Vancouver Canucks Top 10 Prospect Ranking
8. D Tate Olson (9.3)
What the heck is a 2015 seventh-round pick doing on this list? Not just any seventh-round pick, either — Prince George Cougar Tate Olson was the second to last selection, 210th overall, of the draft. Is the Canucks’ prospect pool that terrible?!
No. Olson was simply an extremely good pick.
In fact, he was good enough to make No. 4 on TSN Craig Button’s Canucks prospect ranking, right behind forward Hunter Shinkaruk. Since Shinkaruk got traded to the Calgary Flames soon after, Olson slides up to No. 3 on Button’s ranking. Wow.
Olson is a two-way defenceman who excels at both ends of the ice. He has a great reach that allows him to use his stick to separate the puck from his opposition and drive the play back up the ice. While he still needs to add some muscle mass to his 6-foot-2 frame, Olson also tries to be physical and has improved a lot in that regard this season.
In addition, Olson knows how to handle the puck and create scoring chances in the offensive zone. Cougars coach Mark Hollick relies on Olson to quarterback the team’s powerplay and keep the puck out of their own net on the penalty kill.
If you are waiting for some negativity to justify Olson’s ranking, I will have to disappoint you. I had him at No. 4 — but our staff obviously does not agree. Just wait for Olson to make his way up this ranking soon.
Floor: AHL defenceman/top-four defenceman in Europe
Ceiling: NHL top-four defenceman
Next: Canucks Prospect #7