B.C. hockey fans can get an up-close look at hockey鈥檚 stars of tomorrow as the takes place starting Friday, June 21 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The last time the city played host to the entry draft was in . The host Canucks, picking 14th, selected speedy forward , who scored a grand total of five goals with Vancouver before being dealt in a package to the Florida Panthers that saw come to the Canucks.
Vancouver also hosted the draft in , with the Canucks taking centre second overall. While the high-scoring centre fashioned a solid career, scoring 310 goals (including 38 with Vancouver in 1992-93), you can鈥檛 blame Canucks fans for playing the 鈥榳hat if?鈥� game, given (1,921 career points) went three picks later to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This time around, the rebuilding Canucks have missed the playoffs for four years in succession and hold the 10th overall pick as they look to add to their young core.
Here鈥檚 our / 2019 NHL Mock Draft, a look at how our draftniks see the first round (5 p.m, Sportsnet, TVAS, NBCSN) unfolding, with additional notes for the league鈥檚 Canadian teams:
1. New Jersey Devils
VI Free Daily editor pick: , C, USA U-18 (USHL), 5-foot-10, 160 pounds
Black Press NHL correspondent pick: Hughes
VI Free Daily content editor pick: Hughes
One word to describe top overall prospect Jack Hughes?
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2. New York Rangers
PW: RW, TPS (FIN), 6-2, 194
KO: Kakko
JMC: Kakko
3. Chicago Blackhawks
PW: , D, Vancouver (WHL), 6-1, 194
KO: , C, USA U-18 (USHL), 5-11, 189
JMC: Byram
4. Colorado Avalanche
PW: , C, Saskatoon (WHL), 6-4, 195
KO: , C, USA U-18 (USHL), 6-0, 166
JMC: Turcotte
5. Los Angeles Kings
PW: , C, Lethbridge (WHL), 6-3, 181
KO: Byram
JMC: Dach
6. Detroit Red Wings
PW: Zegras
KO: Dach
JMC: Zegras
7. Buffalo Sabres
PW: , RW, USA U-18 (USHL), 5-7, 162
KO: Caufield
JMC: Caufield
8. Edmonton Oilers
PW: Turcotte
Caufield, the tiny goal-scoring sensation, would have been an ideal complement to the league鈥檚 best player, Connor McDavid. But Turcotte provides a nice consolation prize, perhaps allowing the Oilers to eventually trade Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for defensive help.
KO: , LW: USA U-18 (USHL), 6-2, 187
The Oilers are in dire need of wingers for their top six forward group to supplement their franchise centres, McDavid and Draisaitl. Boldy has exceptional vision and is able to use his line-mates effectively in any situation.
JMC: , D, AIK (SWE-Als), 6-3, 199
Oilers will take the second-most talented defenceman. Their fans will melt down and call it a huge reach. The internet will point and laugh. It鈥檚 just what happens in Edmonton.
9. Anaheim Ducks
PW: Boldy
KO: , D, Mannheim (DEL), 6-4, 185
JMC: Cozens
10. Vancouver Canucks
PW: , RW, Neva St. Petersburg 2 (RUS-2), 6-1, 183
The Canucks could go in a number of directions here. Does general manager Jim Benning, looking to make a splash before the home fans, trade up if Byram slips a spot or two? Does he deal down to acquire more assets? Way back in 1984, the Canucks selected defenceman J.J. Daigneault, who was injured and made his way up to the stage on crutches. Do they revisit history and tab centre Peyton Krebs, who recently had surgery to repair a partial tear to his Achilles tendon. Podkolzin is highly skilled and could eventually slot nicely in Vancouver alongside centre Elias Pettersson.
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KO: , C, Victoria (BCHL), 5-10, 190
Newhook is easily one of the best skaters in the draft who can do remarkable things with the puck at top speed. The NHL is getting faster and Newhook would be a great addition to the Canucks forward core of Pettersson, Boeser and Horvat. Newhook would add an element of speed that the Canucks currently lack in their young forward group. Newhook played close to Vancouver in the BCHL with the Victoria Grizzlies, putting up a league-leading 102 points in 53 regular season games. Newhook solidified his draft ranking with a standout U18 performance with Canada in the spring.
JMC: , D, Brynas (SHL), 5-11, 180
Canucks will look at their holes on D and their 1-2 centre punch of Horvat and Pettersson and pass on Newhook and Peyton Krebs for a smart, puck-moving new-age Swedish defenceman. Silly Canucks.
