Vancouver Canucks Top 10 Prospect Ranking
The Vancouver Canucks may not have the deepest prospect pool out there, but they certainly have some high-end talent in it.
The Vancouver Canucks are in a rebuild. That’s the way it is. We have reached a point where there is no way aroud it, no denying it. It is not a retool, it is not a rebuild on the fly — it is simply a rebuild. And the Canucks need prospects for that.
General manager Jim Benning and head coach Willie Desjardins are doing a good job integrating prospects in the NHL lineup.
Defenceman Ben Hutton is a regular in the top four — mainly thanks to injuries to veterans Dan Hamhuis and Alexander Edler. With Edler out of the lineup, he even moved up to the first pairing, where he plays alongside Christopher Tanev. Hutton would never be in that position on a good playoff team, but it is nice to see him get lots of ice time with the Canucks.
Then there are forwards Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen. The duo started the season being rotated in and out of the lineup, but both players have become regulars. Virtanen only played in 38 of the first 63 games of the season but is currently a member of the second line with Markus Granlund and Sven Baertschi. McCann only missed 10 games so far, but he is stuck on the fourth line.
But what about non-NHL prospects? Benning decided to trade Nicklas Jensen to the New York Rangers for Emerson Etem and Hunter Shinkaruk to the Calgary Flames for Markus Granlund. Understandable moves that might shorten the rebuild just a tad, as both Etem and Granlund are NHL-ready now, while neither Jensen nor Shinkaruk have proven to be NHL material.
So, who is left in the Canucks’ prospect pool?
Our TCW staff ranked all Canucks prospects. The criteria: whatever each writer thinks is important. Current position in the organization, talent, potential, probability of NHL success, probability of NHL success with the Canucks — all of that.
The numbers in brackets indicate each player’s average rank. Here’s the top 10; off we go!
Next: Honourable Mentions
Honourable Mentions
RW Alexandre Grenier (12.0)
It was tough to even find 10 prospects worth putting on a top-10 list, but in the end, there were two players who just missed — one of them is Alexandre Grenier. The 24-year-old was selected 90th overall by the Canucks in the 2011 NHL Draft and finally looks like someone who can make an impact at the NHL level.
Grenier is a late bloomer who did not break into major junior — the QMJHL to be exact — until he was 19. After that, he spent the lockout season 2012-13 in Austria playing for Red Bull Salzburg and with the Canucks’ ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings.
At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Grenier has the perfect frame for a bottom-six winger — but he will likely never become more than that. Grenier is big, physical, and possesses a big shot. Through 51 games for the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets this season, Grenier has 10 goals and 30 points. As said, those numbers are nothing outstanding and do not indicate that Grenier can be more than a bottom-six winger, but he is exactly what the Canucks need — big, physical, skilled.
Management knows that, so Grenier got to make his NHL debut this season. Where will he go from here? We shall see.
Floor: AHL top-six winger
Ceiling: NHL third-line winger
LW Ronalds Kenins (11.8)
Unlike Grenier, 25-year-old forward Ronalds Kenins is in no way a late bloomer. In fact, Kenins played his first professional season aged 16. After leaving his home country Latvia to pursue a professional career, it did not take long for Kenins to make an impact in Switzerland’s second-highest division, the National Liga B.
However, playing mostly professional hockey for five years, including two seasons with the ZSC Lions of the National Liga A, was neither enough for Kenins to be drafted nor to garner attention after his draft eligibility. Until the Canucks came.
Vancouver signed Kenins as an unrestricted free agent in 2013, loaned him to Zurich for another year, and added him to the Utica Comets for the 2014-15 season. But Kenins had bigger plans. Instead of being a depth player at the AHL level, Kenins ended up playing 30 games for the Vancouver Canucks, recording four goals and eight assists.
The 2015-16 campaign has not been as successful for the Latvian who only spent just six games with the Canucks so far, going scoreless. Nevertheless, Kenins upside is slightly higher of that of Grenier. Kenins is a quick player who works hard to create scoring chances. If everything goes right, he could end up being a middle-six forward
Floor: AHL middle-six winger
Ceiling: NHL middle-six winger
Next: Canucks Prospect #10
10. C Cole Cassels (10.7)
To kick this off, let’s take a look at two scouting reports from one and two years ago, respectively.
From HockeysFuture.com:
While he may not be the flashiest player in the Canucks prospect system, he is likely the most versatile. With a strong two way, defense-oriented game not usually associated with junior hockey players, he can score goals, is above average in the faceoff circle, responsible on the penalty kill, and is willing to block shots. Though somewhat slight of frame he hits regularly. He has a pass-first mentality (much like his father) and that is demonstrated in his assist statistics.
