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Grading the Canucks offseason (So far)

ByJoshua Rey|
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: (L-R) Bruce Boudreau and Patrik Allvin of the Vancouver Canucks attend the 2022 NHL Draft at the Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: (L-R) Bruce Boudreau and Patrik Allvin of the Vancouver Canucks attend the 2022 NHL Draft at the Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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So, we are in the middle of July and the Vancouver Canucks‘ offseason is well underway. As the 2021-22 NHL season began, there was much speculation by fans and media that there would be changes to the Canucks roster this summer.

Let’s go over the moves the Canucks made this offseason (so far) and give them letter grades and at the end, we’ll give them an overall grade.

The draft: B

The Canucks had a first-round pick for the first time in three years and I think they made a good choice with it.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki was taken by the Canucks at 15 and I really like this pick. Scouts have said that Lekkerimaki might have the best shot in the 2022 draft. Scoring goals is the thing he does best. He scores goals with the wrist shot, slap shot, backhander and any type of shot you could think of.

Lekkerimaki will head back to Sweden next season. The concerns with him are his size and skating. Hopefully, he can bulk up some time in the future.

The Canucks took Elias Pettersson in the third round. No, not that one. This one is a defenceman and like Lekkerimaki, idolizes the elder Pettersson. There were a lot of memes and jokes by hockey fans and media on social media when the Canucks drafted Pettersson.

All jokes aside, there is lots to like about the younger Pettersson. He is a good skater and passer and is also physical and smart in his own end.

Other players the Canucks drafted are centre Damion Gardner, goaltender Ty Young, defenceman Jackson Dorrington and defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Young’s numbers have not been great but there is still a lot of room for growth in this game. Gardner is a name to watch. He put up 83 points in 30 games with Warroad High School last season. It looked like he was going to play with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs next season, but he revealed in an interview with Sportsnet 650 on July 8 that he would be going to the USHL next season.

At 6’4″, Gardner brings size and is a good skater with a decent shot. He has the potential to be a late-bloomer.

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