Who the Vancouver Canucks drafted in 2019 and why.
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The 2019 NHL Entry Draft stands out for the Vancouver Canucks for a couple of causes.
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For starters, it was at dwelling, an enormous likelihood for a membership that believed it was set to rise — Elias Pettersson had received rookie of the 12 months and Quinn Hughes signed late within the season — to showcase its supposedly forward-looking imaginative and prescient of itself in entrance of its personal followers.
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It was additionally essentially the most picks (9) the Canucks made in a single draft through the Jim Benning period.
It was additionally the final time Benning drafted within the first spherical.
A 12 months after drafting defencemen with three of their first 4 picks, in 2019 the Canucks used eight of their 9 picks on forwards — though Benning famous after the draft that they might signal three defencemen late within the season in Josh Teves, Brogan Rafferty and Mitch Eliot. None of these three made the NHL as regulars.
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The Canucks have landed two NHLers out of this draft to this point — each Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander must take massive steps to cement themselves as regulars — whereas Arturs Silovs appears to be like set to play much more video games going ahead and Aidan McDonough had a good debut as an expert this previous season.
It was a really fruitful draft and it’s nonetheless stunning Benning selected to push out head scout Judd Brackett over the subsequent 12 months. Benning was employed to repair the group’s woeful drafting report, and it regarded like he had lastly performed so by empowering Brackett and his workers. Appeared like a straightforward win to take.
That is additionally the draft the place the Canucks landed J.T. Miller in a commerce with the Lightning. Tampa Bay was capped out and the Canucks added Miller, who has confirmed to be an excellent scorer for the Canucks.
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Vasily Podkolzin, tenth general
The Canucks thought Podkolzin was going to be picked at seventh or eighth and had been delighted when he was nonetheless accessible at 10. The Russian winger was tied to SKA St. Petersburg for one more two years post-draft, so there have been questions on when he would truly make the NHL.
Scouts cherished his bulldog taking part in fashion, but additionally a participant with imaginative and prescient. He clearly had a superb understanding of how you can use his measurement to win puck battles and make sensible performs with the puck in site visitors. Benning in contrast him to Timo Meier. He has proven glimpses of this within the NHL, however wants to search out consistency in his recreation nonetheless.
Who else might they’ve drafted? There was plenty of chatter coming into the draft that Benning was inclined in direction of Victor Soderstrom, who the Coyotes traded as much as take a decide after Vancouver — the Coyotes the truth is had additionally provided a take care of Vancouver, which Benning turned down — whereas others instructed forwards comparable to Matt Boldy, Cole Caufield and Peyton Krebs.
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Everybody appreciated Podkolzin and felt he might have gone sooner.
Decide grade: A.
Nils Hoglander, fortieth general
Brackett raved about Hoglander’s “motor” after the draft and mentioned he thought he had the most effective palms within the draft. He had an excellent post-draft 12 months, then got here flying into the 2020-21 coaching camp, profitable a spot on the NHL roster. He had a superb rookie 12 months, however struggled in 2021-22, and this previous season completed the 12 months within the AHL. However no less than his stint within the minors appears to be like to have re-set his recreation and he ought to play a job once more for the Canucks this coming season.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Arduous to argue in opposition to this decide: no participant drafted after the primary spherical in 2019 has performed extra NHL video games than Hoglander. Toronto’s Nick Robertson, drafted 13 picks later, has struggled with accidents within the NHL, however stays a promising younger ahead. Los Angeles’ Sam Fagemo was additionally highly-rated as a scorer and is banging on the Kings’ door to get extra NHL ice time.
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If the pandemic hadn’t emerged, Hoglander possible would have began in North America within the AHL and his progress would have been extra regular, however right here we’re and he has confirmed he’s an NHLer anyway.
Decide grade: A.
71st general traded to Tampa Bay in J.T. Miller commerce (Canucks additionally traded their 2020 first-round decide and spare goalie Marek Mazanec)
Miller has confirmed to be the scorer the Canucks hoped he can be. The Lighting drafted goalie Hugo Alnefelt, who has largely been their AHL backup since leaving Sweden in 2021-22. The primary-round decide in 2020 ended up being flipped to New Jersey, who picked D Shakir Mukhamadullin.
Ethan Keppen, 122nd general
The Canucks initially had been set to draft 102nd general, however Buffalo got here calling and provided the 122nd decide, which initially belonged to San Jose, and the one hundred and seventy fifth general decide, initially Winnipeg’s.
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The Canucks’ OHL scouts — Dan Palango, Todd Harvey and Chris MacDonald — had been massive followers of Keppen’s and had been comfortable to see him nonetheless on the board at 122. A flexible, clever, hard-working winger who wanted to enhance his skating, he mentioned he modelled his recreation after Matthew Tkachuk. However harm after which the pandemic derailed his post-draft 12 months and he barely performed in 2020-21, getting simply seven video games with Utica. He skated in 11 video games for Abbotsford in 2021-22, however struggled, then was re-assigned again to OHL Flint, the place he discovered his recreation once more.
