Prospect Info: The 2024-2025 Prospect Thread: Part 1: Skate or Die!

[VanJack]

Beginning in 2020 with the Miller acquisition from Tampa, I've almost lost count of the number of draft picks the Canucks have dealt.

In first rounders alone, they had no picks in 2020, 2021 and 2024. And as far as second and third rounders dealt--mostly to dump some poor contracts they inherited from the Benning regime--you'd need a slide-rule to chart it. In second rounders alone, they had zero picks in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2020.

So basically between 2020 and 2024, with the exception of 2022 and 2023, and Danila Klimovich in 2021; the Canucks first pick in the draft was in the 100-plus range.

To me, it borders on something of a minor miracle that the Canucks prospect pool is even as good as it is. You simply can't trade than many high picks, and expect late rounders to keep working out,.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Beginning in 2020 with the Miller acquisition from Tampa, I've almost lost count of the number of draft picks the Canucks have dealt.

In first rounders alone, they had no picks in 2020, 2021 and 2024. And as far as second and third rounders dealt--mostly to dump some poor contracts they inherited from the Benning regime--you'd need a slide-rule to chart it. In second rounders alone, they had zero picks in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2020.

So basically between 2020 and 2024, with the exception of 2022 and 2023, and Danila Klimovich in 2021; the Canucks first pick in the draft was in the 100-plus range.

To me, it borders on something of a minor miracle that the Canucks prospect pool is even as good as it is. You simply can't trade than many high picks, and expect late rounders to keep working out,.

Not all trades of first round picks are equal.
I think you need to separate out the trading of first rounders into good and bad. Trading a first rounder for Miller and for Hronek are both great trades. Trading a first rounder for OEL and his cap hit is obviously brutal even with Garland in the package. And I’d argue that trading a first for Lindholm was also a poor trade given his short stay here.

 

[VanJack]

Not all trades of first round picks are equal.
I think you need to separate out the trading of first rounders into good and bad. Trading a first rounder for Miller and for Hronek are both great trades. Trading a first rounder for OEL and his cap hit is obviously brutal even with Garland in the package. And I’d argue that trading a first for Lindholm was also a poor trade given his short stay here.

I'm not saying that every trade of a first rounder by the Canucks was a 'bad deal'. Obviously the Canucks acquired J.T. Miller from Tampa for a pick which turned out to be 20th overall.

But the sad fact is that between 2020 and 2024--a total of five entry drafts--the Canucks had just two first round draft picks and one second rounder. So there's just no way your prospect pool isn't going to take a major 'hit'.

And throwing out the COVID year, they only made the playoffs once in six seasons. Normally, a 'lottery team' trading that many draft picks is inevitably going to be in a 'world of hurt'.

 

[ManVanFan]

Beginning in 2020 with the Miller acquisition from Tampa, I've almost lost count of the number of draft picks the Canucks have dealt.

In first rounders alone, they had no picks in 2020, 2021 and 2024. And as far as second and third rounders dealt--mostly to dump some poor contracts they inherited from the Benning regime--you'd need a slide-rule to chart it. In second rounders alone, they had zero picks in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2020.

So basically between 2020 and 2024, with the exception of 2022 and 2023, and Danila Klimovich in 2021; the Canucks first pick in the draft was in the 100-plus range.

To me, it borders on something of a minor miracle that the Canucks prospect pool is even as good as it is. You simply can't trade than many high picks, and expect late rounders to keep working out,.

It's ranked bottom 5'ish in most articles about farm systems for a reason.

As most say that the Canucks prospect system has good "depth" in their prospect system. Meaning like 4th liners and 13th forwards and 3rd pair and depth defenders.

Those are the types you can find in later rounds, and a whole bunch of them in free agency for cheap.

If they have cup aspirations, they need to start finding Brayden Points, Anthony Cirelli's in the 3rd rounds. Once in a decade.

 

[ManVanFan]

Sweden u20 played an exhibition game vs Czechia this morning. Melvin was not called up but his teammate Liam Danielsson was on the Swedes 1st line.

 

[WTG]

Dorrington playing Friday/Saturday I’ll try and get some footage and post it here.

 

[WTG]

It's ranked bottom 5'ish in most articles about farm systems for a reason.

As most say that the Canucks prospect system has good "depth" in their prospect system. Meaning like 4th liners and 13th forwards and 3rd pair and depth defenders.

Those are the types you can find in later rounds, and a whole bunch of them in free agency for cheap.

If they have cup aspirations, they need to start finding Brayden Points, Anthony Cirelli's in the 3rd rounds. Once in a decade.

If Pettersson returns to form and Demko comes back. The team basically has 2 #1 centers, a Norris winning #1 D, a top end winger in Boeser, and a franchise goaltender. This team isn’t lacking talent, it needs role players. Finding cheap internal options is also critical part of the process.

The defenseman pool has great depth right now filled with tones of players with different strengths. Pettersson and Dorrington with physicality, krudyastev being a very good all rounder, Mynio with offensive flair. On the right side you have Willander who is a great all-rounder.

Some great lottery tickets there. We’ve seen the benefit of having those role type players have in the playoffs like Zadorov for example.

 

[Baby Pettersson]

I think our prospect pool is better then media gives credit for.

Heck look at prospect rankings and you have both Lekkerimaki and Willander in the top 20 of most lists.

Like others have said with all the picks we have traded we could definitely be worse for wear.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

Vancouver Canucks - In the System - Elite Prospects

Statistical overview of all Vancouver Canucks prospects.

www.eliteprospects.com

This is disappointing from a points perspective.

