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.
