Cotter looking to make his mark with Vancouver Canucks

Cotter looking to make his mark with Vancouver Canucks GEMMA KARSTENS-SMITH PENTICTON, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 33 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Vancouver Canuck Paul Cotter looks on during the opening day of the team's training camp in Penticton, B.C. last week. DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Paul Cotter believes the Vancouver Canucks are on to something special. The American winger signed with the rebuilding NHL team as a free agent in July and, after getting to know his teammates in recent weeks, said he believes the new front office is constructing the future “the right way.” “I think [the team’s] very hungry,” he said at Canucks’ training camp in Penticton, B.C. “I think we have a great balance of leadership as well as young skilled players. “Honestly, I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people. I’d rather be an underdog than in the middle of the pack. So it’s pretty fun.” Cotter believes he, too, can surprise people. Heading into his sixth NHL season, the 26-year-old forward from Canton, Mich., has proven himself to be a versatile player for both the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils, but has yet to reach the high expectations he’s set for himself. “I’ve been told by Bruce Cassidy, Sheldon Keefe, my previous coaches, that I have all of the tools I need to be a great player in this league – a high-impact player is what I call it,” he said. “But it’s when to use things. There’s physicality that’s part of my game – when to be physical and crush a guy – and there’s the skill … But when to use the skill, when to use the tenaciousness, when to be simple, just put the puck in? Those are the things that come with just maturing as a player.” Selected by Vegas in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, Cotter has tallied 47 goals and 35 assists over 296 regular-season games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023 before getting dealt to the Devils ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Open this photo in gallery: Cotter (right) and Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra look on during the opening day of the team's 2026 training camp in Penticton, B.C. DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS Last season, the 6-foot-2, 213-pound winger factored into 79 games for New Jersey, logging nine goals and six assists while averaging 10:41 in ice time. He spent the summer working on details, knowing…