5 prospects the Canucks could select in the first round of the 2021 draft
If you are a Vancouver Canucks fan, it is always fun to look at the upcoming draft and debate on which prospect they could select. This year, the draft will be held on July 23rd and 24th. While it is not as deep as last year’s draft, there are still some good prospects. There is also no clear consensus number one pick (Matthew Beniers and Owen Power are two names that could go number one), and the draft could go either way.
Also unlike last year, the Canucks have their first-round pick and are likely going to pick in the top ten depending on how the draft lottery goes. There is no date for that yet and it will be reduced to two winning draws instead of three (let’s face it, the Canucks have rotten luck when it comes to the lottery anyway). At the time of this writing, the Canucks sit 21st in the NHL with a 16-18-3 record. There are still 19 games left to go and Vancouver’s lottery odds could be higher or lower than Tankathon’s projected 4.5% at the time of this writing.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five prospects the Canucks could possibly draft in the first round in July.
Luke Hughes, D
Quinn Hughes’ younger brother Luke is projected to be a top ten pick. Like Quinn, Luke is a smooth-skating defenceman who can put up points and quarterback a power play. Hughes has got good hands and great passing and poke-checking ability.
You can definitely see some of Quinn in the young Luke Hughes. His stride may not be as smooth as the eldest Hughes, but he is definitely a top tier skater.
— Stars n’ Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) October 30, 2019
Here he does something Quinn could trademark, the one-man entry on the power play. #NTDP #GoBlue #Canucks pic.twitter.com/JYz2fb1zxD
Hughes has six goals and 28 assists for the US National Development team so far this season. It would be nice to have another Hughes on the team, after all the Canucks have had two brothers on the team before. There is a lot to like about his game and they could take him if he is available. However, it might be best for the Canucks to prioritize right-handed defencemen instead.
Brandt Clarke, D
Here is one right-handed defenceman the Canucks could possibly draft. Brandt Clarke plays for the Barrie Colts of the OHL but is on loan at HC Nove Zamsky in Slovakia where he has five goals and ten assists in 26 games.
Clarke is projected to go in the top five but could fall as low as seventh or eighth. He is also a smooth skater and makes smart decisions on the ice. He is an excellent passer, has a nice shot, can win the board battles and can move the puck out of the defensive zone with ease like in the clip below.
I've watched every minute of Brandt Clarke's season to date in preparation for my upcoming dive @EPRinkside
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 23, 2021
His ability to elude pressure against pro competition is impressive, to say the least
An example: pic.twitter.com/EzfiK37L69
Clarke’s ceiling is a top-pairing defenceman, and he and Quinn would make an excellent pairing. The concerns for Clarke are his defensive play and he isn’t the most physical player but if he is on the board when the Canucks are on the clock, they should snag him.
Scott Morrow, D
Another right-handed defenceman, Scott Morrow is one of the older players in the draft being born in November of 2002. Next season he will be attending the University of North Dakota (Brock Boeser’s alma mater). Morrow seems like a dark horse in this year’s draft similar to what Moritz Seider was in 2019. He is projected to go as high as 16th while other sites project him to go as low as 31st or even in the second round.
He plays for Shattuck’s St. Mary’s Boarding School in Faribault, Minnesota, where has six goals and 25 assists in 31 games this season.
Morrow delivers hockey IQ, poise, good skating, a bullet of a shot and clean passes. He is an excellent puck mover who can thrive in all three zones. Morrow’s strength is on the forecheck. One concern is that he is prone to turning the puck over while breaking out. However, he checks the boxes of a modern-day mobile defenceman that the Canucks will love.
If Morrow is available, even in the second round, the Canucks could take him. He might need a few years to develop at UND but he has the potential to be a solid top-four NHL defenceman.
More from The Canuck Way
- Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
- What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
- Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
- Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
- 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg
Kent Johnson, C
The Canucks may want to select a centre and hopefully, if they do, that player could be a third-line pivot behind Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat.
One such player in the 2021 Draft could be Kent Johnson. Johnson is a local boy hailing from North Vancouver. Projected to be a top ten pick, Johnson plays for the University of Michigan where he has nine goals and 18 assists in 26 games. He previously played for the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL where he tallied 101 points in 58 games in 2019-20.
Johnson is a dangerous and creative player with the puck. He brings speed with excellent vision, passing and puck handling abilities. Johnson is also capable of backchecking quickly and has a good instinct for takeaways.
His stride and hands are put on display in this clip as he scores a nice backhander.
This is why Michigan’s Kent Johnson will be a high 1st round pick in next year’s NHL Draft. This is a sick backhander off an attacking/fast move. 3-1 Minnesota in 3rd. pic.twitter.com/XZyaSwiR4E
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) December 9, 2020
Johnson will have a bigger role with the Wolverines next season and is an exciting player to watch who can do it all. Aside from centre, Johnson can also play left-wing. If he is available, the Canucks should snag him and his excellent two-way abilities.
Aatu Raty, C
Aatu Raty is another one of the 2002 born prospects in the draft. He is projected to go somewhere between seven and 13. Raty plays for Karpat of the Finnish Liiga where he made the jump from the U20 team this season. So far he has three goals and three assists in 31 games. It’s because he is playing in limited minutes and is an 18-year-old playing against men.
Raty was projected to be the first overall pick by many for most of last year. However, he has dropped in the rankings mainly due to his inconsistent play.
With that said, he shouldn’t be given up on yet. Raty is good at driving to the net and creating passing lanes for his teammates. He delivers crisp passes, good stickhandling and an accurate shot. Defensively, Raty reads the play very well, hustles hard to retrieve the puck and is great at intercepting it.
Raty is also great at transitioning the puck up the ice. In the clip below, he displays that and his stride to take the puck out of the defensive zone, get by defenders and create a good scoring chance.
Lots of people are souring on Aatu Raty and while he might not be the sure-fire first overall in the #2021NHLDraft.. the kid can play.
— Josh Bell (@JoshuaBell31) November 27, 2020
He's still one of the best forwards in this class. pic.twitter.com/BUGEtUnUCC
While his inconsistent play is a concern, Raty may need some more time to develop into an NHL player than other prospects. The Canucks could use his ability to play in all three zones and he could become a serviceable centre for them in the future.
Next. How a week off will help the Canucks prepare for a playoff push. dark
There are lots of other prospects the Canucks could select but let me know which of these you like best and what other prospects you want the team to draft in the comments below.
Stats courtesy of Elite Prospects.