The Vancouver Canucks continue to stay busy this offseason by making moves. It was announced that the Canucks signed 2026 24th overall pick Adam Novotny to a three-year, entry-level contract (ELC). The 18-year-old will be signed through the 2028-29 season, when he will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at 21.
Now that the deal is done, what does it mean for the Czechia forward, who will start his season in the American Hockey League's (AHL) Abbotsford Canucks? Furthermore, why sign him now in mid-August?
Novotny impressing Canucks, leading to entry-level deal
During the 2025-26 season with the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Peterborough Petes, Novotny had 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games. In the playoffs, he had one assist in six games. For it being his first season in North America, not a bad way to make your mark in a draft year. Especially after having one goal and three points in 41 games with Mountfield HK in the Czech top flight.
Following his first season in North America, Novotny was drafted 24th overall by the Canucks and just signed a deal with an annual average value (AAV) of $1.075 million. However, that is if he plays in the NHL. Novotny's minor league salary is $87,500 for each of the next three seasons. He also has a signing bonus of $102,500 in 2026-27, $107,500 in 2027-28, and $112,500 in 2028-29. Novotny is also waiver-exempt for the next three seasons.
After the announcement of the signing, Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson stated, "Character, compete, and a winning mentality - those are three of the things we really appreciate about Adam’s DNA. It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill."
"A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do things the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC, and we look forward to working with him in the years to come,” continued Johnson.
Novotny joins a young forward group in Abbotsford with Riley Patterson, Gabe Chiarot, potentially Braeden Cootes, and others. He's an explosive two-way forward who can take his offensive game to another level, which is great to see at 18 years old. Plus, he is considered a high-end to elite sniper. Give him more time to develop, and he could be a top-six player for the Canucks in the future.
When it comes down to it, it made sense for the Canucks to sign the Czechia forward to his ELC now and see what he can do with Abbotsford in the AHL. After a strong rookie development camp, what can Novotny bring to Canucks training camp and preseason games? All eyes will be on Novotny to see how he does in his first pro season after one year in the OHL.
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