Canucks Acquire Jack Thompson From Sharks
The Canucks announced the acquisition of right-shot defenseman Jack Thompson from the Sharks in exchange for minor-league defender Jett Woo. Thompson was also in the minors at the time of the deal, so the trade doesn’t affect either club’s active roster.
Thompson is on the move for the second time in three years, as San Jose picked up the defender at the 2024 trade deadline from the Lightning as part of the return for rental winger Anthony Duclair. He was a third-round pick by Tampa in 2020 and was a legitimately intriguing prospect at the time, posting 32 points in 46 games for AHL Syracuse up to that point.
That momentum continued into last season, which Thompson split evenly between the Sharks and the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. When in the NHL, he was impressive in a bottom-pairing role. He suited up 31 times for San Jose, recording a 4-6–10 scoring line and a -9 rating while averaging 15:47 per game. The 6’1″ righty isn’t overly physical and isn’t much of a defensive threat in his own zone, but he was offensively potent enough to create good possession impacts for the Sharks, ranking third on their blue line last season with a 5-on-5 expected goals percentage of 47.1.
With the Sharks’ signings of veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg in free agency last summer, plus top prospect Sam Dickinson locking down a roster spot, Thompson was lost in the shuffle this season from the start. The 23-year-old somewhat surprisingly cleared waivers at the beginning of the season and hasn’t seen a recall since, spending the entire year with the Barracuda. He only has three goals and 12 points in 42 games, a far cry from his usual AHL production.
As such, he likely welcomed a change of scenery, and the Canucks presumably view this year as more of a blip than a permanent regression. After shipping out Tyler Myers to the Stars yesterday, Vancouver has an immediate need for right-shot depth.
They recalled 26-year-old Cole Clayton with no NHL experience today to serve as their #7 with Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Derek Forbort on injured reserve. It stands to reason that Thompson usurps him on the depth chart for now and will make a legitimate challenge for consistent NHL minutes with fellow youngsters Tom Willander and Victor Mancini behind top-pair righty Filip Hronek down the stretch.
If Thompson doesn’t work out, it’s not as if they’re giving up a particularly high-value asset to land him. Woo was a second-rounder in 2018, and the organization long hoped he could be a solid depth piece and power-play option, but he’s now 25 and has yet to make his NHL debut. A pending Group VI unrestricted free agent, he’s effectively just a contract San Jose is taking back to avoid Vancouver pushing closer to the 50-man limit.
The right-shot Woo has had some intriguing AHL seasons in the past, but this isn’t one of them. He’s been limited to a goal and eight points in 26 AHL games with a career-worst -11 rating. If the Sharks keep him around past this year, it won’t be anything more than a supplemental piece for their higher-value D prospects in the minors.
Canucks Reassign Jett Woo
Dec. 9: Woo cleared waivers and will be on his way to Abbotsford, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK.
Dec. 8: According to Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Jett Woo on waivers. Assuming he clears, Vancouver will be able to reassign Woo to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks tomorrow.
Woo opened up the 2025-26 campaign on the Canucks’ season-opening injured reserve due to offseason surgery. The surgery was reportedly meant to address an upper-body injury that Woo played through on AHL Abbotsford’s run to a Calder Cup championship last spring.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Woo was considered an up-and-coming defensive prospect in Vancouver’s pipeline. The Canucks selected Woo with the 37th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, and he spent the next two years scoring 19 goals and 112 points in 126 games between the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and Calgary Hitmen.
Unfortunately, that production hasn’t translated into success in the professional circuit. Despite spending the last six years playing for Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, Woo has yet to make his NHL debut, and it’s unlikely he’ll ever become a consistent part of the team’s defensive core.
He’s shown some promise on the defensive side of the puck, but Woo has shown little on offense. In 267 AHL contests, the 25-year-old blueliner has scored 21 goals and 83 points.
Injury Updates: Kraken, Holloway, Hayes, Woo
The Kraken announced (Twitter links) that defenseman Brandon Montour is set to miss the next two weeks after undergoing a procedure to remove a bursa on his ankle. The 31-year-old fit in rather well in his first season with Seattle, notching a career-best 18 goals while his 41 points were the second-most he’d had in a single season. The timeline suggests that he still should be available to start the season but he might not get into any preseason action.
