The Vancouver Canucks didn't win first overall, as you may have heard. They didn't even finish second, with two teams taking their place on the board ahead of them. But what they have is still very, very interesting. We have a month to go, and a lot of screen space to fill between now and then. Fortunately, this is the Canucks we're talking about. We never know when this team will set its own hair on fire.

Here's our best guess at what they're thinking, and how they should be thinking, about this year's draft class.

Marshmallows at the ready.

If Everyone's Great...

The talk around this season's draft has been how weak it is. Gavin McKenna has been a runaway favourite for the past five years, but otherwise, 2026 lacked star power. No one's projected to be a regular 40-goal scorer or an All-Star defender. Goaltending is pretty much its own category, teams knowing they should draft one without knowing when. As the saying goes, Once Bitten, Once More Bitten.

If there's a single maxim that teams, scouts, and fans repeat to themselves and each other, it's this: Best Player Available. Nothing else matters. If the best player available happens to be in the position your team is strongest, well, that's irritating, but not fatal. Even teams built through the draft usually have just a handful of their own picks on them. The rest have been acquired through free agent signings or trades, and you can only make trades if you have something worth trading.

But it's not a maxim that sticks through every round. By the time the picks reach triple digits, anyone making it is an extreme long shot anyhow. Why not take three left-side defencemen, just to see who gets through? Look for the kids with a single NHL-possible trait, and see if the rest comes along with time and training.

The risk in a modest draft year is that some positions suddenly look better than they are. Rarity brings value, earned or not. You can probably see where we're going with this.

Calling Out Caleb

Caleb Malhotra looks like a solid, NHL-bound player. Every report about his character is exemplary. The work he's put in has shown on the ice, and his draft position has skyrocketed this season. And if either Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna is available, the Canucks shouldn't draft him.

I want to be absolutely clear on this: scouts love Malhotra, and he justifies the affection. If he does get drafted by Vancouver, there's going to be a lot of thinkpieces referencing Bo Horvat. Horvat is an excellent second-line centre and a low-end first-line one. Is that what you spend the third overall pick on? If a team is picking Malhotra because he is the best centre available - a debated argument - then you're picking for position, not best player available.

In a draft year very strong in centres, Horvat was the fifth one chosen. Picking a different position because you are chock-full of centres is how you get Seth Jones, Rasmus Ristolainen, or Darnell Nurse instead. Perfectly good defencemen, but I'd rather have the fifth-highest rated centre that year.

Similarly, Malhotra could very well be the best centre from 2026. And there could be a half-dozen defencemen you'd rather have instead.

Going Down...?

Here's the thing: if the team is absolutely set on getting Malhotra, I won't cry too much about it. It looks like he's going to be a fine player, and I look forward to him being in the league. That goes double if he's in a Canucks jersey. But if they pass over Stenberg to draft him, we're going to have words.

Now, the odds are against that possibility, as it looks like there is a definite tier separating the two. But, as we've all seen, drafts don't always go as scripted. San Jose doesn't strictly need another forward, and maybe they're happy to drift back a little to take their chances while picking up some extra talent. But a team moving up to second overall isn't likely doing it for Malhotra. They should be going after Stenberg, leaving Vancouver in the same position if San Jose doesn't move.

Maybe whoever's in that second slot is convinced Chase Reid is their guy. Beautiful! Stenberg, it is, thanks for coming, we'll see you in another twenty picks or so. And if there's a team that is certain Reid (or whomever) is their One and Only, then pick up the phone. I'm perfectly happy to drop a half-dozen spots for a first-rounder next year, even if it's top-10 protected. There are a lot of defenders I like this year, and I'd be perfectly happy to get any of a half-dozen of them. If all of them happen to get taken, well, okay, I guess we'll have to make do with Malhotra after all. Plus the extra draft capital in 2027.

Twinsies!

Yes, I like Liam Ruck and his twin, Markus Ruck. They're a fine story, and twins obviously have resonance in Vancouver. I also think 24th is probably too high to draft either of them, especially with nine spots to go between picks. Unless someone pulls off the Brian Burke back-to-back picks, can you imagine how many teams are going to call after the first brother goes?

Yes, any other team that drafts Markus will be the Villain of the Day, and the media will talk of little else but potential trades for the rest of their careers. But why would you expect them not to draft someone on their board? Kindness? It hurts to say, but if any team manages to pull off getting them together, it'll be Calgary. They have two first-round picks and four in the second, so if they really want to move up, they have the ammo to do so.

Awesome though it would be to start the Sedin's presidential tenure by drafting twins, they can't afford to spend future assets to do so. Unless they're really, REALLY sure about them being NHL players. Then yeah, give us the storyline, baby!

Living the Dream

What would we get if I got what I wanted? The absolutely perfect first two rounds? I mean, the scenarios listed would be pretty great, but you can't simply assume teams will be fools. I'd love to see either of the top two fall into Vancouver's lap, but that's probably not going to happen.

I'd like to drop down and pick up a 2027 pick and, say, Keaton Verhoff. Then, there has been a fair bit of movement - usually with players coming up with little mention of those falling. In my dream world, Ryan Lin continues to move down the boards (sorry, Ryan!) until the Canucks can take him. If not, there is a small pile of centres around 24th that are worth consideration - Alexander Command, Maddox Dagenais, Yegor Shilov. It gets a bit blurry quickly this year.

Past that? Getting the Ruck twins would be hilarious. But if not, I'm all for getting defenceman Ben Macbeath with the 41st pick. Sure, he has talent, but the real reason is that I'm a total theatre nerd and I'm trying to picture the broadcasters not saying his name in the arena.