Vancouver Canucks: 11 NCAA UFAs Vancouver Could Target
LW/C Drake Caggiula
Drake Caggiula, another product of the University of North Dakota hockey program, had exactly the frame of Sam Anas when the Erie Otters selected him in the 2010 OHL Draft. Feeling undersized, he opted to go the Junior A route and joined the Stouffville Spirit of the OJHL instead.
His 32 goals and 79 points in 73 games over two seasons in the league put him on the radar of NHL scouts for the 2012 draft. However, he did not hear his name called and decided to jump to the next level nevertheless, joining UND.
Four years later, Caggiula is back on the radar for several NHL clubs.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward started his senior year on a line with Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Luke Luke Johnson but quickly moved to the UND line Canucks fans are most familiar with. Centred by Nick Schmaltz, another Blackhawks prospect, and with Vancouver’s 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser on the other line, Caggiula recorded 19 goals and 44 points in 35 games.
Caggiula is still not the biggest player out there. But as an alternate captain and a hard-working north-south player, he leads by example.
Next: C Hampus Gustafsson