Canucks: 3 defencemen they could draft in the third round
The Vancouver Canucks don’t pick until the third round. If they are looking at defencemen, here are three possible targets.
NHL draft season has arrived, and it should be an exciting time for Vancouver Canucks fans, as general manager Jim Benning gets another chance to bolster the team’s prospect pool.
Vancouver won’t be drafting until the third round. Their first-round pick was sent to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the J.T. Miller trade at last year’s draft. That pick was eventually traded to the New Jersey Devils in the Blake Coleman trade. The team’s second-round pick was shipped to the Los Angeles Kings as part of the Tyler Toffoli trade.
So Canuck fans will have to wait a couple of rounds before Jim Benning and company make a selection with the 82nd overall pick.
If the Canucks are looking at defencemen with their third-round pick, here are three prospects they could target.
Brock Faber, 6’0″, 182 pounds, shoots right
Brock Faber (no relation to Canucks Army’s Chris Faber) has spent the last two years with the US National Development Program and is committed to the University of Minnesota to play for the Golden Gophers next season. He is widely projected to go between the third and fifth round.
Faber had three goals and nine assists with the US National U-18 team in 2019-20. The Maple Grove, Minnesota native is also one of the youngest players in the 2020 draft (he was born on Aug. 22, 2002.
Faber is a smooth skater with good speed and agility, which would complement Vancouver’s core players nicely. In the this clip, Faber uses his speed and stride to enter the zone cleanly, and he protects the puck with ease.
The right-handed defenceman provides plenty of offence, but he has very smooth hands and tends to make very good decisions with the puck.
Faber is also reliable in his own end as a defensively sound blueliner. His hockey IQ translates well to the defensive side of the ice as he takes away passing and shooting lanes. Faber can win battles along the boards and in front of the net. He also uses his stick quickly to poke check the puck away from the opponent.
Faber can be a solid defensive defenceman in the NHL, and if he is available by the time Vancouver picks, they should consider taking him.
Daemon Hunt, 6’0″, 198 pounds, shoots left
Last season, Daemon Hunt was an alternate caption for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. Unfortunately, he only played 28 games and got 15 assists because of an injury sustained in a game against the Edmonton Oil Kings where his arm was cut by a player’s skate blade, and because of the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
Hunt could go somewhere in the second or third round. Hopefully, he’s available by the time Vancouver picks.
J.D. Burke, editor-in-chief of Elite Prospects, contributor for EP Rinkside and co-host of Rink Wide on TSN 1040 spoke about Hunt with me on the Avid Discussers Podcast.
He’s a great skater. I think he’s got underrated offensive instincts, if he is available in the third round that has to be a huge boom for the Canucks and you almost have to move up at that point to secure the bag as it is and I think he is that type of player.”
Burke isn’t wrong about the skating, and I can see why he would like the Canucks to select him.
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Hunt has a bullet of a slap shot. One that can be used effectively on the power play.
Offensively, his skating is put on display as he uses it to retrieve dump-ins and to carry the puck through the neutral zone and the offensive zone with ease.
Hunt is a terrific passer, knows how to make the right play and can join the rush to create some offence.
Defensively, Hunt excels too. He can get physical and can lay out big hits and stay disciplined at the same time.
He knows how to read the play and can force his opponents to make mistakes with their passing and shooting. Hunt is very good at defending on the rush with his excellent backcheck and backward skating.
Hopefully, Hunt can bounce back next season and develop further. If so, he could be a worthwhile pick for the Canucks.
Hunt could be a potential steal and could possibly be a reliable top-six –maybe even a top-four — defenceman in the NHL. So the Canucks shouldn’t pass the opportunity up he is available.
Thimo Nickl,6’2″,, 176 pounds, shoots right
Thimo Nicki is one of the older prospects in this years draft having been born on Dec. 4, 2001. He is heavily projected to go in the third or fourth round
Nickl had 10 goals and 29 assists in 58 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The Austrian right-handed defenceman has a strong two-way game and superb skating abilities with excellent acceleration. Nickl has a powerful point shot and can produce points on the power play. The 18-year-old is a very accurate passer, especially cross ice.
Nickl breaks up plays with his long stick, makes smart backchecks and wins battles in the corners. The only concern for Nickl is his decision making, but that’s something that he should be able to fix overtime.
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Nickl has the makings to be a top-six defenceman in the NHL, one that could play in all situations for the Canucks.