From EliteProspects.com:
A swiss army knife type player, Cole Cassels can do it all. Possesses good vision and passing skills, as well as the ability to finish plays. Responsible defensively and can start plays from his own end. Has worked hard to incorporate the necessities of a successful center into his game and that has lead to positive results. (Curtis Joe, EP 2014)
Does that not sound amazing?
Cassels was the Canucks’ 85th-overall selection in 2013 and there were reasons for him being picked that late. But, he really did improve in the years after and promised to be a great NHL player one day.
After recording just 15 goals and 43 assists in 64 games in his draft year, Cassels really stepped up his game. The centre went on to score twice as many goals along with 51 assists for 81 points in 54 games in the 2014-15 season, and won the 2015 Mastercard Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals.
Remember, Cassels’ standout quality is his two-way game, so those numbers are really quite impressive.
Cassels, now 20 years old, seemed ready to make the jump to the pros and joined the Utica Comets for the 2015-16 campaign. His rookie season, however, is underwhelming at best.
Playing mostly on the Comets’ fourth line, Cassels has two goals and six points in 49 games this season. So what happened?
Most people who have seen him play will tell you skating is his biggest issue. Always has been, probably always will be. Skill and hockey sense are enough to sneak into the third round at the draft, but skating has become extremely important at the professional level, and it is something that cannot always be fixed.
The question is: is Cassels simply a late bloomer or is he a Conner Bleackley type?
Bleackley, drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2014, was just traded to Arizona Coyotes. His strengths: skill and two-way game. Biggest weakness: skating. He is currently in his fourth WHL season with the Red Deer Rebels and the Coyotes are expected to snag a compensatory draft pick instead of signing him this off-season.
Floor: AHL bottom-six centre
Ceiling: NHL bottom-six centre
Next: Canucks Prospect #9
6. D Andrey Pedan (7.3)
Pedan, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound defenceman made his NHL debut this season and many fans want to see him in the lineup to add some physicality to a rather soft team. According to Benning, he will be a part of the NHL roster in 2016-17.
Pedan was selected 63rd overall in 2011 and the Canucks seem to have made a decent choice. The only “problem” is that Pedan has a rather low ceiling.
The 22-year-old had 91 points in 134 games through his final two OHL seasons and currently sits at five goals and 16 points through 36 games for the Utica Comets. However, it seems unlikely that Pedan can put up similar numbers at the NHL level.
Scouts loved him for his size and ability to skate, and those are still his biggest assets. Pedan is not a high-scoring offensive defenceman, he is a reliable defensive D-man who does a good job keeping his opponents away from the net. He will add some much-needed physicality to the club soon.
What got Pedan this high on the ranking is his readiness. He will join the Canucks next season — that is a fact. We don’t know that about guys like Olson or Brisebois.
Floor: AHL defenceman
Ceiling: NHL top-six defenceman
Next: Canucks Prospect #5
4. D Jordan Subban (4.5)
“He will be an amazing player, and I think that a lot of people might look past him, but they’re going to be surprised in the near future how good he is because I really do think he has a lot more potential than both myself and Malcolm” — P.K. Subban.
That’s right, Norris Trophy Winner and Olympic gold medal winner P.K. Subban thinks his little brother Jordan could be better than him. Have the Canucks ever been that lucky?
Indeed, Jordan Subban is proving to be an exceptional offensive player. The 115th-overall pick of the 2013 Draft, Subban has 10 goals and 31 points in 49 games for the Utica Comets this season, ranking fourth in team scoring. Crazy for a rookie defenceman.
Related: Jordan Subban Becoming an Offensive Force
Not only his passing and shooting skill make Subban a dangerous player. His skating, mobility and stick-work really help him as well. Luckily, those skills are also extremely important for the defensive side of his game.
Subban needs to work on his defensive awareness and overall defensive game, but he is making big strides. At 5-foot-9, he will never be an overly physical player, but that is not what he is supposed to be.
If the Canucks are lucky, they have their very own P.K. in the system. Wait, that is incorrect. They have Jordan in the system — which may be even better, according to P.K. himself.
Floor: AHL defenceman
Ceiling: NHL top-four defenceman
Next: Canucks Prospect #3
3. C Brendan Gaunce (3.8)
Brendan Gaunce is one of Vancouver’s favourite prospects. Not necessarily the club’s favourite, but a fan favourite. That is what put Gaunce at No. 3 on this ranking, though I personally believe he should not be this high. But, no matter who would be ranked third instead of him, there is a huge drop-off after the Canucks’ top-two prospects.
