Subj : Canucks Draft Targets With First Round Conditional Pick
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Tue Jun 23 2020 04:40 am
As much as we are ecstatic that the Vancouver Canucks are on the cusp of making
the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, let';s stop for a moment and
think about what would happen if they actually lost to the Minnesota Wild. The
first round conditional draft pick they gave up in the JT Miller trade would be
for 2021 instead of 2020.
JT Miller was worth more than a first-round pick in 2019-20 (Amy Irvin / The
Hockey Writers)
Let';s say the Canucks lose to the Wild. Depending on the results of the
lottery, the pick could be in the 15-20 range, and there are a lot of talented
players ranked there. So, here are six prospects they should target if they end
up having a selection in the first round along with some great insights from
THW';s own draft guru Josh Bell.
Connor Zary, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
NHL Central Scouting: 15th (Among NA Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 17th
The Canucks really need to add to their center ice pipeline in this draft.
Beyond the recently signed Marc Michaelis, they really don';t have any
potential NHL centermen coming up. By selecting Connor Zary, their depth would
be significantly improved. He';s also the type of player that general manager
Jim Benning has coveted in the past, so it would not surprise me if he';s
actually on their radar if they end up having a selection in the first round.
Zary';s work ethic and hockey IQ are two of his biggest strengths. In fact, he
models his game after Canucks'; captain Bo Horvat.
I look for myself to be a 200-foot centreman. I play with a lot of skill and
smarts but I pride myself on my full two-way game. I think a guy I compare
myself to is Bo Horvat, and I've gotten that from three or four scouts. That's
the one I kind of pay attention to a little bit more now that that's what guys
are talking about.Connor Zary
I';m sure Canucks'; fans would be pretty happy having two such players on the
same team. Like Horvat in his draft year, his skating is a little suspect, but
as we all know, that can be easily fixed with hard work and dedication. Lucky
for Zary, that';s something he has in spades. He may not have any skills that
immediately stand out, but his well-rounded game should get him to the NHL. As
we';ve seen in the past, work ethic can get you very far in this league.
Bell's Take
Zary is a player that I think really could be a top-15 pick in this draft. His
first half of the season was remarkable, but he trailed off a bit as the season
when on, and that's left some lowering him on their rankings. Zary is an
offensively gifted centreman and is one of those players that is extremely
well-rounded, as Matt mentioned. I don't think he'll be a top-line guy, but he
could be an excellent 2C down the road.
Dylan Holloway, C/LW, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)
NHL Central Scouting: 12th (Among NA Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 15th
With Judd Brackett moving on from the Canucks'; organization, it will be
interesting to see if they continue to draw talent from the college ranks. If
they do, I can';t imagine them looking past the talented pivot Dylan Holloway.
Putting aside his underwhelming freshman season with the Wisconsin Badgers of
the NCAA, he should still be regarded as a highly-touted prospect in this
year';s draft.
Like Zary, Holloway has a very strong two-way game, but unlike him, he has
tremendous speed. He also is a strong forechecker and never quits on a play.
That';s one of the reasons why he';s such a good defensive player.
Dylan Holloway of the University of Wisconsin (Greg Anderson/UW Athletics)
Like I said before, this season wasn';t his strongest with only 8 goals and 17
points in 35 games, but he';s bound to progress in his sophomore season. He
just has too much talent not to. Even though his offensive numbers were limited
this season, he still has the potential to become a top-six power forward at
the NHL level. His combination of size, speed, and battle level would be a
welcome addition to the Canucks'; prospect pool.
Bell's Take
Holloway is another player that slipped down rankings this season. In his first
season in the very tough NCAA, the freshman didn't really excel in the new
environment. Well, neither did the rest of the team. The Badgers were expected
to be a powerhouse and kind of fell flat. Holloway, however, actually got
better and better as the season went on. Let's not forget either, that Holloway
was one of the youngest players in the entire league. And he was invited to
the Canadian World Junior camp. He's going to be just fine.
Dawson Mercer, C/RW, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
NHL Central Scouting: 10th (Among NA Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 18th
As I expressed in my reasoning for choosing him for the Carolina Hurricanes in
the THW Mock Draft, Dawson Mercer could also be a very intriguing pick for the
Canucks. He had an impressive season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the
Chicoutimi Sagueneens accumulating 24 goals and 60 points in 42 games while
displaying a strong two-way game. His versatility to play both wing and center
is something the Canucks have valued in the past with their draft picks, so he
probably is on their list already.
Here is the game-tying goal scored by @Voltigeurs_DRU forward Dawson Mercer!
#CANvsRUS pic.twitter.com/kZl6EP7hxt- QMJHL (@QMJHL) November 6, 2019
Related: Dawson Mercer 2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
As you can see so far with the targets I';ve selected, the Canucks should be
valuing strong two-way centermen in this draft. Mercer also falls into that
category with plenty of upside when it comes to offence and defence. He';s not
only a fierce forechecker and back checker, but he can also provide a lot of
offence as well. In the future, he will probably be a forward that is used in
all situations including at the end of the game when his team is protecting the
lead. All in all, he would be an excellent pickup for the Canucks.
Bell's Take
Mercer was a very hard one for me to place. I think he has the potential to
maybe even be a top-12 pick in this class. However, I think he has a longer
road to get there than those I ranked above him. Mercer has a ton of skill in
his game, but he's just a bit raw. The ceiling is high, but the floor might be
a bit lower than some of these other guys. That being said, let's not forget
that he made Team Canada for the 2020 World Juniors and that's no easy task in
a player's draft year for the Canadian team. He's one of those guys who never
gives up and is always fighting for the puck.