11. Philadelphia Flyers
PW: Broberg
KO: , C, Winnipeg (WHL), 5-11, 180
JMC: Podkolzin
12. Minnesota Wild
PW: Krebs
KO: Broberg
JMC: Newhook
13. Florida Panthers
PW: , G, USA U-18 (USHL), 6-3, 192
KO: Podkolzin
JMC: Knight
14. Arizona Coyotes
PW: Newhook
KO: Cozens
JMC: Boldy
"Very good skater who recognizes offensive opportunities, loves to join the rush offensively and is very effective in the offensive zone." Director of Scouting 's profile of Thomas Harley ahead of the :
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15. Montreal Canadiens
, D, Mississauga (OHL), 6-3, 185
PW: The Canadiens, with two second-round picks, could also be candidates to move up in the draft. With LHD a position of weakness, if the Habs stay put, Harley or Cam York make sense here. Hulking QMJHL winger Raphael Lavoie is another potential target.
KO: Harley
A defenceman makes sense here for Montreal, especially if Harley is available. He is a play-driving defender with good size. Harley is one of the younger skaters in the draft who contains the speed and skill to play in today鈥檚 NHL.
JMC: Seider
Habs do go D, but they will favour the impressive athlete who impressed against men over the other options who played with boys
16. Colorado Avalanche
PW: , LW, Hamilton (OHL), 6-1, 190
KO: Soderstrom
JMC: , D, USA U-18 (USHL), 6-0, 175
17. Vegas Golden Knights
PW: Soderstrom
KO: , LW, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL), 6-0, 163
JMC: Krebs
18. Dallas Stars
PW: York
KO: Kaliyev
JMC: , RW, Halifax (QMJHL), 6-4, 195
19. Ottawa Senators
PW: , C, Niagara (OHL), 6-0, 180
The rebuilding Sens need help everywhere. The skilled Tomasino would slot in nicely as a future top-six forward.
KO: Tomasino
Ottawa would be lucky to have Tomasino fall to 19. Arguably the only NHL team firmly locked in a rebuild, Ottawa does need help in every position, more so in their forward group after acquiring star defensive prospect Erik Br盲nnstr枚m in exchange for Mark Stone at the trade deadline.
JMC: Tomasino
Tomasino might have the best shot of guys ranked outside the top of the draft to be a first-line player. And Ottawa really, really needs first-line players.
20. Winnipeg Jets
PW: Seider
The cap-strapped Jets, having unloaded talented RHD Jacob Trouba for a package including this selection on Monday, look to refill their defence pool.
KO: York
The Jets should be taking a defenceman here after trading Trouba and potentially exposing RHD Tyler Myers for free agency. I can鈥檛 see Seider dropping this far, but I can see York being available. York played with a dominant USNTDP team this year who proved to be effective on the power play. York is a steady all-around defenceman.
JMC: Harley
Harley is raw, but the size-speed combination is excellent and he has the toolbox for the Jets to develop.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins
PW: Lavoie
KO: Knight
JMC: , D, Luukko-Liiga (FIN), 5-11, 175
22. Los Angeles Kings
PW: , RW, Sioux City (USHL), 5-10, 165
KO: , C, London (OHL), 5-11, 172
JMC: , LW, Peterborough (OHL), 5-9, 160
23. New York Islanders
PW: , C, Barrie (OHL), 6-0, 175
KO: Robertson
JMC: Kaliyev
24. Nashville Predators
PW: , LW, Muskegon (USHL), 6-4, 201
KO: Suzuki
JMC: , D, Sioux Falls (USHL), 6-0, 161
25. Washington Capitals
PW: , RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL), 6-1, 208
KO: Brink
JMC: Poulin
26. Calgary Flames
PW: , RW, Prince Albert (WHL), 6-4, 200
Passed over in two previous drafts, the big 20-year-old adds size and skill to the Flames prospect pool.
KO: Heinola
Heinola is an excellent defenceman who proved to be efficient playing in Finland鈥檚 top men鈥檚 league as well on the top pairing for Finland in the World Junior Championships. The Flames would love to add him to their prospect pool if he is available at pick 26.
JMC: Leason
Flames will like the size and skill to augment their flanks. They will like the fact the overager might be close to helping them already even more.
NHL Draft: Players passed over in 2018 Draft who could be drafted this weekend - Forward Brett Leason of in tops our list -- via
鈥� Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL)
27. Tampa Bay Lightning
PW: , D, USA U-18 (USHL), 6-6, 200
KO: , LW, R枚gle BK (SHL), 5-9, 185
JMC: Suzuki
28. Carolina Hurricanes
PW: Robertson
KO: , D, Flint (OHL), 6-2, 181
JMC: Brink
29. Anaheim Ducks
PW: , D, Kelowna (WHL) 6-0, 190
KO: Lavoie
JMC: , D, Djurgarden (SHL), 6-0, 196
30. Boston Bruins
PW: , LW, Moncton (QMJHL), 5-9, 160
KO: Poulin
JMC: Pelletier
31. Buffalo Sabres
PW: Heinola
KO: , LW, Moose Jaw (WHL), 6-0, 177
JMC: Thomson
Rounds two through seven take place Saturday, June 22 (10 a.m., NHL Network, Sportsnet). The hold picks No. 40, 71, 102, 133, 156, 164, 180 and 195.
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