Vancouver, BC – The importance of the Vancouver Canucks` recent draft class can be seen in one key statistic: their three selections within the top 65 picks collectively matched the total number of picks they held in that range over the last five drafts combined.
Friday night saw the Canucks select Braeden Cootes, a centre and captain from the Seattle Thunderbirds, with their first-round pick, which was tied for their second-highest selection since 2019. On Saturday, they eagerly drafted 17-year-old London Knights goalie Alexei Medvedev at pick 47, their first second-round pick since the 2021 draft.
Across their six total selections aiming for future NHL talent, the Canucks picked four centres, a move that strongly addresses the team`s need for depth at that position. They also added one winger and, notably, drafted the franchise`s first Russian goalie.
However, perhaps more significant than their positions, the players drafted, particularly the skaters, are generally profiled as highly competitive and physically involved individuals who are challenging opponents.
The Canucks management, and indeed the wider hockey world, has taken note of the tenacious and physically assertive style that propelled the Florida Panthers to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
“Well, I think if you watch the playoffs… that`s what happens when the chips are down,” Canucks amateur scouting director Todd Harvey remarked on Saturday following the conclusion of the NHL`s annual draft. “I think that`s what we`re trying to do here: be annoying to play against, be hard to play against. And I think our players that we selected are that.”
“I am happy with every pick we`ve made,” Harvey continued. “We made them for a reason. I love the fact that we have competitive people. We have good people, people that we want to be Vancouver Canucks. And I think that is the most important thing. You talk about Cootes? Quality human being. All the players that we`ve selected, our guys have done the work on them, and they`re quality people. And that`s important for us.”