Meanwhile, the team also provided injury updates on several other players. Veteran forward Max McCormick is out indefinitely and won’t participate in training camp. He wasn’t up with the Kraken last season so there won’t be a prorated cap charge while he sits on season-opening IR. Also, winger Lleyton Roed is expected to miss the next two months with an upper-body injury while forward Nathan Villeneuve is out with a lower-body injury that is still pending evaluation. Villeneuve isn’t able to play full-time in the minors this season so he will likely be returned to OHL Sudbury when he’s cleared to return.
Other injury notes from around the NHL:
- Blues winger Dylan Holloway underwent abdominal surgery after sustaining an early in early April that kept him out for the stretch run and playoffs. However, team reporter Chris Pinkert relays that the 23-year-old was a full participant at practice today while Holloway indicated that the injury wound up healing quicker than originally anticipated, allowing him to get a good summer of training in. It’s already a contract year for and after putting up 63 points in a breakout effort last season, Holloway appears to be in line for a significant raise on the $2.29MM he’ll be making this season.
- Penguins center Kevin Hayes left practice early today after taking a hit from Ryan Graves. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays (Twitter link) that head coach Dan Muse didn’t have an immediate update after practice and that he’s still being evaluated. The 33-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is coming off a relatively quiet year last season where he scored just 13 goals and 10 assists in 64 games, his first year with Pittsburgh.
- Canucks defenseman Jett Woo underwent surgery to repair an upper-body injury this summer and is listed as out month-to-month, relays Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province. He played through the injury to help AHL Abbotsford win the Calder Cup back in the spring. The 25-year-old had 18 points in 67 games in the minors last season but will be waiting a while to make his 2025-26 debut.
Pacific Notes: Canucks Updates, Hyman, Walman
After trading J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers last season, the Vancouver Canucks no longer have the luxury of two first-line caliber centers in their lineup. The departure of Miller via trade and the free agent departure of Pius Suter (the club’s highest-scoring pivot in 2024-25) has left the Canucks in a somewhat vulnerable position down the middle – but it’s one the club hopes to be able to trade its way out of. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin told the media, including Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor, that the club is “not waiting” when it comes to adding center reinforcements from outside the organization, and is “open for business” regarding making trades to add players.
This past summer’s trade market has been described by figures across the NHL’s front office and media landscape as uncharacteristically slow, with far fewer teams interested in trading established NHL talent for future assets such as prospects or draft capital. Allvin specifically said he believes the Canucks “have enough assets in our organization” and enough “draft capital if that’s needed.” The main element of a trade they appear to be missing, at least at this point in time, is another club willing to part with a capable center in exchange for something Vancouver those assets Vancouver is seeking to offer up.
- Allvin also updated the media on injuries to three Canucks players: Jett Woo, Ty Mueller, and Anri Ravinskis. Woo, 25, had surgery in August and is currently out on a month-to-month recovery timeline. It’s a tough blow for Woo, who was likely eyeing this upcoming preseason to make a push for an NHL roster spot after helping lead the AHL Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup championship. Mueller, 22, is injured on an undisclosed timeline, while Ravinskis is recovering from summer hernia surgery.
- The Nation Network’s Jason Gregor reported today that Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman won’t be on the ice with the rest of the Oilers for the first week of the club’s training camp. Hyman is still dealing with the wrist injury that knocked him out of last season’s playoffs, one that required offseason surgery. Hyman declined to establish a specific timeline related to his recovery. The 33-year-old is one of the Oilers’ most important forwards, scoring 54 goals and 77 points in 2023-24 and 27 goals last season.
- Oilers defenseman Jake Walman will begin the season playing on his off-hand side alongside Darnell Nurse, per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. Walman is a left-handed defenseman who ended last year playing on the left side alongside John Klingberg, but will now take up a role next to Nurse on what will presumably be the Oilers’ second pairing. Walman is entering a crucial contract year and if he can repeat his strong 2024-25 performance (he had seven goals, 40 points) he could line himself up to cash in nicely in free agency.
