Will Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes be in Team Canada WJC mix Monday?

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Team Canada unveils its World Junior roster Monday, and Braeden Cootes is saying all the right things if you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan.

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“My mindset is not to worry about it and just focus on the 3-in-3 that we have this weekend,” Cootes explained via text Tuesday night, pointing to the Seattle Thunderbirds triple-header featuring a Friday home game versus Kelowna, Saturday visit to Portland, and Sunday match-up with visiting Spokane.

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That team-first type of thinking is on brand for Cootes, who was Vancouver’s first-round pick (No. 15 overall) this summer.

Along with his two-way game, the 18-year-old has been lauded for his character and leadership coming through the ranks. He is in his second season as Seattle’s captain. He also wore the “C” for the Team Canada entry at world under-18 championships last May in Frisco, Texas, helping them win the gold medal.

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Cootes had two goals in Seattle’s 5-3 loss on the road to the Victoria Royals on Sunday, pushing him to nine goals and 21 points in 14 games this season.

He retains the No. 1 spot in our weekly Canucks top-10 prospect power rankings.

Cootes was among the 28 forwards invited to the Team Canada summer development camp. Team Canada general manager Alan Millar has been to Seattle at least once to see Cootes specifically.

Millar confirmed Monday’s announcement via text message on Tuesday. He also confirmed that the initial plan was to just bring the 25-player final roster to training camp Dec. 12-22 in Niagara Falls, but instead they will be naming “two or three extra players,” because “we need to be flexible with the number of players in the NHL.”

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Seattle Kraken centre Berkly Catton, 19, is one of those players in question. The Seattle Times wrote Monday that he “likely won’t play in the World Juniors,” because the Kraken feel that he’s “oft-praised team chemistry,” and won’t loan him out to Team Canada as a result. If the Kraken stick to keeping Catton, that would help the odds of someone like Cootes with Team Canada.

Top teams at the tournament are usually filled with 19 year olds. Twenty of the 28 forwards at development camp were that age.

The World Juniors get underway Boxing Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Cootes started the season at No. 2 in our prospect rankings but got bumped up to top spot when defenceman Tom Willander, 21, was called to Vancouver from their AHL Abbotsford Canucks affiliate. The poll is for players born in 2001 or later, and players on the big club’s roster aren’t eligible.

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Here’s the latest edition. Last week’s rankings are in parentheses. Stats are as of Wednesday at noon.

1. Braeden Cootes, C, Seattle (No. 1)

Cootes missed Seattle’s 5-3 loss to Victoria on Friday with illness. He left Sunday’s game with a bloody nose after taking a high stick, but returned. Seattle (11-10-2-0) had points in six straight (5-0-1-0) prior to the Victoria doubleheader.

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2. Elias Pettersson, D, Abbotsford Canucks (NR)

The Canucks announced Wednesday morning that 21-year-old was being reassigned to Abbotsford. He was a 2022 third rounder. He’s played 24 games in the NHL this season, but he has seen his ice time dip of late and he’s been a healthy scratch the past two games.

3. Alexei Medvedev, G, London Knights (3)

The 2025 second rounder was named second star for his 34 saves in a 4-2 loss to Saginaw on Friday. The 18-year-old gave up a season-worst five goals and made 31 saves in an 8-5 win over Saginaw on Saturday. Medvedev (10-5-1-0, 2.51, .915) and the Knights (15-8-3-0) were slated to host Kitchener on Wednesday night. They host Windsor on Friday and are at Windsor the next day.

4. Kirill Kudryavtsev, D, Abbotsford (4)

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Abbotsford carried a 4-14-1-2 record into a Wednesday visit from Calgary. They lost 3-2 to Calgary at home Tuesday and Kudryavtsev (16-1-8-9) had an assist. The 21-year-old, who was a 2022 seventh rounder, also had an assist in a 5-2 win in Tucson Saturday. Abbotsford lost 4-1 in Tucson on Friday. Abbotsford hosts Coachella Valley on Saturday and Sunday.

5.

Mancini, 23, had an assist Tuesday. Mancini (6-0-1-1) was part of the J.T. Miller trade with the New York Rangers last January.

6. Makes Mynio, D, Abotsford (6)

The 2023 third rounder didn’t hit the points column in the three games in this polling period. The 20-year-old Mynio (21-2-7-9) did have six shots on goal combined.

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7. Ty Mueller, C, Abbotsford (7)

The 22-year-old saw his points streak end at five games Tuesday. He had assists in both of the Tucson games. Mueller (20-3-5-8) was a 2023 fourth rounder.

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8. Riley Patterson, C, Niagara IceDogs (10)

Patterson (22-12-14-26) had three assists in a 6-3 loss to Kitchener on Friday and was second star Sunday after recording two goals and one assist in a 6-3 loss to Peterborough. The 19-year-old was a 2024 fourth rounder. Niagara (10-11-2-1) is at Brampton on Friday and home to North Bay on Sunday.

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9. Gabriel Chiarot, RW, Brampton Steelheads (8)

The 2025 sixth rounder has goals in three straight games after tallying in a 5-2 Wednesday morning loss to Guelph. He also scored in a 2-1 loss to Sudbury on Saturday and a 2-1 win over Brantford on Friday. He was second star that game. The 19-year-old Chiarot (23-13-8-21) and Brampton (11-13-2-1) are home to Niagara Falls on Friday and Saginaw on Saturday.

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10. Kieren Dervin, C, Kingston Frontenacs (9)

Kingston (10-13-2-2) and Dervin (25-8-12-20) were slated to meet Brantford on Wednesday. They are home to Flint on Friday and Barrie on Saturday. Dervin, 18, who was a 2025 third rounder, had no points in a 4-1 loss to North Bay on Friday, an assist in a 2-1 loss to Barrie on Saturday and no points in a Sunday 7-3 loss to Owen Sound.

Dropped off the list from last week: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, Abbotsford (2).

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SEwen@postmedia.com

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