The Canuck Way’s 2019 Vancouver Canucks mock draft

Round 6 (156th, 164th, and 180th overall)

David Quadrelli: 156th overall: Alex Campbell. A teammate of Alex Newhook with the Victoria Grizzlies, Campbell is a smart pick for the Canucks, especially if they draft Newhook, which I’m hoping they will. Campbell had 67 points in 53 games last season.

164th overall: Cole Moberg. This 6 foot 3, 200-pound defenceman picked up 40 points through 61 games with the Prince George Cougars last season. As I mentioned in previous articles, I would love to see the Canucks draft a boatload of defencemen in the later rounds of the draft. Moberg is one I have my eyes on.

180th overall: Trent Miner. Maybe you’ve heard of Miner. If you attended, watched, or listened to a Vancouver Giants game this year, chances are you have. The Giants’ netminder posted a 1.98 Goals against average, complemented by a .924 save percentage. I would love to see the Canucks add Miner to their goaltending prospect pool.

Alex Hoegler: 156th overall: Nicholas Porco. The Saginaw Spirit winger tallied 20 goals and 36 points this season. I like Porco’s skill set and natural goal-scoring abilities. He’s worth taking a chance on here.

164th overall: Zach Uens. Good size. Well-rounded. Lots of offensive upside from the back end. Uens is another talented blueliner Benning can add to his pipeline.

180th overall: Jeremi Gerber. The skilled Swiss forward absolutely dominated in U20-Elit, with 14 goals and 32 points in 16 games.

Stephen Kronstein: 156th overall: Mark Kastelic. The 20-year-old captain of the Calgary Hitmen was ranked #132 for North American prospects by NHL Central Scouting, and projects to be a late 7th round pick at best. The tough two-way power forward plays the hardest of games, making the ultimate sacrifices, sticking up for his teammates, and loves to score, having netted 47 goals and 77 points in 66 WHL games.

164th overall: Jackson van de Leest. The punishing defensive defenceman from Kelowna, BC, handles the puck and skates surprisingly well for a mountainous figure. His 21 points in 67 WHL games are enough to project him into the seventh round at best, but his physical attributes and willingness to police the ice will make him a tempting pick towards the end of the draft.

180th overall: Joel Wahlgren. Second selection towards acquiring the Swedish Twins Part II. This gritty forward scored 18 points in 45 SuperElit games, and projects to go undrafted (above #217) ranking in a range of around #220 to #250, but has the DNA to develop a higher upside and could help prove the Canucks’ development prowess, if that even exists.

Joshua Rey: 156th overall: Filip Cederqvist. Cederqvist plays for the Vaxjo Lakers, Elias Pettersson’s old stomping grounds. He is a very good puck handler who had 4 goals and 4 assists in 33 games with Vaxjo last season.

164th overall: Clay Hanus. This offensive defenceman plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL where he had 8 goals and 19 assists in 68 games. Hanus is a mobile puck moving defenceman possesses good hockey IQ and passing.

180th overall: Joel Wahlgren. Wahlgren had 12 goals and 6 assists in 45 games for the Modo under 20 team of the Swedish SuperElit league.

Ben Steiner: 156th overall: Sasha Mutala. Although he will probably be gone by this point, this Vancouver kid has had a few good seasons for the Tri-City Americans. He would be a good addition to the draft class, although unlikely to be available, and unlikely to play for the Canucks.

164th overall: Joel Wahlgren. The other half of the Swedish twins, the Canucks should select Joel Wahlgren. He is far behind his brother in terms of skill, but has the potential to catch up. Both are unlikely to make the NHL, however, it would be very cool to see another pair of twins grace the ice for the Vancouver Canucks.

180th overall: Ben McCartney. From the Brandon Wheat Kings, the large winger has the size to make the NHL. At this point in the draft, if they have the size and have played against good competition, as he would have in the CHL- there is no good reason not to take a gamble.

Owen Gibbs: 156th overall: Juuso Pärssinen. Pärssinen has played on a team with Petrus Palmu and coached by Sami Salo. There is room for improvement offensively but Canucks scouts may be more familiar with team and player than some.

164th overall: Nate Warner. The University of Minnesota commit scored more than a point-per-game in the high school league this past season and may have Jack Rathbone-like potential

180th overall: Joel Wahlgren. Joel didn’t produce quite as much as brother Max, but the Canucks may try to catch sixth-round lightning in a bottle with the pair.

Matthew Zator: 156th overall: Canucks take their first goaltender in the draft in Dustin Wolf. Described as a warrior, he would add to the Canucks depth in goal.

164th overall: Going with defenseman Oliver Turan here. I am very intrigued by his size and mobility as well as his hockey IQ in the offensive zone.

180th overall: Beginning the comeback of the Swedish twins, The Canucks will draft Max Wahlgren. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the last Swedish twins to make it in the NHL.

Jarred Chan: 156th Overall: Michael Gildon. Playing for the stacked U.S National U18 team, Gildon was able to produce 45 points in 61 games. Against USHL opponents, he was able to post 13 goals and 29 points in 26 games. Gildon is committed to Ohio State University.

164th Overall: Max Crozier. Posting 43 points in 60 games as a right handed defender in the USHL, this would be great value in the sixth round. Crozier also posted 132 penalty minutes, making him to be a grittier physical player. Crozier is committed to Providence College.

180th Overall: Kalle Loponen. Another right-handed defender, Loponen jumped around many teams this season. But with his production at both the international level (18 points in 25 games,) Mestis (12 points in 30 games,) and Jr. A SM-liiga (9 points in 18 games,) there is no doubt that Loponen would be good value in the sixth round.