Canucks Re-Sign Jett Woo, Nikita Tolopilo
According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have re-signed defenseman Jett Woo to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season. In a separate announcement, the team shared that they’ve also re-signed netminder Nikita Tolopilo to a two-year, two-way contract.
PuckPedia shared the contractual details for Woo and Tolopilo. The former will earn $775K in the NHL and $290K in the AHL, while the latter will earn $775K in the NHL each year, with an AHL salary of $230K in 2025-26 and $380K in 2026-27.
Woo has been a mainstay on the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks blue line for several years. Vancouver drafted Woo with the 37th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, although he was projected to be a first-round talent a few years before.
Despite having optimism that Woo’s offensive capabilities could grow into a serviceable top-four option in a few years, he hasn’t panned out as such. Still, he’s been relatively productive at the AHL level, scoring 21 goals and 83 points in 267 games with a +32 rating.
Meanwhile, unlike Woo, Tolopilo earned a few games of NHL action last season. It wasn’t the greatest first impression as far as save percentage goes (.885), but Tolopilo earned his spot in the organization through his AHL performance.
In his last two years with Abbotsford, Tolopilo has achieved a record of 40 wins, 27 losses, and 3 overtime losses in 71 games, with a .903 SV% and a 2.74 GAA, including four shutouts. Thanks to the outstanding play of Arturs Silovs, Tolopilo only featured in one game for the AHL Canucks on their run to a Calder Cup championship a few weeks ago.
Guillaume Brisebois, Jett Woo Clear Waivers
9/27: The Canucks announced that both Brisebois and Woo cleared waivers and they will be assigned to AHL Abbotsford.
9/26: The Canucks placed defensemen Guillaume Brisebois and Jett Woo on waivers Thursday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. They’re the first training camp cuts from across the league this season who are not waiver-exempt.
Teams now have 24 hours to place claims for either player. If none are placed, both players can be assigned to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Friday. Waiver priority is still decided by the reverse order of last season’s standings until Nov. 1.
Brisebois, 27, is entering his eighth professional season. All of them have come with the Canucks organization. A third-round pick in 2015, Brisebois was limited to just eight games last season with an upper-body injury that delayed his season debut until March. He posted zeros across the board in eight games with Abbotsford after clearing waivers.
The Quebec native has made 27 NHL appearances, a career-high 17 of which came in the 2022-23 campaign. He’s scored once and added two assists, posting a -7 rating and 38 blocks while averaging 14:15 per game.
A serviceable stay-at-home defender at the AHL level with good skating ability, Brisebois will almost certainly clear waivers and look to re-establish himself as a regular in Abbotsford. He’s made 249 career AHL appearances for Vancouver’s affiliates in Abbotsford and Utica, posting 60 points and a +31 rating. He’s in the second season of a two-year, $1.55MM extension he signed in 2023 that carries a one-way salary structure this year, so he’ll be well-compensated with a $775K salary even if he spends the entire year in the minors.
Woo, 24, lands on pre-season waivers for the second year in a row. The 2018 second-round pick was recalled on a few occasions last season for injury insurance but didn’t manage to get into a game. He’s still yet to make his NHL debut, playing all four of his professional seasons thus far entirely for Abbotsford or Utica. He’s logged 19 goals, 46 assists, 65 points, and a +18 rating in 200 games on the farm. He is coming off a career-high 31 points in 2023-24, so he may be a name to watch for a mid-season recall if injuries strike in Vancouver.
Canucks Sign Jett Woo To One-Year Extension
The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Jett Woo to a one-year, two-way extension. The deal will pay him a league minimum $775K at the NHL level and $150K at the AHL level, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News (Twitter link).
Vancouver drafted Woo in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft – among company like Alexander Romanov, Martin Fehervary, and Sean Durzi. But Woo still sits as one of 12 players from that round to not yet make his NHL debut, instead spending the last four seasons with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. Woo had a slow start to his pro career, scoring just 10 points through his first two seasons, and 70 games, in the AHL. He’s picked up that scoring in the two seasons since, netting 21 points in 68 games last year and 31 points in 62 games this year. Woo has also picked up his intensity, also totaling 189 penalty minutes in the last two years.
