2016 Canucks draft evaluation: Olli Juolevi or bust

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The Canucks completed the 2015-16 season a stunning twenty eighth general. Extra stunning: the horrible returns from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

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However in what grew to become a well-recognized story, they’d no luck within the draft lottery, dropping all three attracts that yr and falling again to fifth general.

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For the third yr in a row, GM Jim Benning carried a considerable amount of sway on the draft desk. Judd Brackett was in his first yr because the nominal director of beginner scouting, however his affect was usually outdated by Benning and assistant common supervisor John Weisbrod.

In a evaluation of his staff’s course of main as much as the 2016 draft after which on draft day itself, president Trevor Linden got here to conclude {that a} extra cohesive method to the Canucks’ draft technique was wanted, and the voices of Brackett and Dan Palango grew to become rather more influential.

A extra regimented scouting system was put in place and gamers that Brackett and his workers acquired a number of followup viewings. It wasn’t sufficient to see a participant as soon as. This philosophy led to Brackett and his workers pushing arduous for Elias Pettersson because the staff’s first-round goal in 2017.

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However that’s a story for the following instalment of the collection. In the present day we’re targeted on an actual mess: the 2016 draft featured messy preparation, messy execution, and a few ugly fallout from trades.

It was the worst draft of the Benning period.

Olli Juolevi (fifth general)

And so begins a disastrous draft. The story right here has been well-told. Juolevi was sturdy on the earth juniors and Benning was available to see it. Regardless of nearly everybody saying that Juolevi wouldn’t be pretty much as good as the opposite defencemen anticipated to go excessive within the draft, Benning declined to commerce again to take Juolevi, even when it was abundantly clear that Calgary would choose Matthew Tkachuk with the following choose and that Juolevi would nonetheless be out there a couple of picks later.

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Juolevi was anticipated to be a strong, however unspectacular professional. Accidents have dogged him, and he’s now along with his fourth NHL group in Anaheim. He didn’t swimsuit up for a single NHL recreation this previous season for the primary time in 4 seasons.

Juolevi is a bust. And he was picked method above the place he ought to have been. There’s simply an excessive amount of price of alternative on this story.

Who else may they’ve drafted? Tkachuk is the plain goal. Many followers had been hoping he can be the choose — and you might hear a pin drop on the draft occasion at Rogers Area after Juolevi was chosen. The Canucks haven’t hosted a draft occasion since, by the best way.

If Tkachuk wasn’t the selection, Mikhail Sergachev was a greater defence possibility than Juolevi. His upside was a lot increased. And Charlie McAvoy, Jake Bean and Jakob Chychrun all went within the teenagers, so the Canucks may simply have traded again and nonetheless grabbed a prime defence prospect.

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Decide grade: F

Second spherical choose (thirty third general) traded to Florida, together with the 94th general choose and C Jared McCann, for D Erik Gudbranson. (Decide later traded to Buffalo)

The Sabres chosen Rasmus Asplund, who has performed 183 NHL video games as a checking centre. Jordan Kyrou was chosen two picks later. Probably the most notable miss right here is sniper Alex DeBrincat, chosen thirty ninth general.

It’s understood the Canucks would have picked DeBrincat had the choose not been traded for Gudbranson.

Will Lockwood (sixty fourth general)

A powerful U-18s for Lockwood impressed Benning and the GM’s view carried the day because the speedy winger was chosen within the third spherical. A participant shouldn’t be picked primarily based on only one event — however Lockwood’s expertise was rightly noticed on this case. Sadly, he bumped into shoulder points, and whereas he did get a pair cups of espresso with the Canucks, his lack of offensive expertise sadly stands out. In a unique timeline, he might need been Tyler Motte.

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Unhealthy course of, however a superb participant to make a third-round guess on. Too dangerous about these shoulders.

Who else may they’ve drafted? Adam Fox, Lockwood’s teammate with the U.S. Nationwide Group Growth Program, went two picks later. He received the Norris Trophy in 2021 because the league’s greatest defenceman and is a finalist once more this yr. Checking ahead Joey Anderson, one other USNTDP skater, was chosen 73rd general by New Jersey, and grinder Rem Pitlick was picked 76th general by Nashville.

Decide grade: B

Fourth spherical choose (94th general) traded to Florida within the McCann/Gudbranson commerce

Florida picked C Jonathan Ang. A speedy OHLer, Ang performed two years within the AHL, however is now having a effective profession in Switzerland. Different choices at this choice: Victor Mete went a hundredth general, whereas ex-Canuck Riley Stillman went 114th.

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Fifth spherical choose (124th general) traded to Montreal in 2015 together with Zack Kassian for Brandon Prust.

