The mud has settled on the 2023 NHL Draft and the Vancouver Canucks have added 4 defencemen and three forwards to their prospect pool. On Day 1, they chose Tom Willander at eleventh general, and on Day 2, whereas they didn’t have a choose till the third spherical, selected one other three defencemen in Hunter Brzustewicz (seventy fifth general), Sawyer Mynio (89th), and Aiden Celebrini (171st) and three forwards in Ty Mueller (a hundred and fifth), Vilmer Alriksson (107th) and Matthew Perkins (119th).
After the 2022 Draft noticed basic supervisor Patrik Allvin stroll away with no right-handed defencemen, three of the 4 on this 12 months’s draft class have been of that selection. In a pipeline that had a large gap in that division, the Canucks arguably stuffed it properly with the prospects they selected in 2023. So with all that mentioned, let’s take a deeper dive into every of the picks and what they may carry to the staff sooner or later.
1st Spherical, eleventh Total – Tom Willander, RD, Rogle BK J20 (Nationell)
With high-end forwards Oliver Moore and Zach Benson nonetheless on the board, the Canucks selected to stay to their weapons and draft a much-needed two-way defenceman in Willander. The proper-handed Swede rocketed up the rankings since his efficiency on the 2023 U18 World Championship and clearly impressed Allvin and his scouting employees.
I may see him being a man who can eat quite a lot of minutes and play with Quinn Hughes and utilized in a shutdown function due to the best way he skates and his I.Q. There’s undoubtedly an pleasure from our employees.
Allvin after the Canucks chosen Wallinder eleventh general on Wednesday (from ‘2023 NHL Draft: What they’re saying about Canucks’ choose of Tom Willander’, The Province, 6/29/23)
Recognized for his hockey IQ and mobility, Willander has the instruments to turn into a legit top-four defenceman within the NHL in the future. He’s nice in transition and was described by SiriusXM NHL analyst Shane Malloy as one of the best general skater within the draft. Finally the third defenceman off the board after David Reinbacher and Dmitri Simashev, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how he compares in just a few years when he’s hopefully a full-time NHLer on the Canucks’ blue line. His upside is certainly as a accomplice for Hughes which might be nice for the way forward for the defence.
The final time the Canucks drafted a Swedish defenceman was again in 1994 once they left with Mattias Ohlund at thirteenth general. All he did was rating 93 objectives and 325 factors in 770 video games with the Canucks and get enshrined within the Ring of Honor. Whereas that’s a lofty expectation for Willander, he undoubtedly has the ability set to get there in the future. He additionally grew up cheering for the Canucks, so it’s type of full circle for him to get drafted by Vancouver all these years later.
“Once I was very younger, that was my first staff that I ever began cheering for. We used to drag up the NHL sport recaps on the breakfast desk and I all the time used to observe the Vancouver Canucks. So, I suppose I’m again at it.”
Dedicated to Boston College within the fall, Willander will hopefully proceed the pattern of Swedish gamers suiting up for the Canucks in a outstanding function. Some argue he’s now the highest prospect within the Canucks’ system above the likes of final 12 months’s fifteenth general choose Jonathan Lekkerimaki and up to date acquisition Aatu Raty. I must agree with that evaluation as his upside might be a top-pairing right-handed defenceman which the Canucks haven’t had since Chris Tanev and Kevin Bieksa. What’s extra, Willander has a better ceiling offensively than each of them. That alone ought to get Canucks Nation excited for the longer term.
third Spherical, seventy fifth Total – Hunter Brzustewicz, RD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Leaping to the third spherical, the Canucks took a possible gem in Brzustewicz from the Kitchener Rangers within the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Ranked to go thirty second general by Draft Prospects Hockey and lots of others within the second spherical, he was clearly within the good books of some consultants within the on-line scouting world. Racking up six objectives and 57 factors in 68 video games this season, he was a machine within the OHL ending fourth amongst defencemen in assists and eighth in factors.
Recognized for his mobility, robust playmaking, and puck motion (as evidenced by his help totals), Brzustewicz may ultimately turn into a second-pair defenceman within the NHL. If all goes properly, he may even rise increased than that. Actually, Alex Hobson, who wrote his prospect profile right here at THW, believes he’s a poor man’s Cale Makar.
Watching Brzustewicz play, he jogs my memory quite a lot of a watered-down model of Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar. Now, whoever drafts him mustn’t assume they simply drafted a clone of Makar, given the variety of accolades he has, however whenever you watch the best way Brzustewicz patrols the blueline on the facility play, there are some hanging similarities of their edgework and the best way they’re in a position to open up area for themselves when their staff is operating the cycle within the offensive zone.
