Vancouver Canucks 2016 NHL Draft Grades
The Vancouver Canucks made some questionable decisions at the 2016 NHL Draft.
Back at the 2016 NHL trade deadline, the Vancouver Canucks wanted to sell their pending unrestricted free agents Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata for draft picks or prospects. They failed.
After a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, the Canucks were hoping to win the draft lottery as the third-worst team in the league. They failed.
At the 2016 draft, Canucks GM Jim Benning wanted to add a potential No. 1 center. At the very least, he wanted to stock up on forwards with top-line potential. He failed.
But, it wasn’t all bad. The Vancouver Canucks got at least one extremely talented player out of their seven picks. Well, that sounds just like what we’re used to. Here are our Canucks 2016 draft grades.
Round 1, 5th Overall: D Olli Juolevi
Benning’s dream to add a top-line center for the post-Sedin era was crushed even earlier than expected, when the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Pierre-Luc Dubois. He could have reached for a center like Logan Brown, Clayton Keller or Tyson Jost, but he opted to go with the top defenseman.
Olli Juolevi will be a terrific two-way defenseman, and he has a chance to see NHL time as early as this years. It was between Juolevi and Matthew Tkachuk and, in my opinion, Benning made the perfect call.
Grade: A
Read: Olli Juolevi Prospect Profile
Round 3, 64th Overall: RW William Lockwood
In the third round, Benning really went off the board, picking US NTDP forward William Lockwood. Nobody expected Lockwood to go that high and he likely would have gone in the 100 range if it hadn’t been for Benning. But, if he really wanted Lockwood, I guess using the 64th pick on him is justifiable.
A reach in the third round, when you only have two picks in the first four round, is a questionable decision, though. Only time will tell what this one can be.
Grade: C-
Read: Canucks Select William Lockwood 64th
Round 5, 140th Overall: D Cole Candella
Another two rounds later, the Vancouver Canucks selected defenseman Cole Candella. After a low-scoring rookie season in the OHL, Candella moved from Belleville to Hamilton, where he became a player with good two-way potential. He does a lot of things right and shows good potential, but is way too inconsistent in doing so.
Grade: B-
Read: Canucks Select Cole Candella 140th
Round 6, 154th Overall: LW Jakob Stukel
In the sixth round, the Canucks drafted their first of three overage forwards. Jakob Stukel struggled with the Vancouver Giants but developed into a solid producer with the Calgary Hitmen. He is a good skater with a strong, accurate shot and good playmaking abilities. A late bloomer, Stukel could become a good middle-six scorer.
Grade: B
Read: Canucks Select Jakob Stukel 154th
Round 7, 184th Overall: C Rodrigo Abols
Rodrigo Abols is a pick nobody really expected, because the Latvian was passed over in two drafts already, and could have been signed as a free agent instead. The fact that Vancouver used the 184th pick on him shows how much they really like him. They wanted to sign him after the 2015 draft but learned they couldn’t, and finally have him in the organization. A hard-working center with good size who could become a solid bottom-six player in the NHL.
Grade: B+
Read: Rodrigo Abols Prospect Profile
Round 7, 194th Overall: C Brett McKenzie
With their final pick of the 2016 draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected another overage center, Brett McKenzie. Like Stukel and Abols, McKenzie won’t be a top-six player, but he has some potential as a defensive bottom-six center. A well-sized forward with good awareness in all three zones.
Grade: B
Read: Canucks Select Abols, McKenzie in Round 7
Overall Grade: B
Next: 5 Reasons Why Olli Juolevi Is a Great Pick
The Vancouver Canucks did a good job overall. They missed out on some highly touted prospects that fell quite a bit, but they got the players they wanted. The only thing that really hurts is that Vancouver couldn’t turn the 64th pick into a later third and a fourth-rounder to select Lockwood and another player.