who always wants to win and be the best.' Big Paupi Le Paupi Grand 🤝How many @CanadiensMTL fans will come watch Hayden Paupanekis at the 2026 Memorial Cup??#GoHabsGo | @Kelowna_Rockets | #NHLDraft — Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 28, 2025 Paupanekis is a 6-5, 203-pound centre for the Kelowna Rockets, the 2026 Memorial Cup hosts. He is squarely in that same bucket that includes Xhekaj and Thorpe, another Canadiens swing at a unicorn, another player with great physical gifts who is still trying to figure out how to best use those gifts. 'I'm still trying to identify what my identity is and still trying to learn what kind of player I am,' he said. 'I think once I figure that out and learn how my body works and how it moves, I'll have a really big gap with other guys. I'll be able to protect pucks better. I think everybody drools over tall guys, and once I find who I am as a player … I'll be pretty good.' Paupanekis is Cree on his father's side. Mike Paupanekis was born in Norway House, Manitoba, just north of the northern shores of Lake Winnipeg, an eight-hour drive north of Winnipeg, and still has family there. Paupanekis is proud of his heritage and has done hockey camps in Norway House, hoping to serve as an inspiration to the youth there, not unlike another former Canadiens star with First Nations roots. Advertisement 'A lot of First Nations communities, little kids, they look up to me,' he said. 'I love to inspire them. Anything's possible for those kids. I like to give back to the community and do hockey programs up north where my dad's from. That's what I love. Being First Nations, I'm proud of it.' With the Rockets gearing up with a guaranteed spot in the Memorial Cup, Paupanekis has been told his role will grow. 'I think my role on that team is going to be as a top forward, I'm going to get lots of ice, my coaches told me that,' he said. 'So I just want to build up in the summer for the season and hopefully have a really big summer and see where it takes me.' As a Winnipeg native, Paupanekis looks at Jets centre Adam Lowry as a role model but likes to think he has a bit of Tage Thompson in his game as well and considers himself a cross between the two. If he comes close to becoming that, the Canadiens will obviously be thrilled. We'll see what happens with Paupanekis in rookie camp, but it's not hard to see a scenario where he's told something similar to what Thorpe heard when his first rookie camp came to an end — that if Paupanekis finds that identity as a big, rangy, physical centre and displays the attributes the Canadiens are looking for to fill a specific role on their team three, four or even five years down the road, an NHL entry-level contract would be the reward. It's far too early in the process to predict that, but that was undoubtedly the motivation behind trading up to get Paupanekis early in the third round of the draft. The Canadiens have clearly demonstrated they have a type and a willingness to take multiple swings at adding that profile to the NHL club. Xhekaj is in pole position to fill it right now, but there are more candidates in the pipeline. Because the Canadiens continue chasing unicorns. (Top photo of Hayden Paupanekis: Bill Wippert / Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Canucks offseason depth chart 2.0: Where does Vancouver stand after free agency?
From the perspective of adding volume to their roster, it wasn't the busiest offseason for the Vancouver Canucks. Still the club utilized most of their draft picks at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, executed a trade with the cap strapped Edmonton Oilers, extended three core players and fleshed out their organizational depth — which took a hit following the club's Calder Cup championship success — with some league minimum signings. Advertisement The shifting puzzle pieces that make up this Canucks lineup, however, will impact training camp battles, and how this team performs once the puck finally drops on the 2025-26 regular season in October. Let's check in on the state of the Canucks depth chart, with an eye toward what the franchise has accomplished and what they still need to add over the balance of this offseason. In contrast with the glaring needs at centre, Vancouver is relatively well set up and deep on both wings. The left side of Vancouver's forward group is headlined by Jake DeBrusk, who set a new career high in goals scored (28) in his first season with Vancouver, finishing with 48 total points in 82 games. A streaky supporting winger capable of logging top-line minutes, DeBrusk was very reliant on cleaning up loose change on the power play to produce offence in his first Canucks season — half of his 28 goals were scored with the man advantage. To really unlock DeBrusk's five-on-five value, first-year Canucks head coach Adam Foote will need to find a way to manufacture more rush offence. Evander Kane was acquired from the Oilers for a fourth-round pick and represents the biggest acquisition of the Canucks offseason to this point. The Vancouver-born power forward missed all of the 2024-25 regular season following surgery to repair a multitude of lower-body issues, but looked fast and was productive as the Oilers lost for a second consecutive year in the Stanley Cup Final. Kane has a lot of loud tools — a high quality wrist shot, solid speed, a physical presence on the ice — but is probably a complementary middle-six winger at this stage of his career. He's definitely got the stomach for competing in heavy games at the toughest time of the year, but he's also got a significant penchant for taking undisciplined penalties. Advertisement Quietly Nils Höglander broke out in the second half of last season, after he was relegated to a fourth-line depth roll for a two month stretch that spanned from November