The climb towards more high-event hockey earned Woo the first NHL call-ups of his career in February, though he couldn’t slot into Vancouver’s lineup. Still, he’s begun to grab the Canucks’ attention. With the team expected to move on from Nikita Zadorov, Woo could have a chance on this new deal to fight for his NHL debut, and a more confident contract next summer.
Canucks Assign Jett Woo To AHL
The Canucks assigned defenseman Jett Woo to AHL Abbotsford on Sunday, per a team announcement.
Woo, 23, has advanced up the Vancouver depth chart in recent weeks to become a tweener option after spending all of his pro career in the minors. The 2018 second-round pick has been recalled twice this month but has been healthy scratched in every game he’s been rostered for, so he’s yet to make his NHL debut.
He projects as a defensive-minded blue-liner with some decent puck-moving skills, posting 18 points in 44 games with Abbotsford this season. He’s in his fourth professional season after wrapping up his junior career with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen in 2020.
Woo is signed to a one-year, two-way extension that pays him $775K at the NHL level and $100K in the minors, and he will have arbitration rights if the Canucks extend him a qualifying offer this summer. The Winnipeg native is unlikely to see NHL ice this year unless injuries strike the Canucks’ blue line, as the emergence of Nikita Zadorov and Noah Juulsen as a strong shutdown third pairing has limited opportunities for other depth defenders, such as Mark Friedman, to enter the lineup.
Sending Woo to Abbotsford extends his temporary waiver exemption, as he must clear waivers to return to Abbotsford if he’s on the roster for more than 30 days this season. It also opens one spot on the 23-man roster, which could be used to activate Dakota Joshua or Carson Soucy off IR in the coming days.
Vancouver Canucks Announce Multiple Roster Moves
The Vancouver Canucks have placed centerman Dakota Joshua on injured reserve retroactive to February 13th and Carson Soucy on long-term injured reserve. Joshua is currently week-to-week with a hand injury, while Soucy has already missed the required 10 games, making him eligible to be activated off of LTIR whenever he’s healthy.
In a corresponding move, Vancouver has also recalled defenseman Jett Woo from the AHL. Woo recently received the first midseason call-up of his career, though he’s still waiting to play in his first NHL game. Woo has scored 18 points in 44 AHL games this season, a mark that, surprisingly, ranks second among Abbotsford Canucks defensemen.
Vancouver has promoted rookie forward Arshdeep Bains to the NHL to help fill in for Joshua’s absence. Bains, who has nine goals and 39 points in 42 AHL games this season, made his NHL debut in the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, recording no points, one penalty, and a -2 in roughly 13 and a half minutes of ice time. Bains also added two shots on net, three hits, and one takeaway. He will likely get an extended look in the lineup, though Vancouver also has Sam Lafferty operating as a healthy scratch.
Woo will join Mark Friedman as the extra defenseman on the Canucks roster, backing up Noah Juulsen, who has filled in while Soucy is out. Friedman has appeared in 20 games with Vancouver this season, scoring one point and tallying 21 penalty minutes. Juulsen has six points and 16 penalty minutes of his own, scored through 41 games. Woo would offer a change of pace from each veteran depth defenseman, though the Canucks could be wanting more from the 23-year-old before they rely on him as anything more than added depth.
Canucks Recall Arshdeep Bains, Assign Jett Woo To AHL
The Canucks made a pair of roster moves on Friday, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Arshdeep Bains from AHL Abbotsford. In a corresponding move, defenseman Jett Woo was re-assigned to the AHL.
It’s the first career recall for Bains, who signed with Vancouver as an undrafted free agent two years ago. The 23-year-old is the top scorer for Abbotsford, notching nine goals and 30 assists, sitting a dozen points clear of second-place Max Sasson. Bains is expected to take the place of Dakota Joshua who is listed as week-to-week after injuring his hand in a fight on Tuesday.
As for Woo, his first NHL recall came back on Monday but it winds up being a short-lived one; the 23-year-old didn’t suit up with Vancouver during that time. Woo is on his second NHL contract having inked a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum at the NHL level. He has 16 points in 42 games so far this season, sitting just five points high of his career high set last season.
While Vancouver could have made an open roster spot available by placing Joshua on injured reserve, they didn’t have enough cap space to afford Bains’ recall on its own, resulting in Woo having to be sent down.