Canucks plan to ‘make every pick count’ by going into draft ready for any scenario

VANCOUVER — In the last three entry drafts, the Vancouver Canucks had one first-round selection and a total of six picks in the opening four rounds. They’re going to match that quota in less than 24 hours in Nashville, where the 2023 National Hockey League entry draft starts Wednesday.

Canucks amateur scouting director Todd Harvey’s job would have been easier — and more euphoric — had he been able to choose first and draft generational talent Connor Bedard of North Vancouver. Still, in this historically strong draft, Harvey is excited about an 11^th-overall pick that should bring a superior centre or defenceman to Vancouver.

But what he’s especially excited about are the five selections the Canucks have in the third and fourth rounds, five at-bats over a span of 45 picks, starting at No. 75.

It is a chief scout’s nerdy dream.

“I'm actually really excited because I think there's a lot of good players in that area,” Harvey said Tuesday in a telephone interview. “There's some guys that we like that we're hoping that are there. With the draft, that's where you've got to mine some gold in those rounds and try to find some players that are going to push and. . . make your hockey club.

“At the end of the day, you know, I want to make every pick count. Even the ones that don't get to the NHL, I want them to be part of the organization with the American League and push all of our players to be better. You'd love to have all these picks up top and all that, but when you find a guy in the later rounds and he plays, that's kind of a bonus for you.”

The Canucks did not have first-round picks in 2021 and 2020, surrendered in trades for Conor Garland and J.T. Miller by previous general manager Jim Benning. His successor, Patrik Allvin, traded the team’s second-round pick this year, along with the New York Islanders’ first-round pick acquired in the Bo Horvat deal, to get top-four defenceman Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings in March.

The No. 11 pick will be the franchise’s highest since 2019 and its six picks in the first four rounds are the most for the Canucks in 29 years.

Harvey believes this draft will prove to be as special as everyone thinks.

“I think it is,” he said. “You look at the top guys and you've got some really, really good players at the top. And then moving down the list, it's strong. You can probably get similar players anywhere from 12 to 35. I mean, it is a deep draft. And I think there's real value in those later rounds. So we're excited to make some picks in the third.

“I've been trying to figure this out and where guys are going to go (in the top 10) and, I'll tell you, we'll see. We're kind of sitting there at No. 11 and it's a good spot, to be honest with you, because there's going to be a good player there. We'll see what the top teams do and if there's any movement with trades and stuff. But at the end of the day, I think 11 is a pretty good spot and there's going to be some good players to choose from.”

Especially forwards, including a selection of centres, an organizational need for the Canucks and an ever-more-important position in the NHL that was reflected by three big trades on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Kings acquired power centre Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets for assets that included centre Rasmus Kupari and winger Gabriel Vilardi. 

Having missed out on Dubois, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Colorado Avalanche centre Alex Newhook for late-first- and early-second-round draft picks. Newhook was available because the Avalanche upgraded at centre ice on Saturday by taking on Ryan Johansen and half his contract from the Nashville Predators.

Similarly, the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday accepted centre Kevin Hayes and half of his salary from the Philadelphia Flyers.

As the NHL moves towards its final season of artificial salary-cap suppression, nobody is eager to take on big salaries. But teams are still more likely to do it for strong centres and top defencemen. The Canucks should be aiming to draft one of those on Wednesday.

Brandon Wheat Kings captain Nate Danielson, who projects as a middle-six, two-way centre at the NHL level, had dinner with team officials at the scouting combine in Buffalo earlier this month and has been linked to the Canucks since then.

But the organization’s biggest developmental need is for a blue-chip defence prospect. If Austrian workhorse David Reinbacher doesn’t fall out of the top 10, at least one of Swedish prospects Tom Willander and Axel Sandin-Pellikka should be available as a blue-line option.

“It sounds like everybody has nailed the No. 1 (prospect),” Allvin told reporters Tuesday morning in Nashville. “And then from there on, that's where there seems to be a little bit of interesting conversations.

“It seems to be more forward-heavy early on there. But. . . I'm pretty excited about some of the defencemen our staff have mentioned in the mid to later rounds there.”

During a press conference last week in Vancouver, Allvin floated the possibility of trading into the top 10 to get a player the Canucks really want.

“Part of it is to be prepared for any kind of scenarios here, if there is a trade,” the GM explained Tuesday. “We ask our staff to make sure you pay attention to have the (Canucks’ draft) list in order. Once we get in on the floor, nothing is changing on the list there. We're doing all the work heading into Wednesday, so there shouldn't be any unknowns.”

But of course, there are always unknowns. Benning’s happiest day on the job in Vancouver was at the 2018 draft when defenceman Quinn Hughes fell into the Canucks’ lap at No. 7 because Montreal and Arizona reached in the top five for centres Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Barrett Hayton, who have mostly disappointed.

It is another cautionary tale about drafting by position in the first round instead taking the best player available.

“You never know,” Harvey said. “This draft might be weird. There might be lots of trades; we’ll see what happens. Patrik is always working and exploring options and doing his job to give us the best chance that he can.

“At the end of the day, you've got a lot of good players in a lot of areas. And like I said, we kind of get excited when we see that. Those picks in the third round and the fourth round are going to be real exciting for us.”