Canucks should consider defence on draft day
Look no further than how Preds’ stellar back end has powered a Stanley Cup run
So you don’t think the Canucks should draft a defenceman.
At least, not with the fifth overall pick.
You’ve seen Troy Stecher and Ben Hutton, two emerging young players who have promising topfour tomorrows.
There’s still Chris Tanev and Alex Edler, the two best veterans who have years left as the blueline’s axis. And there’s Olli Juolevi, the future.
Maybe Juolevi doesn’t have the potential to be a Norris finalist, but he can certainly be in the tier below, and that’s still one of the better defencemen in the National Hockey League.
All of this is good, but not good enough. Not even close if you’ve been watching Erik Karlsson and the Nashville Predators this postseason.
Karlsson, obviously, is the ridiculous skater who has been carrying the Ottawa Senators and doing it hurt. The Predators, meanwhile, have built the most dynamic defence in the league, and it has carried them to the Western Conference finals.
It’s remarkable how different the Nashville defence is now. Gone is the era of the big, tough, front-oftheir-net road graders epitomized by Shea Weber. In its place are six puck movers in Nashville, who now have the model of the great modern NHL defence.
The Preds’ back end is led by their big three point producers: P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. That trio put up 38 goals this season. The entire Canucks defence had 22. And that is no outlier. The season before, the Canucks pulled 23 goals from their defencemen.
In both seasons, Edler led the Canucks in defensive scoring with six goals. There were 44 NHL defencemen who had more than six goals this past season. This is not good.
In fact, the Canucks’ blue-line is probably closer to crisis than it is to becoming an area of strength, a term some have used to describe it recently.
Truth is, the Canucks’ defence won’t be an area of strength until they develop some top-tier offensive talent.
In that department, if they aren’t counting on Jordan Subban, which the Canucks sure don’t seem to be, there is a massive hole to be filled. One that’s arguably just as big as the hole at centre about to be opened up when Henrik Sedin retires.
It does put the Canucks in position to draft the best player available when they are picking in June at fifth overall.
Generally, it’s been easier at the top of drafts for teams to forecast forwards than defencemen. But the players on D have a remarkable ability to hold their value. Consider, both Griffin Reinhart and Erik Gudbranson were selected way too high, and in the top five. Neither worked out for the teams that drafted them.
But the New York Islanders traded Reinhart for a mid-first round pick and an early second, which is about the same price the Canucks paid to acquire Gudbranson six years after he was drafted.
When the Canucks pick, there will assuredly be defencemen available who are worthy to consider taking over any available centre.
One is Miro Heiskanen, a Finnish blue-liner who is close to the total package, and also Cale Makar, who just may be the most fascinating and risky player expected to be taken in the top 10.
Makar isn’t big, but his speed and skill are a perfect fit for the current NHL. Scouts believe he has the ability to be a No. 1 defenceman, but some believe it’s difficult to completely assess him because the league he plays in, the Alberta Junior Hockey League, isn’t great.
“I’m not saying he’s Erik Karlsson because we’re talking about a superstar and one of the great defencemen of his era, but (Makar) plays the game like that,” TSN prospect analyst Craig Button said. “He’s dynamic into the attack with the puck, making plays. He’s really, really top notch. I think everything he has translates to the next level.
“I don’t worry that he’s in the AJHL. It’s not a negative for me.”
Button has been underscoring that point by referencing the 1988 draft.
“I was with Minnesota, but had nothing to do with the draft,” Button said.
“Mike Modano was the first player selected. Trevor Linden was the next. The third pick was Curtis Leschyshyn. He had a long, good career. The fourth player taken was Darrin Shannon, who had a pretty decent career. The fifth pick was Daniel Dore and the sixth pick was Scott Pearson. The seventh pick was Martin Gelinas to the L.A. Kings. Pretty good player. These were all (CHL) players.
“The eighth pick was Jeremy Roenick out of Thayer Academy, he was playing high school hockey. Five hundred goals. The ninth pick was Rod Brind’Amour. Oh, he’s playing in the Saskatchewan junior league. And the 10th pick was Teemu Selanne, oh he’s playing in Finland. If you want to judge players because of the league they’re in, go ahead.”
Sure, but do it at your peril.
Generally, it’s been easier at the top of drafts for teams to forecast forwards than defencemen.