Pre-Game Talk: - 2026 NHL Draft - First Round | Friday, Jun. 256h | 4:00PM PST | SNP | 3rd & 24th Overall | Page 6 | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League
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Pre-Game Talk: 2026 NHL Draft - First Round | Friday, Jun. 256h | 4:00PM PST | SNP | 3rd & 24th Overall

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y2kcanucks said:
I didn’t say Virtanen. Nice try. I did want Ritchie though.

Funny you bring that up but ignore the year I had Cale Makar ranked 1. People thought I was nuts when I ranked him so high.

Carels had 1 concussion. That’s far from where
Chytil is at.

Hey, enjoy Chase Reid when he leaves because he wants to go back to the USA
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you are so insecure man. Americans loved playing in Vancouver when we didn't suck. build a good team and Americans will want to be here again.
 
DonnyNucker said:
you are so insecure man. Americans loved playing in Vancouver when we didn't suck. build a good team and Americans will want to be here again.
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And the Canucks are going to suck for a long time as they’re just starting a rebuild. So you want to start a rebuild with a guy who’s going to want out?

Not insecure at all. Just smarter than a Benning bro.
 
thecupismine said:
This has been one of the most interesting draft classes for me, and the most fun I've had scouting in a while. I'm between projects at work right now while waiting for city permits, so it gave me a lot more time than I usually have to do this, and for that I'm pretty grateful.

A lot of the guys I identified early on as potential steals or guys to look out for have risen a ton (Malhotra, Command), and the guys I wasn't vibing with have dropped (Lawrence, Novotny), and I'm curious if that trend continues. It's somewhat validating, but also a bit annoying as I can't do the whole told you so thing :laugh:

RE: the actual draft quality itself, I think calling it weak is a bit much. It's missing a clear franchise guy or two + the center depth is suspect, and the one it has that could be it (McKenna) has way more warts than you usually see from a #1 pick. Beyond that, the top 8 or 9 looks pretty strong, and 20ish onwards is pretty standard from what you'd see out of a draft class.

On the Canucks, it's going to be a bit weird, as who they pick at 3 will determine a lot of how they chart the rest of the draft.

Go with Reid or Carels, and there's zero guys in the system who project as 1st line players, and there aren't a ton of high skill bets to make later on, which might force the Canucks to pick some higher risk players earlier than they should. You'd ideally want to draft a C, but I don't see any first round caliber centers making it to 24.

The rest of the draft is on easy mode if you go Malhotra, as you can take pretty much any position at 24, 33, or 41 and be content with where your depth chart is at. The bigger concern is the whole father/son dynamic there.

Anyways, I'm fascinated to see how things go tomorrow. Here's my top 30, if anyone is interested on my thoughts on any of the individual players I did a lot more write up in previous threads, but happy to expand on them for people who are only tuning in now:

1. Mckenna
2. Malhotra
3. Stenberg
4. Carels
5. Reid
6. Smits
7. Rudolph
8. Bjorck
9. Gustaffson
10. Command
11. Hemming
12. Verhoeff
13. Hermansson
14. Suvanto
15. Cullen
16. Morozov
17. Lawrence
18. Belchetz
19. Lin
20. Preston
21. Mutryn
22. Klepov
23. Hurlbert
24. L. Ruck
25. Pugachyov
26. Valentini
27. Bilecki
28. Bleyl
29. Cali
30. M Ruck
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Whats your opinion on jack Hextall?
 
tbh the way everyone is trading their 1sts like candy doesn't make me feel confident over the quality of the draft.
 
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Gonna be a wild day tomorrow hold on to your buttocks

Pretty much a no lose situation whoever we draft is gonna be a stud, definitely take the day off tomorrow and follow the action!
 
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Going to be working while the Draft is on so I'll have to catch it late and hope to avoid spoilers but I'd be really stoked with Carels. I don't particularly want Malhotra but I'd accept it because he seems that he'll at least be an NHL regular even if he may not ascend to star status, Reid I also don't want due to the American factor but there's no denying his talent and the fact that he also fills a need and if he ends up bucking the trend and staying will be a great get for us.
 
y2kcanucks said:
And the Canucks are going to suck for a long time as they’re just starting a rebuild. So you want to start a rebuild with a guy who’s going to want out?

