Anywho......here is a round up of the Canucks 2017 entry draft.
Round 1, 5th overall: C Elias Pettersson
At No. 5, most Canucks fans had WHL Portland Winterhawks centre Cody Glass at the top of the list. Glass went to the Vegas Golden Knights sixth overall but the Canucks went with Swede Elias Pettersson. Good choice based on his background playing with Dahlen and their built in chemistry.
Despite Glass’s 94 points last season, he's more of a two-way guy with good but not outstanding offensive upside in the NHL. I may be wrong but Pettersson has higher ceiling and can be a dynamic game changer at a high level, which preferred at this draft position. Pettersson can skate, he’s smart, has incredible puck skills, excellent playmaking abilities and a dangerous shot. But he is paper thin and needs to fill out.
Round 2, 33rd overall: RW Kole Lind
Lind finished his draft year with 30 goals and 87 points in 70 games. He is an extremely smart player who knows how to get open in high-danger scoring areas, and excels at setting up teammates with great passes. In addition, Lind plays responsibly in all three zones -- making him a strong NHL prospect who could have been drafted in the first round.
Round 2, 55th overall: LW Jonah Gadjovich
The Canucks went with a Canadian junior player here.
Gadjovich scored 45 goals in 60 games last season. At 6'2 and over 200 pounds, he brings both size and scoring upside to the Canucks, which is something their prospect pool has been lacking. Though smaller players continue to find their place in a league that focuses more and more on speed and skill, big players like Milan Lucic can still be very important contributors. The biggest downside to Gadjovich’s game is his skating.....which is a concern.
Round 3, 64th overall: G Michael DiPietro
Most of Canucks Nation did not expect the team to target a goalie any time soon, having Thatcher Demko and Michael Garteig in the system. However, this pick was not made to fill an immediate need, as Michael DiPietro will take several years before making the jump to the NHL. By the time DiPietro plays in the NHL, Demko will be around 26, and Garteig’s first pro season did not promise an NHL career.
Having goaltending depth is never a bad idea, and DiPietro is extremely talented.
Round 4, 95th overall: D Jack Rathbone
Here the the Canucks go with an American high-school defenceman. A smart, skilled defenceman who has the potential to be a power-play quarterback. In addition, scouts like that Rathbone has shown steady improvement throughout the year. The concern is that he played at a very low level last season (he’s also going back for another year) -- has a short frame and his defensive play has room for improvement.
Round 5, 135th overall: D Kristoffer Gunnarsson
He might make it to the NHL one day, but chances are that he won’t be more than a bottom-six or depth defender. You can get those for free in free agency every year, and the Canucks had options with more upside.
Round 6, 181th overall: LW Petrus Palmu
In the sixth round, the Canucks got back on track by selecting OHL winger Petrus Palmu. At 5'7, Palmu was the shortest player selected in the entire draft, but that’s a risk worth taking. In 2016-17, the Finn scored 40 goals and 98 points for the Owen Sound Attack. He is extremely fast, dynamic and smart, and has offensive upside.
Round 7, 188th overall: D Matthew Brassard
The last couple of rounds of the draft are a total crapshoot anyway. Sure, you can get Patric Hornqvist and Henrik Zetterberg, but if we knew what these players will become, they would not have fallen to the seventh round. The Canucks rounded out their 2017 draft with a two-way defenceman in his second year of eligibility, Matthew Brassard. A player with great tools who used the 2016-17 season to turn them into a strong overall game.
Overall, I guess the Canucks did a pretty solid job. Teams with many draft picks generally get higher draft grades than those with fewer, but the Canucks actually used their eight selections really well by adding balance and diversity but most of all skilled players with high ceilings. Seemed like a pretty weak draft as predicted.
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