Canucks sitting ‘in a good spot’ at No. 7
GM Benning unlikely to deal first-round pick with so many blue-chip prospects available
The NHL Scouting Combine was a big week for draft prospects. This week could be bigger, but nobody is heading to Vancouver.
While the focus last week in Buffalo was on interviews and testing, followup visits are barometers of a heightened level of interest. Whether it’s further physical testing or giving a prospect the tour — the Canucks were stealth-like a year ago in showing Elias Pettersson their facilities and a poster-card perfect city — and there’s a lot of merit to the approach.
The Canucks interviewed 78 of 104 invited players last week in Buffalo, but didn’t plan follow-ups here with prospects.
That could mean they’re not sure who’s going to be there when they select seventh overall on June 22 in Dallas. Or, it could mean they already have good intelligence on anyone who could be available.
Either way, Canucks general manager Jim Benning didn’t sound like he’s about to part with the prize pick for immediate roster help because he should land a bonafide prospect.
“We have no followup visits planned, and if we need to follow up with a player, we’ll do it early when we go into Dallas,” Benning said Monday. “We’re satisfied with the process of watching them play, the interviews and the physical and medical testing.
“Every year, the prospects just seem to get better and better. They’re comfortable coming in and sitting with a group of adults. And maybe that’s social media now. They don’t feel intimidated. When I was a kid, I would have walked into a room like that and been scared. They’re just not afraid anymore.
“So, we’re just feeling real comfortable with knowing the players and their personalities. And we feel real comfortable with the way we have our list. We think we’re getting a real good player at No. 7, and we like those who have a chance to be there. However it falls, we just feel we’re in a real good spot.”
A year ago, the Canucks ensured Pettersson met countrymen Henrik and Daniel Sedin and witnessed their legendary off-season training regimen. The interaction was significant because the Canucks wanted the slight, 165-pound puck magician to be sold on the franchise because they were sold on the slick Swede.
Benning always included Pettersson in his draft interests, but there was a buzz that defenceman Cale Makar and centre Cody Glass may be higher on the Canucks’ wish list. Makar went fourth overall to Colorado — eliminating debate about selecting the swift puck-moving blueliner — before Pettersson went fifth to Vancouver and Glass sixth to Las Vegas.
Fast forward and the Canucks are also in a spot where peers could offer immediate help for the pick and a young player — like that Noah Hanifin trade rumour — but the cost would defeat everything the Canucks are attempting in a roster rebuild.
“I’m not closing up my options on that (moving the pick) today and I’ll continue to talk to teams, but it would take a lot,” added Benning. “We feel real strong that we’re getting a really good player (at No. 7).”
Even trying to recoup the 2018 fourth-round pick surrendered in the Derrick Pouliot acquisition has challenges.
“It’s easier said than done, because you’ve got to trade players off your team to acquire picks, and we don’t have a lot of depth,” stressed Benning.
What Benning will have in Dallas are draft options.
The Canucks need someone who projects as a possible top-pairing defenceman or top-six forward. Benning hasn’t changed his long-standing mantra of picking the best player versus a positional need, but he could have a pair of defenceman available once the top picks play out.
Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, OHL right winger Andrei Svechnikov, QMJHL right winger Filip Zadina and Boston University left winger Brady Tkachuk top the prospects list and are expected to be selected by Buffalo, Carolina, Montreal and Ottawa respectively.
Unless somebody goes off the board, or there’s a sudden stampede for blueliners, the Canucks could have a choice of not one, but two credible defenders in Noah Dobson and Adam Boqvist.
University of Michigan defenceman Quinn Hughes created a buzz with polished puck moving for the U.S. at the world championship, where he was the youngest player. Arizona could nab him at No. 5.
Detroit could then select Evan Bouchard — unless the Red Wings move up to take Quinn — because the 6-foot2, 193-pound Bouchard followed up an 87-point OHL season with London — 25 goals and 62 assists to lead all defenders — by finishing second in Scouting Combine pullups with 14. He was also 16th in the bench press to prove his strength and projection as a solid, all-around defenceman.
That would leave Memorial Cup winner Dobson of the QMJHL and Boqvist of Sweden available at No. 7.
The 6-foot-3, 180 pound Dobson projects as a top-pairing producer after 69 points (17-52) with Acadie-Bathurst.
The five-foot-11, 170 pound Boqvist brings skill and creativity and his 24 points (1410) in 25 games with Byrnas (Sweden, J20) were impressive.
The Canucks could also take a look at U.S. National Team Development Program winger Oliver Wahlstrom, who had 22 goals and 45 points in 26 USHL games.
There’s also centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who had 10 goals and 29 points in 57 games with Assat Pori of the Finnish SM-liiga.