LATEST | Pair of Canucks prospects lighting it up in Abbotsford: Excellent news for their development

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Cooper Godin
October 25, 2023 (9:59)

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The Abbotsford Canucks have had a great start to the 2023-24 AHL season, as through their first five games, they have a record of 3-1-1.

A massive reason for their strong start is the play of prospects Arshdeep Bains and Vasili Podkolzin, who sit first and third, respectively, on the Abbotsford Canucks in points.

In those five games, Bains has eight points (one goal, seven assists), and after a strong training camp, it's not too surprising to see the 22-year-old have this kind of start. If the Canucks run into injury issues at any point during the season, Bains could find himself called up by Patrik Allvin, and if he continues to play as well as he has been, he'll make his NHL debut this season.

Then last night, Abbotsford was taking on the Colorado Eagles, an AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, in a game which ended in a 2-1 overtime win for the Canucks. Vasili Podkolzin scored a fantastic goal to get the winner and the two points for Abbotsford to improve his stat line to 5 G - 1 A - 6 PTS in five games.

Podkolzin is another player who's looking to break out and catch the attention of the coaching staff and management group in Vancouver. The Moscow native has appeared in 118 games in the NHL, 79 of which came during the 2021-22 season, but the Canucks want more out of Podkolzin for him to be an effective player at the top level. Much like Bains, Podkolzin will eventually be called up by the Canucks during the 2023-24 season if he continues his strong play.

Which prospect are you more excited about - Arshdeep Bains or Vasili Podkolzin? Let us know in the poll below!