Performed for AHL Charlotte final 12 months.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Keppen went with the third-last decide within the fourth spherical, just one participant within the fifth spherical has performed any NHL video games: bruising ahead Mark Kastelic, who racked up 102 penalty minutes in 65 video games this previous season for Ottawa.
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There was tons to love about Keppen and also you surprise how issues might need been completely different if the OHL had operated in 2020-21. As a substitute, he was dumped into professional hockey earlier than he was prepared.
Decide grade: C.
Carson Focht, 133rd
An over-age fast-skating centre, his offensive recreation by no means progressed and he has spent most of final season within the ECHL.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Oddly sufficient, the subsequent participant drafted after Focht to play NHL video games is Arturs Silovs, who the Canucks selected with the primary decide of the sixth spherical. Detroit picked winger Elmer Soderblom 159th and he performed 21 NHL video games this previous season, his first 12 months in North America.
Fifth-round picks not often make it, so drafting a man who skates effectively is rarely a a nasty thought.
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Decide grade: C.
Arturs Silovs, 156th (decide acquired from Ottawa in Anders Nilsson for Mike McKenna commerce in January 2019)
With Thatcher Demko getting a promotion following the commerce of Nilsson to Ottawa, it solely made sense that the Canucks wanted to re-stock the goalie cabinet. Canucks goalie gurus Dan Cloutier and Ian Clark had been massive followers of Silovs and pushed for the lanky Latvian, who appears to be like set to play extra NHL video games.
Who else might they’ve drafted? After Soderblom solely three different picks within the spherical have performed NHL video games. There’s buzz round Nikita Nesterenko, who was drafted by Minnesota however was picked up in a commerce by Anaheim this 12 months and performed 9 video games for the Geese.
Goalies are voodoo, so discovering a doable NHL common within the sixth spherical is fairly stable work.
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Decide grade: A.
164th general decide traded to San Jose for the 215th general decide and a swap of minor leaguers
San Jose picked Timur Ibragimov, who has been a minor leaguer thus far and was traded to New Jersey within the Timo Meier commerce final February.
Karel Plasek, one hundred and seventy fifth (initially Winnipeg’s decide, acquired from Buffalo)
Like Focht, Plasek was in his second 12 months of draft eligibility. Small in stature, the Canucks appreciated his artful recreation. He had already performed skilled video games for Brno and had been a robust performer for Czechia on the 2018 World U-18s after which on the 2019 World Juniors.
Was damage for a lot of the 2021-22 season, taking part in in simply eight video games for Abbotsford. Performed again in Czechia this previous season.
Who else might they’ve drafted? This shall be true of all remaining picks: Two forwards picked within the seventh spherical, Rafael Harvey-Pinard (Montreal) and Juuso Parssinen (Nashville), appear to be turning into NHL regulars.
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Most picks this late don’t make it.
Decide grade: C-
Jack Malone, one hundred and eightieth (decide acquired in 2018 draft-day commerce with Washington)
Sure for Cornell, the speedy Malone had a stable body and scored a point-per-game for USHL Youngstown in 2018-19.
Canucks hoped he would turn into bottom-six hustler, however his offensive recreation has stalled within the NCAA. Canucks maintain his rights for one more 12 months.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Harvey-Pinard or Parssinen.
These are the type of darts you ought to be throwing within the sixth spherical.
Decide grade: C-
Aidan McDonough, 195th
Scouts Palango and Vince Montalbano went to a Boston highschool recreation in 2017-18 to look at one other participant, however left extra impressed by McDonough. The massive child had a late development spurt, discovered how you can be massive and play with talent and posted a robust USHL season earlier than being drafted.
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Then he went to Northeastern and simply acquired higher and higher, captaining the group in his ultimate season earlier than signing with the Canucks this previous spring. He’s set for the AHL in 2022-23, however he doesn’t look far off NHL minutes.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Harvey-Pinard or Parssinen.
He’s on target. Discovering NHL forwards within the seventh spherical deserves kudos.
Decide grade: B+
Arvid Costmar, 215th
The third-last participant picked within the draft. A feisty Swedish centre, if he was going to make it, it was going to be by sheer pluck. On the 2021 world juniors, his power and willingness to get his nostril soiled stood out. However in professional hockey he struggled to attain, and whereas he attended the Canucks’ 2022 improvement camp — simply his second, as a result of the pandemic prevented the 2020 and 2021 editions — the group’s brass clearly didn’t see sufficient improvement from him and didn’t signal him forward of a deadline earlier this month. He’s now a free agent.
Who else might they’ve drafted? Burnaby’s Massimo Rizzo was drafted a decide later by Carolina. He’s taking part in for the College of Denver.
For a short second, he regarded like he could be one thing.
Decide grade: C-
Learn extra of our Canucks draft evaluations:
• 2018 Canucks draft evaluate: Quinn Hughes steals the present
• 2017 Canucks draft evaluate: Collective effort results in Pettersson energy
• 2016 Canucks draft evaluate: Olli Juolevi or bust
• 2015 Canucks draft evaluate: Brock Boeser however not a lot else
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Originally posted 2023-06-26 21:29:04.
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