Canucks sign Arshdeep Bains to entry-level contract

Patrik Allvin has made his first move as the Vancouver Canucks General Manager.

On Friday morning, it was announced that the Canucks have signed Arshdeep Bains on an entry-level contract.

The 21-year-old Surrey BC native is the leading scorer in the WHL. In 55 games, he scored 30 goals and managed 52 assists for 82 points with the Red Deer Rebels. Bains is the first player of South Asian descent to lead the WHL in scoring. He is on pace to score 37 goals and tally 64 assists for 101 points.

The 6’1″, the 184-pound left winger has played 244 games with the Rebels scoring 64 times and getting 115 assists for 179 points since he joined them in the 2017-18 season. Since Bains went undrafted, he has become an overage player in the WHL.

He also has played a big part in Red Deer’s power play which is third in the WHL. On the man advantage, he has scored 11 goals and got 24 assists this season.

Bains is a creative playmaker with a ton of skill.

“He is a skilled, intelligent player that is very coachable and is very committed to the craft of playing the game the right way,” said Rebels GM Brent Sutter in a text to CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal.

In his introductory press conference, Allvin talked about signing free agents from Europe, college and even junior to restock the prospect cupboards for depth.

”I think that it’s a very, very competitive league, and you need good depth,” said Allvin. ” So for us to become a consistent playoff team and a consistent contender we need to develop the depth of the organization.”

Bains is expected to start with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this season.

He is also the third player of South Asian descent to join the Canucks organization after Robin Bawa and Manny Malhotra. Bains looks to become the fourth player of South Asian descent to play in the NHL after  Bawa, Malhotra and Jujhar Khaira who currently is with the Chicago Blackhawks organization and is also from Surrey. (Khaira is out for the season after having back surgery.)

“I never really had too many hockey role models to look up to growing up, so if I can help South Asian kids get into the sport, that’s special to me,” said Bains in an interview with Daily Hive in February.