The Canucks had had sufficient of Kassian, who we’d later be taught was combating alcoholism. The Canucks had been apparently intrigued by the rugged play of Prust, who was a fan favorite in Montreal.

Prust proved to be a catastrophe for the Canucks. He was coming off ankle surgical procedure and was too sluggish to be efficient. Then he threw his toys out of the cart about being a wholesome scratch and the Canucks waived him.

It’s wild that this commerce wasn’t merely participant for participant, that in some way Habs GM Marc Bergevin extracted a choose from Benning to tackle a troubled participant in trade for a broken participant of his personal.

The Canucks set a choose on fireplace, though that’s tempered by the actual fact Montreal wasted the choose on Casey Staum, who performed three nondescript seasons within the USHL earlier than a single season at Colorado Faculty. He’s apparently out of hockey.

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And no notable participant was picked by any staff within the fifth spherical, though a handful have appeared in NHL video games. Certainly there are solely three gamers picked in the remainder of the yr’s draft who’ve careers of any be aware: Brandon Hagel, picked 159th by Buffalo, Michael Pezzetta, one hundred and sixtieth by Montreal, and Jesper Bratt picked 162nd by New Jersey.

Cole Candella (one hundred and fortieth general, initially the NY Islanders’ choose however acquired from Florida within the Gudbranson commerce)

Candella was injured mid-season, so the Canucks dug into their analytics bag, such because it was in these days, to select Candella from OHL Hamilton.

A talented blueliner, he didn’t develop, went unsigned by Vancovuer, aged out of major-junior after which performed one season of professional in Denmark. He was final noticed enjoying U-Sports activities hockey for UPEI.

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That is the spherical to take huge swings, and whereas Candella didn’t pan out, you may’t argue with the hassle right here.

Who else may they’ve drafted? The record above stands. Bratt signed an eight-year extension with New Jersey earlier this month and stands up as an all-time nice late-round choose.

Decide grade: C+

Jakob Stukel (154th general)

You do marvel if there’s a by line right here from Troy Ward to Weisbrod. The Canucks’ AGM and Ward go method again, and Ward spent the primary half of the 2014-15 season as Stukel’s coach with WHL Vancouver. Stukel was traded early within the 2015-16 season to the Calgary Hitmen, the place he proved to be a succesful two-way participant. Benning needed his late-round picks to have one clear level of distinction, one thing which may take them to the present, and Stukel was an amazing skater.

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Sadly, he couldn’t do a lot else and went unsigned by the Canucks.

Stukel was already 19 when the Canucks drafted him, so burning a choose on a participant who wasn’t adequate to be drafted at age 18 and who hadn’t performed something within the season since to set himself really aside from his friends made this a curious choice.

He had a robust first professional season within the ECHL with Wichita and managed a pair cups of espresso with Bakersfield, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, over the following three seasons. He performed final yr with Base of the Swiss second division, main the staff in scoring.

He may skate like an NHLer, however the course of right here certain appears suspect.

Who else may they’ve drafted? Yet another time: Hagel, Pezzetta and Bratt had been all drafted a couple of picks after Stukel and have all confirmed to be succesful NHLers.

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Decide grade: D

Rodrigo Abols (184th general)

A choose that continues to be baffling to at the present time. An over-age Latvian, he was already over 20 by the point he was drafted. Regardless of being older than a lot of the competitors within the WHL, he didn’t dominate, so it’s curious what regional scout Brandon Benning would have seen in him.

WHL Portland didn’t have a spot for him the following fall and flipped him to the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathhurst Titan, the place Abols performed nicely sufficient.

As a professional, he had a strong profession, largely in Sweden. He’s captained his nationwide staff as nicely.

However right here’s the factor: if the Canucks had been interested by him, there was no have to draft him, particularly with the draft winding down. They might have simply signed him to an AHL deal.

Late picks must be huge swings. Selecting 20-year-olds who didn’t rip it up within the Dub shouldn’t be an enormous swing.

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Who else may they’ve drafted? Regardless of him being a horrible choose, there are solely two gamers between Abols and the Canucks’ subsequent choose, Brett McKenzie, who made the NHL: Calvin Thurkauf (three video games, picked by Columbus) and Jeremy Davies (picked by New Jersey, 23 NHL video games).

Decide grade: F

Brett McKenzie (194th general, choose acquired from Carolina in 2015 Eddie Lack commerce)

A helpful two-way ahead for North Bay, his improvement stalled, though he’s been a superb participant within the ECHL.

There was some cause to assume his play would translate right into a helpful depth ahead, and within the seventh spherical, that is what you’re taking swings on.

Who else may they’ve drafted? Just one participant picked after McKenzie, San Jose’s Joachim Blichfeld (eight video games), has even appeared in an NHL recreation.

Decide grade: C

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