The Vancouver Canucks are once again mired in an awful start to their season, and appear on track to be competing with the Chicago Blackhawks for the first overall draft selection next summer.
Things don’t appear as though they’ll be getting any better for the team at any time in the near future, and there could be moves on the horizon from GM Ryan Johnson.
But in the meantime, the club has officially cut ties with towering center Ilya Safonov, placing him on waivers for the purposes of contract termination.
Vancouver Canucks Cut Ties With Towering Center Ilya Safonov
The Canucks released the following statement on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the Canucks have placed forward Ilya Safonov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.”
Additionally, Safonov’s agent Dan Milstein released a statement detailing his client’s impending return to Russia and the KHL.
“Ilya valued his time with the Canucks organization and built strong relationships with the coaching and development staff in Abbotsford. While he did not reach his goal of playing in the NHL, he leaves grateful for the opportunity and will always look back on his time in Vancouver fondly. He is returning to the KHL and looks forward to competing against top players from Russia, Canada, the United States and beyond, including former Canuck Evander Kane.”
Ilya Safonov Is Heading To The KHL In His Native Russia
Safonov had a strong 2025-26 season in Russia before making the move to North America. The 6-foot-4 forward scored 16 goals and added 17 assists for 33 points in 68 games with Ak Bars Kazan. He also had nine points in 20 playoff games as Ak Bars reached the Gagarin Cup Final.
Safonov was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round (172nd overall pick) in the 2021 NHL Draft; but his NHL rights were eventually sent to the Canucks in late June 2025 for future considerations. Vancouver eventually signed him to a one-year, two-way contract earlier this summer in early June.
The Canucks sent Safonov to the American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks in late September. But his offensive skills did not translate over, as he had just four assists and no goals in 12 games in Abbotsford.
Canucks Make It Official, Cut Ties With Towering Center