Canucks: Should they pick Corson Ceulemans with the ninth overall pick?

There’s no question that the Vancouver Canucks are in dire need of a right-handed defenceman.

According to most experts, prospect Brandt Clarke is the best right-handed blueliner available, but will most likely be claimed by the time the Canucks select ninth overall at the upcoming draft. We already looked at forwards Mason McTavish and Fabien Lysell to see if they’d be a potential fit up front, but what if the team wants to focus on the back-end? Who else could the Canucks potentially target on the blueline if Clarke isn’t available?

Enter Corson Ceulemans, the third and final prospect we’ll be covering in our three-part series.

Who is Corson Ceulemans?

Ceulemans was born May 5th, 2003 in Regina. According to EliteProspects, he measures in at 6’2″ and 201 pounds. He spent the last three seasons with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, the tier below Major Junior. He had four goals and seven assists in eight games this past season which, like all other leagues, was shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019-20, he scored five goals and 30 assists in 44 games.

At last month’s World Under-18 tournament, Ceulemans had one goal and seven assists in six games, helping Canada win gold.

Next season he will be playing for the University of Wisconsin.

Where do the expert rank him?

Ceulemans’ ranking varies among the experts, which is no surprise given how unpredictable this year’s draft is.

Ranked #14 by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters

Ranked #60 by Elite Prospects

Ranked #11 by FC Hockey

Ranked #19 by TSN’s Bob McKenzie

Ranked #42 by Dobber Prospects

Ranked #55 by SmahtScouting

What do the experts say?

Let’s first take a look at what Tony Ferrari of Dobber Prospects had to say on Ceulemans:

“Corson Ceulemans is an offensive defenseman who loves to get up in the play and create offensively for the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. His raw tools are enticing as he boasts a mobile 6’2″ frame and has filled it out quite well to this point. Ceulemans has a good, strong stride that powers him up ice and he has well above-average puck skills which allow for him to deke and maneuver his way through the neutral zone. He is able to make good breakout passes when he needs to but excels when carrying the puck on his stick. In the offensive zone, he is at his best when he is able to work himself open and get pucks on net. He stays mobile along the blueline and does a good job of changing the angle most of the time, opening passing and shooting lanes. He is a good powerplay quarterback who can move the puck to his teammates and likes to take chances by attacking the slot himself. He has a good shot and he isn’t shy to use it. Many of the concerns about Corson Ceulemans game come from the fact that he plays in the AJHL and he struggles defensively. The AJHL isn’t the best league for the development of projectable skills in most years and this year is no different. There have been a lot of comparisons to former AJHL star Cale Makar who hailed from the same organization but those are unfair and a bit unrealistic. The game Makar plays is truly special and isn’t likely to be replicated, even from a defender from the same team who has produced at roughly the same rates up to their draft years. Ceulemans has a lot of raw talent and if he can develop a bit better defensive awareness and reign some of his offensive aggression in, he very well could be a solid NHL defender who can run a powerplay. The ceiling isn’t quite Makar, but he certainly brings some upside and intrigue to the 2021 NHL Draft.”

Sam McGilligan of SmahtScouting also had some insights on the 18-year old:

“I don’t know how else to say this: Corson Ceulemans both perplexes and fascinates me. My opinion on him has changed repeatedly with my viewings. There are a lot of tools that he possesses that an NHL development staff would work with. He’s going to be playing in Wisconsin next year who are more than capable of starting the refinement process his game desperately needs. He’s a great skater, exhibits great passing, can defend the transition using his length and skating ability, owns a strong first pass, possesses the ability to carry the puck up ice, can facilitate the puck throughout the offensive zone and has the capacity to quarterback a power-play. My biggest concern more than anything is the fact that, despite having these abilities, he shows such inconsistency in using them on a regular basis in the AJHL. This isn’t the WHL, this is a league that is very clearly a league below that. I can’t help but walk away with the impression that if he was playing in the WHL we’d be seeing these issues exposed on a much more regular basis and his ability to impact the game would be heavily impeded. His processing of the game has to speed up, and that’s really difficult to teach someone. As more and more variables are introduced, Corson finds himself falling more and more behind the play. He displays tunnel vision at times when the puck is on his stick. These are things he has to work on to be an effective player for Wisconsin over the next few years, but it’s not obscene to picture a future where he does iron out those flaws and the tools start to shine. I may have sounded overly negative on Ceulemans but no NHL General Manager drafts based on what a player is at 18, they draft based on what that player could be at 23. Corson Ceulemans has the tools and the potential to be a very effective hockey player at 23 years old and I’m very, very intrigued to see what he could become with the right development staff.”