through to January. The high-energy puck-battle winning ace winger still has some defensive warts that have prevented him from earning the sort of opportunity he needs to be a 40-50 point top-six winger. The raw ability, however, and the sky high work rate is unquestionably there. It was a challenging season for Dakota Joshua, who missed time to begin the year after surgery to address a testicular cancer diagnosis in August and never really appeared to get caught up. Dinged up with a linger hip injury, Joshua could be traded to make the cap space work if Vancouver has a chance to land the middle-six centre this lineup so sorely needs. Arshdeep Bains dominated in the conference final and Calder Cup Final for Abbotsford on their championship run. The 24-year-old forward has just enough speed and just enough size and just enough skill to carve out a full-time NHL role, but when he's had NHL opportunities in the past, he's played a tight, coach's pet game that has served to limit his creativity and diminish his potential value. Bains will require waivers this season, so this will be a critical training camp for him. Lanky St. Louis Blues depth forward Mackenzie MacEachern was signed to a two-way deal, and is seemingly earmarked to replace what Sammy Blais brought to the Abbotsford lineup as a physical, veteran forward. It's been a few years since the 31-year-old was a full-time NHL player, but he had some legitimately strong moments in a fourth-line role — including a 7 goal season in 2019-20 — at the NHL level. Vilmer Alriksson is an absolute unit standing 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. He was a favourite of Rick Tocchet, and despite a limited scoring profile at the major junior level, is now old enough to turn pro full-time. Advertisement 22-year-old Josh Bloom spent most of last season at the ECHL level. The odds are stacked against him carving out an NHL path given his development trajectory at this point, but the 2024 Memorial Cup winning goal scorer still has plus wheels, good size and decent hockey IQ. He's young enough that he still has time to put it all together. It feels like this upcoming season will hinge on whether or not Elias Pettersson is able to bounce back and perform like a star-level, top-line centre and game breaker. That's a lot of pressure on Vancouver's $11.6 million man, who performed like a decent 60-point defensive minded second-line centre throughout last season. It should go without saying, that Vancouver will need more from their top forward. Filip Chytil impressed intermittently in his first 15 Canucks games, before he sustained a concussion on a hit from Jason Dickinson that knocked him out of the lineup for the balance of the campaign. Beyond being viewed internally as a third-line centre ideally, Chytil, who has dealt with significant concussion injuries in the past, carries some significant durability questions marks going into this season which enhance his downside risk. The big bodied centre is an exceptional neutral zone driver, but if the club is unable to add to their centre group, Chytil is unproven in the role that Vancouver will ask him to fill this season. Aatu Räty doesn't just have an inside track to play third-line minutes for Vancouver next season, as it stands, he'd have to actively lose the job. The 22-year-old pivot is reliable in the face-off dot, skilled in traffic and improved his food speed significantly last summer. Räty's NHL potential is evident, but if he can continue on that trajectory, the Canucks may have a bona fide middle-six pivot on their hands. Räty was injured during Abbotsford's Calder Cup playoff run, and that injury could inhibit his offseason training somewhat. The Canucks aren't concerned about his availability for training camp, but given his probable importance to the club, Vancouver brass is monitoring his recovery with interest. Teddy Blueger had a successful 40 game run as a third-line centre for the Canucks during the 2023-24 campaign, but is clearly best suited to a more limited role. With one year remaining on his contract, which carries a $1.8 million cap hit, Blueger could end up on the trade block if Vancouver requires some additional cap flexibility this offseason. Max Sasson was one of Abbotsford's many standout performers during the Calder Cup playoffs. The speedy 24-year-old is a high-end competitive motor, is an excellent skater and can think the game at an NHL level. He's a bit limited offensively, however, and lacks prototypical size for a bottom-six centre and may end up on the wing long-term in the NHL. Advertisement Nils Åman is fast and long and oppressive defensively, but his lack of face-off winning ability is a severe limiting factor. If Åman was winning north of 50 percent of his draws, he'd profile like a highly sought after fourth-line defensive specialist, but alas. Ty Mueller has been a breakout star in Vancouver's prospect system over the past 12 months, evening making his NHL debut late last season. The club feels he's probably a year away from really challenging for a full-time NHL role, but the club views him as having that sort of upside. A Canucks draft pick during the Mike Gillis years, Vancouver repatriated 6-foot-5 forward Joseph LaBate on a two-way contract this summer. LaBate is a defensive specialist at the American League level, who got into six NHL games for Columbus this past season. With a fresh, seven-year extension in hand Brock Boeser's Canucks future is secured at last. The top-six scoring winger has adapted his game over the years, transforming himself into a net front specialist on the power play and a master of deflections in the greasy areas of the ice. Also extended this week, Conor Garland was utilized as a first-line forward last season. Garland's defensive game has adapted over the years, but