Now, let’s not bash Gaunce, he really doesn’t deserve that either. Gaunce was selected 26th overall back in 2012, and he needed quite some time to make the NHL. But, he made it — and in the end, that’s all that matters.
After spending four seasons with the OHL’s Belleville Bulls, Gaunce made the jump to the pros in 2014. Now in his second season with the Utica Comets, Gaunce is showing that he can be a reliable defensive player while producing offensively as well.
Gaunce had a rather slow start into the 2015-16 campaign and spent a lot of time on the Comets’ bottom line, but he now has 15 goals and 33 points in 43 games. He also got to make his NHL debut this season and recorded his first NHL goal in his second game, against the Arizona Coyotes back in October.
Gaunce will likely never be a two-way centre like Ryan Kesler was for the Canucks, but he can be a reliable third liner with occasional second-line minutes and time on the penalty kill. Which is, after all, the kind of player every club needs. The fact that he spent some time playing on the wing in Utica improves his chances to make the NHL.
Floor: NHL fourth-line forward
Ceiling: NHL middle-six forward
Next: Canucks Prospect #2
2. G Thatcher Demko (2.0)
The Vancouver Canucks seem to be a goalie factory that likes to kick them all out sooner or later (you remember the Roberto Luongo vs. Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo vs. Eddie Lack drama). They better find a way to keep this one.
Thatcher Demko might be the real deal — a franchise goalie like King Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Seriously, he’s that good.
Personally, I had Demko ranked as the Canucks’ current No. 1 prospect. There are several elite forwards in most drafts while elite goaltenders are much harder to come by. Even if a team manages to draft a goalie with elite potential in the first round of the draft, there is no guarantee that he will become what he is expected to become.
Related: Canucks Risking to Lose Demko
Which is why the Canucks can feel especially lucky for drafting Demko in the second round, 36th overall, in 2014.
At just 20 years old, Demko is a junior at Boston College. In his third NCAA campaign, he is putting up incredible numbers that show just how good he is.
After 32 games this season, Demko sits at a 1.77 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. Only Yale’s Alex Lyon, whom the Canucks are also showing interest in, has a better save percentage. He also broke Cory Schneider’s Boston College record for most shutouts in a single season at nine.
Demko was a 2014 Mike Richter Award nominee, a 2015 finalist, and has just been nominated again this year. The award honours the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey.
Floor: NHL backup
Ceiling: Elite starter
Next: Canucks Prospect #1
1. RW Brock Boeser (1.7)
May I present to you, the best prospect in the Vancouver Canucks organization: 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser!
A freshman at the University of North Dakota, Boeser ranks 10th in NCAA scoring with 25 goals and 43 points in 34 games. He scored for bronze at the 2016 World Junior Championship with Team USA and was named NCHC rookie of the month January.
In the shortest description, Boeser is an elite scorer and projects to be just that at the NHL level, sooner rather than later.
Boeser draws a lot of comparisons to Dallas Stars scorer Patrick Sharp, a three-time Stanley Cup Champion and Olympic gold medal winner who has recorded 309 goals and 654 points in 939 career NHL games. Cut out his seven-point rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers to make his numbers even more impressive.
If Boeser becomes anything close to that — and it looks like he will — the Canucks will have a lot of fun in the next decade with Demko in net and Boeser up front.
The one thing Boeser still needs to work on is the defensive side of his game, which is totally normal for teenagers. Plus, he is not exactly there to excel on defence.
Boeser is a quick skater with great hockey sense, outstanding puck skills and great offensive abilities. Don’t be surprised to see him break into the league in Johnny Gaudreau fashion soon.
Floor: Second-line winger
Ceiling: Elite scorer
Next: Outlook
Outlook
The Vancouver Canucks certainly don’t have the deepest prospect pool. And that’s okay, even though the club is rebuilding.
With Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen, Jared McCann and Ben Hutton already in the NHL and Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser hopefully coming up soon, the Canucks have done a great job drafting and developing talent. Add to that youngsters like Sven Baertschi and Markus Granlund who came via trade, as well as potential late-round steals like Tate Olson and Jordan Subban, and you’ve got yourself a promising group of players.
Obviously, there are still many question marks about the club’s prospects, too. Can Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin make it in North America? Will Subban’s defensive game be good enough for the NHL? Can Andrey Pedan be more than a seventh D-man? You get the idea.
Next: The Canuck Way 2016 Draft Coverage
At least, the aforementioned group of players gets fans like us excited for more. This season is lost and we have had to witness some terrible games, but it puts the club into a great position for the draft.
No matter whose names Jim Benning will call come June, the Vancouver Canucks’s future is bright.