Emil Andrae, D, HV71 (SHL)
NHL Central Scouting: 15th (Among EU Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 22nd
In addition to their need at the center ice position, the Canucks also require
more depth on the defensive side of the ledger. Emil Andrae certainly fits the
bill on what they need more of from their blueline.
Emil Andrae of HV71 (HV71)
Since Quinn Hughes came and revolutionized the defence core, it has become
clear that they need more of what he';s providing right now. If they can begin
to build the core around his particular set of skills, their backend should be
a formidable force for years to come.
Andrae has all the tools of a modern defenceman from his mobility, smarts, and
excellent vision to his superb puck skills and ability to get his shot through
to the net. He is on the small side at 5-foot-9, but as we have seen with
Hughes, his other skills should be able to make up for that. Most impressively,
he';s a very physical blueliner and surprisingly strong defender for his size.
It will be interesting to see how he transitions his game to the SHL next
season, but just looking at his overall offensive skills and hockey sense, that
transition should be quite seamless.
Bell's Take
I have Andrae as the third defenseman on my board, after the two big boys in
Jamie Drysdale and Jake Sanderson. While he's undersized, he's an excellent
skater and his hockey sense is borderline elite, which greatly makes up for his
smaller stature. He has good top speed, but it's his four-way mobility that
really stands out. He's creative on his feet and has an ability to quickly
shift in any direction. And yet, he's solid in his own end too through great
positioning and an active stick. He's one of my more intriguing defensive
prospects in the draft.
William Wallinder, D, MODO (SHL)
NHL Central Scouting: 14th (Among EU Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 30th
Knowing the Canucks'; propensity to lean towards the small country of Sweden,
defender William Wallinder is most definitely somewhere on their list. In
addition to having a great name, he is also a big body on the backend. At
6-foot-4 and 192 pounds, he is already a hulking presence on the ice and he';s
still growing into his frame. Not only that, but he';s also a great skater and
can move the puck up the ice with the best of them.
Unfortunately, his defensive game is not the strongest as he sometimes is more
interested in jumping up into the play than defending his own zone. On the
bright side, that can easily be taught through coaching and development, which
he seems to be very open to.
Here's an outstanding play by the Swedes at the #5Nations against Finland's U18
team.
William Wallinder (#2020NHLDraft) sends a beautiful stretch pass up the ice to
Theodor Niederbach (2020) who makes a beautiful move for the goal!
pic.twitter.com/9rtQJ8qwKA- Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) February 7, 2020
Despite an obvious disinterest in defending sometimes, Wallinder has shown the
ability to defend the front of the net on the penalty kill and be aggressive in
the defensive zone. He has all the tools to become a very effective top-four
defenceman in the NHL, and if he can be more consistent in the defensive side
of the game, the Canucks could be getting the next Alex Edler on their
blueline.
Bell's Take
At one point, I had Wallinder as my third-ranked defender. I dropped him a bit
as he does have some red flags in his game, especially in his own end as Matt
mentioned. He almost coasts sometimes while defending, which you definitely
don't want to see. But, he's a great skater - especially for his size - thanks
to a powerful first few steps and a great looking stride. There's a lot of
potential in Wallinder, but there's some risk to him as well. A big defender
that can skate? Usually worth the risk.
Justin Barron, D, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
NHL Central Scouting: 16th (Among NA Skaters)
Josh Bell';s Final Rankings: 41st
Finally, we have Halifax Mooseheads'; defenceman, Justin Barron. The more I
researched him, the more I kept thinking, Chris Tanev. Now Barron probably has
way more offensive potential than him, but his style really reminded me of him.
He';s smart, safe and never seems to be in the wrong position. Now don';t tell
me that doesn';t remind you of someone. If he becomes even half the defensive
force Tanev turned out to be, I think any team would count themselves lucky to
have selected him.
Justin Barron of the Halifax Mooseheads (Photo: Halifax Mooseheads)
Barron had a rough season battling health issues, which led to a drop in
production from 41 points in 2018-19 to 19 points in 2019-20. Despite this, he
remains an intriguing selection in this year';s draft. The fact that he';s such
a well-rounded defenceman at such a young age should be enticing just on its
own.
At 6-foot-2, Barron already has the right size to succeed in the big leagues.
Couple that with his mobility and strong first pass, he could very well be the
perfect complement to a slick offensive defenceman like Hughes or Cale Makar.
With Tanev potentially leaving the Canucks as soon as this offseason, they
could use an ere apparent in their pipeline.
Bell's Take
Before this season, there were many who thought Barron could have been the
second-best defender in this class. Some even thought he could be the best at
one point. But this season, he didn't look like it. After a big 2018-19, I
hoped for a big step forward, which just didn't happen. Granted, the team
wasn't great this season and Barron had a blood clot that took him out of the
game for a long period of time. How much did that hinder his entire season?
Again, this is a player with a very high ceiling, but he's got a long road
ahead. I wouldn't be surprised to see him prove my ranking wrong and have a big
2020-21 season though, and I hope he does. There's a chance that Barron could
be a big steal in this draft.
Canucks Could Benefit From Losing
Now don';t get me wrong, I want to see the Canucks succeed in their play-in
series against the Wild. Though it definitely wouldn';t be the end of the world
if they left the festivities early on.
The Canucks would benefit from having a first round pick in 2020 (Courtesy
Wikimedia)
The first round this year is stacked with potential game-changing forwards and
defencemen that could further the pursuit of becoming a perennial Stanley Cup
contender. Obviously, winning is always better, but if losing has a silver
lining, it';s the fact that the young core of stars got a taste of playoff
hockey while the Canucks still get to add elite talent to their deep prospect
pool. We will just have to see what happens when it all hopefully gets going on
July 30.
The post Canucks Draft Targets With First Round Conditional Pick appeared first
on The Hockey Writers.
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