Management has been subpar in creating capital.

Prospect pools are super overrated. Unless your Kyle Dubas no one really want B to B+ prospects they have enough of there own. The prospects that you want to keep are usually the one that are off limits, they usually stay that way unless a team has a surplus in that position. This is why we see so many draft pick deals. After a teams top 5- 7 prospects I could care less, prospect depth is literally a stupid concept who cares who 14th ranked prospects is they are most likely not gonna play games.

Edit: Also they overvalue guys who put up these flashy post totals of player over players that have more a depth profile. When in reality teams value those depth piece because they will play games for them and at least they have something to show for the trade.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Prospect pools are super overrated. Unless your Kyle Dubas no one really want B to B+ prospects they have enough of there own. The prospects that you want to keep are usually the one that are off limits, they usually stay that way unless a team has a surplus in that position. This is why we see so many draft pick deals. After a teams top 5- 7 prospects I could care less, prospect depth is literally a stupid concept who cares who 14th ranked prospects is they are most likely not gonna play games.

Edit: Also they overvalue guys who put up these flashy post totals of player over players that have more a depth profile. When in reality teams value those depth piece because they will play games for them and at least they have something to show for the trade.

Spoken like a true Canuck fan. Just because our shit drafting, and trading away picks team never has 14 good prospects doesn't mean that it isn't useful.

Every one of them is a lottery ticket. Even for us, a guy like Bieksa would have been a consensus #10-15 prospect when he was in college. Same for Hansen when he was in Portland.
It'd be like if Dorrington became a mainstay in our top 4 D, and a team leader. If Alriksson became a key member on the wing of the best defensive 3rd line in hockey. That actually happened, most just don't remember it that way.

 

[VanJack]

Draft picks don't just pay off in expanding your prospect pool.

Last year, the Canucks traded Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo to the Flames in the LIndholm trade. Sometimes trading one your past picks gives you the leverage to acquire the player you're really after.

Who knows? If they hadn't drafted Brzustewicz and if the Flames hadn't been interested based on his big year in the OHL, maybe that Lindholm deal never happens.

There's nothing wrong with trading guys after you draft them, as long as it isn't sure-fire NHL'ers like Wilander or Lekkermaki.

But at the end of the day, you hope you get a lot more back than the 4th round pick they got for Podkolzin, who was a top-10 pick in 2019.

 

[ManVanFan]

Prospect pools are super overrated. Unless your Kyle Dubas no one really want B to B+ prospects they have enough of there own. The prospects that you want to keep are usually the one that are off limits, they usually stay that way unless a team has a surplus in that position. This is why we see so many draft pick deals. After a teams top 5- 7 prospects I could care less, prospect depth is literally a stupid concept who cares who 14th ranked prospects is they are most likely not gonna play games.

Edit: Also they overvalue guys who put up these flashy post totals of player over players that have more a depth profile. When in reality teams value those depth piece because they will play games for them and at least they have something to show for the trade.

I would say they are overrated if there isn't a turnover into the NHL for the prospects. You need good prospects to help the team, on the team, in trades. Shit prospects mean you are not going to get anything decent in return, trading away future picks means no future.

A team like the Canucks don't need the best prospect pool in the league but if you have a decent to good one, you have capital and having capital is big.

 

[Breakers]

Willander just gave Boumedienne a talking to about a diving penalty he just got.

interesting
can't read lips. More of a "You didn't have to embellish"

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I think our prospect pool is better then media gives credit for.

Heck look at prospect rankings and you have both Lekkerimaki and Willander in the top 20 of most lists.

Like others have said with all the picks we have traded we could definitely be worse for wear.

I think our prospect pool is fairly ranked based on the rankings’ criteria which is to look at depth and top end talent. We really don’t have much depth and while Lekk and Willander are probably top 20-30 type prospects they aren’t in that top 15 tier.
If you ranked based just on best two or three prospects then we would probably move up significantly to the upper half of the league.

 

[Diversification]

Willander just gave Boumedienne a talking to about a diving penalty he just got.

interesting
can't read lips. More of a "You didn't have to embellish"

It's striking how different BU looks with and without Willander on the ice. With him, there's structure easy DZ exits. Without him, it's a free for all and breakdowns all over.

 

[VanJack]

Willander just gave Boumedienne a talking to about a diving penalty he just got.

interesting
can't read lips. More of a "You didn't have to embellish"

It's interesting. The last time I looked at the 2025 draft rankings, Boumedienne was rated in the mid-20's in the first round. Future teammates in Vancouver?

 

[Breakers]

BU with a rough period

Umass scored 3 goals in 7 minutes

One was Shane lachance just blindly giving the puck away, and Willander was on the ice but had already left the zone as he didn’t think his teammate would just send the puck into the middle of the ice.

And two bombs from the point where a scrum ensures and they put it in Willander on the ice for one of those, boumefiiene just outmuscled
So not breakdowns by him

This is a HUGE 3rd period
I mean if they lose another opening round weekend series game, the Pairwise and Krach faults them huge to a lesser opponent

We are looking at them falling outside the top 15
They were ranked #1 not too long ago.

 

[ManVanFan]

It's interesting. The last time I looked at the 2025 draft rankings, Boumedienne was rated in the mid-20's in the first round. Future teammates in Vancouver?

Looks like a 2nd rounder to me.

Umass goalie looks good. Older but could be depth to Abbotsford while others develop.