Not insecure at all. Just smarter than a Benning bro.
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Are you calling me a Benning bro? if you were actually smarter than me I'd be too depressed to get out of bed, let alone post on here.

By the time he suits up for the team, and we lose control over him, would be approx. 9 years. if we still suck then oh well. fire everyone and start over again.
 
DonnyNucker said:
Are you calling me a Benning bro? if you were actually smarter than me I'd be too depressed to get out of bed, let alone post on here.

By the time he suits up for the team, and we lose control over him, would be approx. 9 years. if we still suck then oh well. fire everyone and start over again.
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Yup. I remember history.

I’m not okay pinning this teams future on an American.
 
Hockeyphysio said:
Whats your opinion on jack Hextall?
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One of the few guys I didn't watch much of. I saw a few clips early, and nothing really intrigued me to go look at him more. Just struck me as a vanilla 3/4C, but not enough viewings to come to a definitive conclusion. Was one of the guys if I had more time I would've watched more.

DonnyNucker said:
swap Reid and Stenberg and I like your list. I've appreciated your draft analysis while you have been between projects. the damn permits are always late!
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Edmonton can process an entire application in the same amount of time it takes Vancouver to acknowlege you made one, it's insanity for a city that's begging for more housing.

Yeah, I could see it. I think that whole tier of 2-6 is so close that if someone told me they had one guy above another, I wouldn't really bat an eye.
 
Wisp said:
tbh the way everyone is trading their 1sts like candy doesn't make me feel confident over the quality of the draft.
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Yup. It’s not a strong draft. It’s 2004 2002 ish bad.

Chicago considered what might be available and was like screw this. Byram is not btw, Chicago also added a 2nd rounder.

Hodgy said:
But he’s currently concussed.
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No he’s not. He missed one game and played the rest of the playoffs.
 
Wisp said:
I've never seen Carels ranked over Reid. Feels like an over reaction to nationality.


I mean, that's the buzz right now.
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Carson Carels has been vaulted over Reid due to one meaningless pro-Canada political comment, not his on ice play. He's a good defenceman with no exceptional standout skills and a lingering concussion issue. His pre-draft size and statline is an almost mirror-image of Korchinski. Chase Reid is not my ideal pick (Malhotra), but he would be a far better pick over Carels and Verhoeff (yuck). If they want a defenceman, they should trade down and snag Rudolph/Smits
 
Joe Rogan said:
Carson Carels has been vaulted over Reid due to one meaningless pro-Canada political comment, not his on ice play. He's a good defenceman with no exceptional standout skills and a lingering concussion issue. His pre-draft size and statline is an almost mirror-image of Korchinski. Chase Reid is not my ideal pick (Malhotra), but he would be a far better pick over Carels and Verhoeff (yuck). If they want a defenceman, they should trade down and snag Rudolph/Smits
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Which reminds me why am I not doing victory laps on Korchinski right now?

Oh right. I'm not a *total* monster. I won't say I'd be the happiest if we passed on Stenberg, however. I don't know, man, Chicago as an organization looks completely f***ing bonkers and directionless.
 
y2kcanucks said:
I didn’t say Virtanen. Nice try. I did want Ritchie though.

Funny you bring that up but ignore the year I had Cale Makar ranked 1. People thought I was nuts when I ranked him so high.

Carels had 1 concussion. That’s far from where
Chytil is at.

Hey, enjoy Chase Reid when he leaves because he wants to go back to the USA
Click to expand...

I distinctly remember you having those 2 knuckle draggers over the skilled forwards. I don't care to rehash it, but it does provide historical context.

Carels is damaged goods with no standout skills, and if your main argument for drafting him over a superior dman is the rah-rah Pro-Canada spiel, it's probably a weak argument. After Daigneault and Virtanen, I'd rather we not draft gimps on the draft floor again. If the MAGA factor is a bigger concern than concussion history, then you don't understand hockey
 
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