The Hockey Gods looked upon Vancouver and said: Meh.

Canucks Get Third, As Expected

Vancouver had the best chance of falling to third overall in the draft lottery, and the odds didn't disappoint. The Canucks have lost a LOT of draft positions over the past decade.

2013-15: No position change in three drafts
2016: Dropped two spots, picked 5th
2017: Dropped three spots, picked 5th
2018: Dropped one spot, picked 7th
2019: Dropped one spot, picked 10th
2020-21: No first-round pick, so who cares? We're FINE!
2022: No change, picked 15th
2023: No change, picked 11th
2024: First-round picks are for the weak. So are second-round picks.
2025: No change, but Utah, who finished in 14th to Vancouver's 15th, won and moved up to fourth.
2026: Dropped two spots, because it's been a while. Any chance we can get that whole "finishing last in the league by a wide margin" thing back?

So, yeah. We had a 55% chance of watching the team drop, and they did. Which sucks, but is still a third-overall draft position. That ain't a bad thing at all.

Have You Heard the Good News?

First things first, and Jim Rutherford announced after the lottery that he would be stepping away from his position. The President of Hockey Operations is keeping his title until after the draft proper happens in June. That gives the team plenty of time to fill at least one executive position, getting a general manager in place early enough to navigate the entry draft. There is still someone here to answer questions and maintain consistency among the white-collars.

That in itself isn't "good news" exactly, but it does show that they have a direction in mind. That part's good, anyway. And it makes the hiring of two people more likely, which I like. Splitting duties as the game gets more complex isn't a bad thing at all. Though perhaps give Dorion a miss for either spot, thanks.

Without getting into the players themselves, let's talk about why getting third this season is good news. And don't forget, the two teams that jumped ahead of Vancouver may well leave either McKenna or Stenberg available at third. The easiest pick could once again fall into the Canucks' lap through no effort of their own. If not, well, there are a half-dozen players I'd be more than happy to get, for a price. Seattle or Calgary want to toss in a pick in the 20s to get the guy they want? Does Winnipeg feel optimistic about its position next year? Let's talk 2027!

Waiting Game

Personally, I don't want ANY of the players Vancouver takes this year to appear in the NHL. Training camp, sure, but not in the league. The Canucks are going to be a difficult team to win with, make no mistake. The fans have a long year ahead of them, and so do the players.

There are two possible results if they push their pick into the league this season, and neither one is what you want. The player could have a great year, helping them enough to worsen their draft position. Lovely, but that's not really what Vancouver needs. Or, of course, he doesn't, and you have an 18-year-old getting dragged by his hair through another bottom-ranked season. I can wait a year.

Short Circuit Short Cuts

No one wants to work. I don't mean that as an indictment of The Youth Today, though I am the correct demographic. I mean that, literally, no one wants to work. That's why we call it work. You can enjoy what you do, that's fine, but it would be an ideal world where you could choose how much you did and when you did it. Right? Right. Hockey managers are no different.

When a bad team gets the first overall choice, and if they play really, really well, there is temptation. Say Vancouver gets McKenna, well, then what? Even if he blows the doors off, massively outperforming expectations, he might get 60 points for the season. Given the weakness of the division, that might even put them within striking distance of a playoff spot a week before the trade deadline. Hey, imagine if this kid had just a little more help...

That impulse needs to be snuffed out immediately. That little spark of hope can't be allowed to grow, not yet. Vancouver needs to be in this for the long haul, and that doesn't mean one or two bad seasons. We, the fans, will have plenty of young players to watch out there. Adding this year's pick is a bit of overkill.

Finishing third, there's no pretending that "We can do it quickly!" or "Go for it!" Put the chip-clip on the lips and grow some patience.

More, More, More!

One top-three pick is great, don't get me wrong. But another would be even better, especially if a couple top-ten picks follow soon after.

Vancouver is going to get better. Probably. It's going to be tough to avoid, though talent alone isn't enough to win the Stanley Cup. Besides, the Canucks have finished in the mid-twenties often enough that it feels like home. Getting picks in the teens and watching those guys pass or fail is part of the fun of a rebuilding team. But it's so much better when you draft in the teens and don't put the weight of the world on them.

Fans are talking about Braeden Cootes and his potential to be a first-line centre, and that's lunatic. If he gets there, that's awesome! But to expect him to get there, or even to hope that he does, is ridiculous. He looks like a solid, middle-six player at centre or wing, and that's great. Teams need those. It'll be better when we draft a kid in that mid-teens position and add him to a pool that has three top-ten picks already working their way through the system.

Conversation Piece

Okay, call me greedy, but there's a lot more to talk about with the Canucks picking third than if they finished in the top two. If they won either lottery, then the choice is obvious. Pick McKenna or Stenberg, whichever is available. Finishing with the third, though? Now it gets interesting!

They could pick any of a few defencemen in a draft that's very good for them. There are a couple centres in the mix, and the team might stretch to grab one of them. Or - least likely but most fun to consider - they might successfully trade down and still get a solid prospect while adding another pick.

Hey, there are 50 days to go before the actual draft. We'll take what we can get!