Jim Benning made it clear heading into the draft that he and his staff were looking to pick a playmaking centre or a “power play” defenceman. After Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar were taken off the board, Benning got his centre, taking Elias Pettersson fifth overall.
While you might think the Canucks would aim to take a defenceman with the second pick of the second round, 33rd overall, Benning made it clear after day one that they plan to take the “best player available,” and likely have a forward in mind.
There are still some very good players on the board, both defencemen and forwards. Since this article will have a very short shelf life — the second day of the draft kicks off at 7 AM on Saturday — let’s quickly run through a few players the Canucks could consider.
Nicolas Hague - Defence
Hague is massive — 6’6”, 214 lbs — but he’s also got skill to match that size. Hague scored 18 goals and 46 points in 65 OHL games last season, finishing second among first-time draft eligible OHL defencemen. There are some question marks about his mobility, but other scouts aren't concerned about his skating, and he's got a big shot that could be an effective power play weapon.
He’s frequently described as “raw,” which means he would fit right in with a city that loves sushi as much as Vancouver.
Conor Timmins - Defence
The player ahead of Hague in points: Conor Timmins, who had 61 points in 67 games, good for fifth in points among OHL defencemen. He’s a right-hand shot, who has potential to be a top-four defenceman and power play quarterback. He's an effective puck mover, but there may be some questions about his ability in the defensive zone.
Robin Salo - Defence
I mean, his name is Salo. How can the Canucks not take him? But beyond that, Salo played 54 games in Liiga, Finland’s top league. He’s been playing against men since he was 16 years old. He put up 16 points, ahead of Miro Heiskanen in both total points and points per game. Yes, he outscored the top defenceman taken in the draft and he’ll still be available at 33rd overall.
To be fair, Heiskanen had 5 goals to Salo’s one and Salo projects more as a defensive defenceman than a power play guy, particularly with his weaker shot. But playing 54 games against men should not be discounted, particularly when he averaged over 20 minutes per game with a 51.9% corsi.
Admittedly, based on draft rankings and scouting reports, Salo would be a reach at 33rd overall, but might be a better option when the Canucks pick at 55th overall. There seems to be a general sense from scouts that he lacks one or two standout skills that would get him picked higher.
Jesper Boqvist - Left Wing
There are a few reasons to be excited about Boqvist: he’s a skilled and shifty forward with great playmaking ability, who has already played 16 games in the SHL and put up 12 points in 19 games in the Allsvenskan.
Another reason for the Canucks to be interested? Those games in the Allsvenskan were with Timra IK, where he played on the same line as Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen. Boom, instant line.
Maxime Comtois - Centre
The last man standing from my list of five players that could fall to 33rd, Comtois might actually fall all the way! Comtois is a well-rounded, two-way forward coming off a disappointing year after an outstanding 16-year-old season and impressive Ivan Hlinka tournament.
He still has significant upside and projects as a two-way, second or third-line centre and brings a hard-working, physical game to go with his playmaking and vision.
