The Vancouver Canucks tried to get a deal done, they really did. But in the end, it came down to value. A deal wasn't there, and they didn't force it. Frankly, it's a refreshing change from, well, whatever the hell went on before this management group showed up.
I am not a scout, so grain of salt when I talk about the prospects Vancouver drafted. Some I've seen through the screen, most of this is from reading folks who know more than I do.
This here is all about compiling information from others, both paid and freely available. Highlight reels are fun, but they aren't scouting reports.
Braeden Cootes is a 17-year-old captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds, a team that had difficulty scoring last year. Their 212 goals mark was better than just five teams, and none of them made the playoffs. They did let other teams know they were on the ice, being the only ones to break 1000 minutes in penalties. Fortunately, none of that particular responsibility fell on Cootes' shoulders.
He led the team in scoring in the regular season and in the playoffs, but at this point, that's neither here nor there. When he gets to Vancouver, he's going to be fun to watch for one reason: he forces opponents to stop him. If he's going to the net, then he's probably already dished off the puck and is there to wreak havoc.
Going by Thomas Drance's article in The Athletic, he's a pain in the ass to play shinny against, too. It's not just that he likes winning; he hates it when other teams do at his expense.
“When it comes to that, we didn’t make him captain,” La Forge said, “he made himself the captain of our team with the way he carries himself … He was the captain before we gave him the ‘C.’”
A few years ago, you may remember, the Canucks had themselves a wee conundrum: they ran out of goalies. No team should ever have to panic because Mike McKenna isn't available to them, but there they were in 2018-19. Since that day, Vancouver has made sure to have plenty of goaltenders in the stable.
Alexei Medvedev got a 50/50 split with senior goalie Austin Elliott on an excellent London Knights squad. He was a bit boom-or-bust, but that's not a surprise for a 17-year-old. Elliott's gone next season, so Medvedev will have every chance to play the bulk of games next year.
Tracks the puck well, loves challenging the shooter, likes to use his stick, sometimes anticipates a cross-ice pass early. Lots to like, but kinda want to see how he does on a worse team.
I know bupkis about prep school hockey, and Kieren Dervin only played 10 OHL regular season games to go with 11 playoff ones. According to the folks who watched him, he's a two-way forward with good positioning. He finds a way to support the play at either end, moving to where he's needed most for a pass or to disrupt play.
With many Kingston forwards aging out, he'll get plenty of opportunity to grow his offence next year.
Wilson Björck is fast, versatile, really light for a 19-year-old, and wasn't drafted last year. Was great in the Swedish U20 league, didn't leave much of an impression in the Allsvenskan. It'll be interesting to see what he does in the NCAA, but if he makes the NHL, maybe it'll be as a Nils Åman? Which is excellent for a 5th-round pick.
Anyone picked this late is usually "he does this one thing well, and we'll see" player. Gabe Chiarot is a defence-first winger who hates it when the other team has the puck. He initiates contact and has added some scoring to his game, but his calling card is forechecking.
Their last pick was Matthew Lansing from the USHL. The reviews on him are pretty wild, usually versions of "yes, he plays defence, but what else?" that change to "Oh, hey! Look at this guy!" The difference is he changed leagues, moving from the US national development team to Fargo in the US high school system. Increased opportunity let him show off his skating and puck-handling ability. Still a longshot, but...
A left-handed, 6'4" Russian centre who didn't want to play in Chicago? Sure, why not?
Can't really see the Canucks needing a lot of help in their bottom-six, but centres can be moved to wing more easily than the reverse. At a cost of "futures", taking a chance on a 2021 sixth-round pick seems simple enough. The team has a lot of contract space.
The Canucks kept their pick, and for the first time in over a decade, selected a WHL'er. Today should be where the excitement is, with the Canucks on the board for five more picks (at the moment)
I was about 75% certain that there was going to be some sort of deal, but in the end, the Canucks used their first round pick, and seem to have gotten a pretty solid choice at Number Fifteen. Braeden Cootes is a Centre from the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, and the scouting on him is that he's a smaller Bo Horvat type player. Absolutely tenacious forechecking, a solid compliment of offensive skills, and a complete two way game. The kind of player that goes full bore every shift. And a right hand shot, to boot!