he's largely a reliable performer and middle-six play driver who is capable of playing up the lineup but is probably best suited to dominating minutes a bit further down the lineup. Kiefer Sherwood set the NHL's record for hits and scored 19 goals while producing 40 points in his remarkable first season in Vancouver. Despite well above average finishing ability, Sherwood is a true bottom-six forward based on how he contributes in the build up in stationary attacking situations. He's an excellent against the grain rush attacker, however, with a consistent competitive motor. Drew O'Connor can struggle to finish chances, but he's a hard working, fast right-handed forward with real wheels. A solid role player with some ability to handle tough defensive assignments. Advertisement Linus Karlsson was Abbotsford's best player on their road to the Calder Cup. The 25-year-old forward is limited by his speed, but has sky high hockey IQ, is exceptionally hard on his stick and is dangerous at the net front and in the area game. The skating speed is a real limiting factor for Karlsson, but he could potentially carve out a full-time NHL niche as a bottom-six winger and power-play specialist. Jonathan Lekkerimäki was dominant in the first half of his season in the AHL, flashed mega potential in 24 NHL games and then struggled enormously in the Calder Cup playoffs — before a really slick two-goal game in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Final. Based on his current development curve the 20-year-old winger should challenge for a middle-six spot at the NHL level this season. Danila Klimovich scored some huge overtime goals in the Calder Cup playoffs, but remains a few years away from being a few years away. The strength of this hockey club, on paper, is on the back-end. And the strength of the back-end is Quinn Hughes, who is the most impactful individual two-way defender in hockey. Acquired at midseason, Marcus Pettersson is a low-end top-pair defender — a classic two/three type — capable of keying the breakout and munching big minutes responsibly. We've never seen Pettersson play when Hughes was at 100 percent, and if you're searching for optimism in this Canucks lineup, that's it right there. Elias Pettersson ('Petey Junior', as the Canucks call him internally) was a revelation in his late season look at the NHL level last season. Deceptively fast, deceptively skilled and evidently physical, Pettersson is tracking like a physical two-way defender who could be the real deal. Derek Forbort is a sturdy penalty killer, and a reliable depth option who excels at defending in the neutral zone in particular. Advertisement Pierre-Olivier Joseph has the ability to play both the left and right sides, and is a solid, versatile organizational depth replacement for Christian Wolanin. Guillaume Brisebois is the longest tenured Canuck and the organization still believes strongly in him. There's hope that he's put the injury issues from the past few seasons behind him. Could be an NHL option if injuries hit this season. Kirill Kudryavtsev was the breakout star for Abbotsford on their run to the Calder Cup. A burgeoning two-way ace at a precocious enough age that he may be able to breakthrough his rare profile and lack of first power-play unit upside as a slighter blue liner. Jimmy Schuldt is a 30-year-old American League veteran with a couple games of NHL experience. Vancouver is very excited about Sawyer Mynio, who will be counted on to play a major role in Abbotsford. The Canucks aren't lacking for talent on the right-side of their defence, especially given that players like Forbort, Pettersson, Kudryavtsev and Joseph can fill-in ably on the right side, but the club could probably still use some depth reinforcements at right defense. Just one more American League veteran with a handful of NHL games under the belt might be worthwhile as insurance. Filip Hronek has emerged as the pitch perfect Hughes caddy, but is a genuine top-pair defender in his own right as well. Tyler Myers played his best hockey last season with Foote as his assistant coach. Has he hit a new level in his mid-30s, or should we expect a few ore the more chaotic elements of his game to return next season? Tom Willander is going to get a long look at training camp this fall, and despite his need to improve at the offensive sides of the game (and in terms of his puck handling in particular) is likely to start the season in Vancouver's lineup. The club is that high on him. Advertisement Victor Mancini showed out during the Calder Cup playoffs and has some very interesting traits given his size and skating ability. His defensive IQ and puck-handling details, however, remain a work in progress. Jett Woo was tendered a qualifying offer by the club, but remains a restricted free agent for the moment. Woo has the versatility to play both sides, and has become an elite American League defensive defenseman. Thatcher Demko's Canucks future is secured. We know that Demko can string together stretches of dominance, the question, really, is whether or not Vancouver's number one goalie can stay healthy, and how many games should he play in tandem with Kevin Lankinen? Signed to a five-year extension during the season, Lankinen is expected to play frequently as Vancouver's '1B' option in net. Artūrs Šilovs was the Calder Cup playoff MVP this spring after a difficult season at the NHL level. He requires waivers this fall, and the club will likely look to find a taker for Šilovs on the trade market before Canadian thanksgivings. The club is high on Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young, who are primed to comprise the club's goaltending tandem in Abbotsford next season. (Top photo of newly-acquired forward Evander Kane: Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA TODAY Sports)