As Hobson mentioned, we shouldn’t anticipate him to be one other Makar, however simply the truth that he has these attributes in his arsenal ought to generate pleasure for his ceiling within the NHL. Additionally, there’s a cause why many consultants within the scouting world ranked him within the second spherical. He would possibly turn into one of many steals of this draft.
third Spherical, 89th Total – Sawyer Mynio, LD, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Persevering with the run on defencemen (this time a left-handed one), the Canucks chosen considered one of my favourite prospects on this draft class, Kamloops native Sawyer Mynio. One other select of the Seattle Thunderbirds within the Western Hockey League, he gained’t be lighting up the scoreboard when he hits the NHL.
Nevertheless, he will probably be that stable fashionable defensive defenceman that has turn into all the trend lately. Probably following within the footsteps of Jaccob Slavin who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes one hundred and twentieth general in 2012 or Tanev, who was signed by the Canucks as an undrafted free agent in 2010, he may turn into an integral cog of the defence corps sooner or later.
Mynio acquired excessive reward from his GM in Seattle, Invoice LaForge after he was drafted by the Canucks, saying, “Canucks bought a superb one, it is a good all spherical defenseman, good skater and his offensive sport is underrated.” So, he may need extra to provide within the factors division than I first gave him credit score for. All in all, I believe the Canucks bought one other hidden gem within the later rounds in Mynio.
4th Spherical, a hundred and fifth Total – Ty Mueller, C, College of Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
After deciding on three defencemen in a row, the Canucks turned to the forwards (significantly down the center) and started a run of facilities. First up, overager Ty Mueller, who was going by the draft for the third time. Already 20 years previous, he simply completed his sophomore season on the College of Nebraska-Omaha and might be enjoying for the Abbotsford Canucks within the American Hockey League (AHL) subsequent season. With a career-high 12 objectives and 25 factors in 34 video games, the 5-foot-11 heart is described as a “jack-of-all-trades-type of participant” with common bodily instruments (from Elite Prospects 2023 Draft Information).
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Finally, Mueller is a venture that will or could not pan out within the NHL. He would possibly high out as an AHL call-up or spend his profession within the ECHL or abroad. Ultimately, I’m unsure why the Canucks didn’t simply signal him as an undrafted free agent as a substitute of spending a draft choose on him. Particularly with extra expert choices like Jaden Lipinski, Alex Ciernik, and others nonetheless on the board.
4th Spherical, 107th Total – Vilmer Alriksson, LW/C, Djurgårdens IF J20 (Nationell)
With their second fourth-round choose, the Canucks chosen one other Swede in 6-foot-6 pivot/winger Vilmer Alriksson. Enjoying for a similar Djurgardens IF J20 staff that Lekkerimaki suited up for in his draft 12 months, he recorded a stable 12 objectives and 21 factors within the common season and two objectives in 5 playoff video games. Energy is the secret for Alriksson as FC Hockey’s Fredrik Haak described him as a “highly effective and powerful winger who makes it troublesome for opponents to seek out artistic alternatives.” He additionally famous his abilities in entrance of the web the place he makes use of his energy and massive body to not solely display the goaltender however keep in place to tip pucks.
6-foot-6 ahead Vilmer Alriksson (VAN, #107) is big, however he is additionally fairly expert and a succesful skater, even when the mechanics can nonetheless enhance additional. He is actually uncooked and really a lot an enormous venture, however there might be some upside. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/g7LJ6rMxRf
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) June 29, 2023
Any winger with that sort of measurement and willingness to be aggressive on the forecheck and in entrance of the web will probably be attention-grabbing to observe sooner or later. Alriksson may change into an efficient third or fourth-line choice that thrives within the playoffs when that sort of hockey turns into much more essential. As Lassi Alanan identified within the Tweet above, he’s a venture, however his bodily profile and uncooked ability have been undoubtedly causes to take a flyer on him at this level within the draft.
4th Spherical, 119th Total – Matthew Perkins, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
To spherical out the trio of fourth-round picks, the Canucks went to america Hockey League (USHL) and chosen Matthew Perkins from the Youngstown Phantoms. One other overager, he went undrafted in 2022 when he performed for the Humboldt Broncos within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) the place he scored 23 objectives and 59 factors in 57 video games. In 2022-23, he recorded 15 objectives and 44 factors in 60 video games in his rookie season within the USHL and will probably be transferring to the NCAA in 2023-24 as he’s dedicated to the College of Minnesota-Duluth.