He was the youngest captain in WHL last season, and also donned the 'C' for Team Canada at the World Under 18's, leading them to a gold medal, leading the team in scoring, and was the best faceoff man in the tournament.
The Canucks will pick at 47, 65, 143, 175, and 207. That Number 65 pick is the first pick of the third round, so pretty much like having two second round picks. What we need to watch for is deals. How many of these picks will get used, and who will the Canucks be moving to try and add pieces/fill gaps on a team that has to be better this season. I would suggest girding one's loins for Arturs Silovs, based on his stellar play this post season for Abbotsford, though the notion that the team could part with Thatcher Demko isn't unreasonable for the right price.
The phones are being worked, the data is being crunched, and good ideas are no doubt being vetoed. God, it's tiring being a Canucks fan. Well, let's get this over with.
The first round of the annual NHL entry draft is tonight in Los Angeles, and it's still unclear if the Canucks plan to move their 15th overall pick. With the possible departure of Brock Boeser looming, the Canucks could end up looking a lot different next season. We've seen Thatcher Demko, Arturs Silovs, and even Elias Pettersson being mentioned, and the Canucks rumored to be looking at Marco Rossi and Mat Barzal, this could be a very interesting few days. Please note, I said interesting, not joyful.
One thing that did happen today was an announcement from the league and the NHLPA of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
We'll need someone a little more savvy to dissect this, but if you think that the last line is going to stop the rampant juicing of the LTIR rules, you're kidding yourself. The Vegas Golden Knights are probably on the phone with Mark Stone right now, explaining how they're going to do it.
So while we wait to see what they'll do, let's say they do keep the pick. Who's going to be available that meets their needs? There's a couple nice options at C in the WHL in Victoria's Cole Reschny, and Brandon's Roger McQueen. Reschny was outstanding at the World Under 18's for Canada, and McQueen, while missing a large chunk of time this season, is 6'5" with a total skills package that could make him worth the risk if he's still available.
We'll have an additional thread for the rest of the draft tomorrow, and try and get you info on the Canucks picks, as well as any deals that go down.
He was one of the heart and soul guys for this team the last couple years, and his efforts have paid off with a nice new contract. Let's focus on this instead of whatever the hell that trade with Edmonton was, please?
With the draft kicking off tonight, and free agency starting on Tuesday, we're going to get a glimpse of what the braintrust is going to be able to put together to bring the Vancouver Canucks back into playoff contention in the upcoming season. Yesterday they nailed down a pretty important piece, as they gave Conor Garland a 6 year/6 Million dollar contract extension.
While Garland's play the first couple seasons in Vancouver was very hit and miss, he has developed into a fantastic two player who generates a lot of offensive push for the Canucks. He's been remarkably consistent over that time (52, 46,47, and 50 points), while fine tuning a lot of the non-scoreboard aspects of his game.
It might seem like a lot for a guy like Garland, but honestly, I hate to think where the Canucks would have been without him last season. One of the few guys who showed up night after night and gave a shit, especially during some of the most dreary parts of the last season.
*Sighs heavily*
Evander Kane? Really? Forget helping the Oilers out of a big time cap crunch. Why on earth, after all of the internal turmoil from last season, would you bring in the universally recognized worst guy in ANY NHL dressing room to be part of this team? He is 34 years old, at a cost of $5 Million per, and missed the entire regular season due to injury. Sure, there's the local connection, but you know what? I want a team that's going to win, and I just cannot see that happening when the focus inevitably turns on strife in the room again next season. This deal absolutely reeks of Francesco Aqualini's meddling in hockey operations, more proof that this team will never succeed as long as he and his family are the owners.
Anyway, looking ahead to tonight... Round one of the draft goes tonight from the LA Live Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Canucks have the 15th pick overall, and have two picks in the top 50 this year, but with the need to bring in a top 6 centre as well as defensive help (still), don't be shocked if they try to move it. We'll be monitoring the draft to let you know about the Canucks picks as well as any deals they make.
