Vancouver Canucks Could Get a Franchise Player at 5th Overall

Though the NHL draft lottery was unfair to the Vancouver Canucks once again, fans should keep in mind that a top-five pick can still change their franchise.

Well, so much for the Vancouver Canucks being rewarded after a second consecutive dismal of a season. That’s at least the mentality of many fans right now, as the team went from a bottom-two finish in the NHL to the fifth-overall selection for the second straight year.

Sure, the fact this team is going to miss out on potential superstars Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier is disappointing. This isn’t last year’s draft where they missed out on Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, yet still got a hopeful franchise blueliner in Olli Juolevi.

But to be completely let down because they won’t get Patrick or Hischier? There is no need for that. The Canucks will still end up with a player who will change their fortunes around for the better.

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The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers will surely use the top two selections on Patrick and Hischier. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche pick third and fourth, respectively. But it’s not hard to believe both those teams will take defencemen.

Dallas is loaded at centre with Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza, but they don’t have any depth on the blue line whatsoever. The Avalanche have rising young stars Nate MacKinnon and Tyson Jost, plus Matt Duchene if they opt to keep him despite the heavy trade rumors.

That means the Canucks could wind up with Gabriel Vilardi, the Windsor Spitfires star centre who is widely projected to be a top-three selection. Mike G. Morreale from NHL.com gave a convincing scouting report for the flashy player:

“A right-shot forward, Vilardi (6-3, 201) has excellent hockey sense and puck-handling ability, is very composed with the puck and able to influence the game in all three zones.”

Vilardi has size, a right-handed shot and is great with the puck. That’s something the Canucks lack all over their four lines. He could change all of that.

But what if Vilardi isn’t available to the Canucks? There are three other quality centres in Michael Rasmussen, Cassey Mittelstadt and Cody Glass. This draft is centre-heavy, and it will give general manager Jim Benning the primary chance to find his player of the future.

Also, the first-overall pick is no guarantee to be better than the fifth. Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has had a much better showing in the NHL than 2012 first pick, Nail Yakupov.

Phil Kessel (2006), is one of hockey’s most dynamic scorers, while Erik Johnson has been a serviceable (not a superstar), blueliner. Remember, scouts are skeptical that Patrick could even be a franchise star. Here’s what TSN’s Bob McKenzie said about the projected first-overall pick by many scouts:

“The consensus view is Patrick is projected more as a second-line NHL centre and doesn’t have the same “wow” factor as McDavid, Eichel and Matthews…Patrick, like Matthews a year ago, is going to be scrutinized heavily because he’s one of the oldest first-time draft eligible players this year’s class. Incidentally, Patrick underwent sports hernia surgery in late July and missed considerable training time this summer, both on and off the ice.”

This isn’t to say the Canucks will draft the player who is going to have the most successful career, or that Patrick will be a bust. But Canucks fans shouldn’t lose too much sleep because they fell down in the draft lottery.

Next: Top 5 Draft Options at 5th Overall

Because for all we know, a future Hart Trophy winner and franchise cornerstone will fall to the Vancouver Canucks with the fifth-overall selection on June 23 in Chicago.

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