Outlook
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It is never easy to predict which European players are ready to make the jump to North America. However, Europe’s league are full of talented players who have enough potential to make it eventually.
Will it be any of the players listed above? Who knows.
What we do know is that the Vancouver Canucks have always had European players in key roles — elite players like Pavel Bure, Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins. They are not afraid to sign European guys like Anton Rodin or Nikita Tryamkin and, honestly, there is no reason to be.
Every hockey player, including Europeans, dreams of playing in the NHL one day. So if a player gets an offer to come to North America and be a part of an NHL franchise, he seldom says no, no matter what kind of contract he is getting. In other words, European players — especially undrafted — are cheap low-risk signings.
Next: Picking Defence at 2016 Draft
The Vancouver Canucks need any help they can get, no matter where it comes from. Knowing that they have capable prospects in the system and several options available in North American college and junior leagues, as well European pro leagues, gives a little hope that the rebuild will be faster than that of the Edmonton Oilers.
One can always hope.