Vancouver Canucks: Capitalizing on a potentially wild first round

The lead up to the draft likes to add a few twists and turns. Despite no more games being played, new tidbits of information arise, complicating what we should expect. Amidst all the chaos, the Vancouver Canucks can take full advantage of the situation.

The old adage with the draft is the higher you pick, the easier the decision gets. Well, throw that out the window this year. Outside of the consensus top two picks, we get a wide spectrum of names that could theoretically be called in any order.

Are these players all close enough in skill to be in the same tier? Nope. For this year’s draft, there is a lot of smoke around certain teams drafting for positional need. It’s something most teams can’t resist, even if they have been burned by it.

Having multiple options at your position is both a good and bad thing. For one, it would somewhat lower the margin of error in acquiring a decent player. On the other hand, you can accidentally gift a franchise player to the team that picks directly after you.

You might be asking yourself, “how the hell can these rankings still change when nobody is playing?” Well, as you will see, insiders reveal little nuggets of information that may indicate which way a team is leaning. The draft has a meta-game of bluffs and feints and those crafty enough come out on top.

This happened in the 2016 draft when the Ottawa Senators threw away a third to move up one spot and draft Logan Brown. New Jersey, who slid down one spot, was never going to pick Brown, but got a free draft pick from it anyway. If done right, the Vancouver Canucks could do well for themselves on June 22.

Positional needs

You know my stance on picking for positional need. I hate it. It’s a fool’s game and is the best way to leave better talent on the table. This is where the Montreal Canadiens come in. For the last six years, the team has been looking for that future number one centre, forcing winger after winger into that spot. All of them ultimately failing. We’ll see how Max Domi does next season, but given the team’s history, I wouldn’t count on it.

On the first day of the draft, it seems more than likely that the Habs will take a centre. It makes too much sense, which is where this gets exciting. Jesperi Kotkaniemi going third overall throws in a wrench in the works. Just like how Columbus shifted the 2016 draft by picking Pierre-Luc Dubois earlier than expected, Montreal can do the same.

This pushes a marquee player like Filip Zadina farther down. How much farther? Let’s ask Bob McKenzie:

I would be amazed if Zadina can drop that far down, but this is the consequence of drafting for position. Centres and defencemen are considered more valuable, regardless of the likelihood of reaching that first line/top pairing potential.

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Honestly, I can’t see Zadina dropping out of the top five, as it would require Ottawa, Arizona to both reach on players (Montreal is a foregone conclusion). Perhaps the Senators grab someone like Brady Tkachuk too early, but unless Arizona really values one of the defencemen that much, I can’t see Zadina passing them.

Conclusion

However, if by some miracle Zadina passes the three teams in front of Vancouver, luck will smile brightly on the franchise. Of course, this would be suspicious Edmonton Oilers luck, but good nonetheless. Maybe this team can finally receive something great for these awful years. Again, it’s extremely unlikely that this happen, but should those teams reach for position, their loss is Vancouver’s gain.

The Canucks don’t have to trade down this year, although I would be intrigued if they did so to stock up on picks. All I am asking for is a little flexibility. There are a pair of players that the Canucks seem very set on and if a great chance presents itself, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Next: Who the experts think the Canucks draft at seven

NHL teams need to exploit any advantage available. Squeeze whatever edge they can get from the competition. Haste makes waste and those who lack patience will certainly do something reckless. All Jim Benning has to do is quietly wait and be ready to adjust as things flow. However, there’s some pressure on the Canucks’ GM to do something meaningful next season. I just hope it does not involve parlaying that seventh overall pick for immediate help.