Vancouver Canucks: 5 Possible Draft Day Scenarios

The Vancouver Canucks will have several options on the first day of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

If there was ever a thing to be excited about in the Vancouver Canucks’ 2015-16 season, it was the fact that they would be awarded a very high draft pick. PATRIK LAINE IS COMING TO VANCOUVER, YEEEEEES! As we all know, the Canucks are never lucky, though, which leaves them with the fifth-overall selection after the draft lottery. Still a good starting point.

Now that Vancouver is extremely unlikely to get Laine, Auston Matthews or Jesse Puljujarvi, fans are mostly hoping for Pierre-Luc Dubois or Matthew Tkachuk, which is the most likely scenario. But also a very boring one — and when has general manager Jim Benning ever done the boring thing?

Following that, Vancouver would have picked 33rd. In this years draft, picks six to 15, 16 to 35 and 36 to 70 — or something along those lines — are interchangeable. In other words, Vancouver’s 33rd selection would have been about as valuable as a late first-round pick. Would have been, because Benning traded the pick to Sunrise, Florida, along with center Jared McCann, to acquire the Hulk… er… Erik Gudbranson.

So what options does Benning have left come June 24th? Here are five possible draft day scenarios — including a trade for a big-name restricted free agent.

Next: The Boring