2026 NHL Draft

[Nuckertuzzi]

We are (should be) rebuilding with eyes on 5 years from now. Drafting a guy because he’s NHL ready, but possibly possesses a lower NHL ceiling, would be to follow in the footsteps of so many Canuck teams that have come before.

.....

McKenna and Cootes could end up being out Kane and Toews.

A well run organization has one eye on today and the other toward the future. In our case, fuck today, both eyes need to be 100% focussed on building the best team possible 5 years from now. The fact I've been hearing rumblings of the contrary is no surprise given this total fuckin' shitbag of an owner...just pisses me off to no end how he alone keeps crippling us. Now, I don't want to get "pre-mad" until we see actual evidence he'll do it again, like if any of our accumulated picks go out the door before the draft, so I will keep the pitchfork in the garage in meantime and hope sanity prevails.

I like the Chicago shout out (do we still hate that team?). I actually had a pretty deep admiration for them even during the rival years, I am not ashamed to admit out loud. That to me is THE best model to use for a team at the start of a rebuild. They didn't have generational players that kept them top-heavy and divided. A McDavid would be nice but they achieved so much success with less. Just an extremely well-balanced squad and what it was that made them so damn good was the endless depth they built, so good they couldn't even hold on to everybody and were still able to win. That's what we should aim for, every decision we make needs to be how we can best replicate that model. No more Waternoodle Canucks, let's build the mother fuckin' dragon!

Last time we drew Kane/Toews parallels it was Horvat & Shinkaruk. Let's hope this one is a little more successful. And I do hope it's McKenna, the Kane scouting comparisons are a good omen. Now we just need to hope Bettman and the League won't fuck us over yet again.

May the 5th be with us.

[Meds]

We are (should be) rebuilding with eyes on 5 years from now. Drafting a guy because he’s NHL ready, but possibly possesses a lower NHL ceiling, would be to follow in the footsteps of so many Canuck teams that have come before.

.....

McKenna and Cootes could end up being out Kane and Toews.

Last time we drew Kane/Toews parallels it was Horvat & Shinkaruk. Let's hope this one is a little more successful. And I do hope it's McKenna, the Kane scouting comparisons are a good omen. Now we just need to hope Bettman and the League won't fuck us over yet again.

The difference is that Horvat was 10th overall and Shrinkwrap was 24th overall.

Kane was a 1st overall pick and Toews was 3rd overall.

[Topper]

We are (should be) rebuilding with eyes on 5 years from now. Drafting a guy because he’s NHL ready, but possibly possesses a lower NHL ceiling, would be to follow in the footsteps of so many Canuck teams that have come before.

.....

McKenna and Cootes could end up being out Kane and Toews.

A well run organization has one eye on today and the other toward the future. In our case, fuck today, both eyes need to be 100% focussed on building the best team possible 5 years from now. The fact I've been hearing rumblings of the contrary is no surprise given this total fuckin' shitbag of an owner...just pisses me off to no end how he alone keeps crippling us. Now, I don't want to get "pre-mad" until we see actual evidence he'll do it again, like if any of our accumulated picks go out the door before the draft, so I will keep the pitchfork in the garage in meantime and hope sanity prevails.

I like the Chicago shout out (do we still hate that team?). I actually had a pretty deep admiration for them even during the rival years, I am not ashamed to admit out loud. That to me is THE best model to use for a team at the start of a rebuild. They didn't have generational players that kept them top-heavy and divided. A McDavid would be nice but they achieved so much success with less. Just an extremely well-balanced squad and what it was that made them so damn good was the endless depth they built, so good they couldn't even hold on to everybody and were still able to win. That's what we should aim for, every decision we make needs to be how we can best replicate that model. No more Waternoodle Canucks, let's build the mother fuckin' dragon!

Last time we drew Kane/Toews parallels it was Horvat & Shinkaruk. Let's hope this one is a little more successful. And I do hope it's McKenna, the Kane scouting comparisons are a good omen. Now we just need to hope Bettman and the League won't fuck us over yet again.

May the 5th be with us.

If eyes are needed, Manny isn't.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Yeah, that was very much a reach at the time.

Doubtful Cootes can achieve Toews levels, but I do like that he profiles as that type of player. A McKenna/Cootes leadership core up front is very enticing indeed. Already lovin' the shape of the young blue w/ future Duncan Keith Buium already showing bigtime promise (imagine landing Dupont next year).

And don't worry, we'll get plenty of other opportunities to draft a top notch center in coming years if Cootes settles into more of a good middle six guy, which would be fine.

That is unless fuckhead Waternoodle tries to go Brad Richards on us again. It's still going to be very very painful the next five years, but a foundation is already shaping up. The success of this rebuild will basically be at the mercy of TFG™ and lottery luck.

May the 5th be with us.

[Nuckertuzzi]

If eyes are needed, Manny isn't.

What's Ohlund doing nowadays? Manny can hire him as assistant..or right eye man.

[Carl Yagro]

Ohlund, damaged right eye(?)

Manny, damaged left eye(?)

Nucker, I think you may be onto something....

(<- Not winkies... Matty & Manny emojis)

[Nuckertuzzi]

Ohlund, damaged right eye(?)

Manny, damaged left eye(?)

Nucker, I think you may be onto something....

(<- Not winkies... Matty & Manny emojis)

Yeah, based on their pictures I think you got it right (..or left??). Then Manny can be Matty's right eye man.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Doubtful Cootes can achieve Toews levels, but I do like that he profiles as that type of player.

I was hoping Cootes can become like a Mike Peca. If we lucky, a JR (Jeremy Roenick).

[Nuckertuzzi]

Peca/BMo/BoHo/Kesler/-ish second line center is probably ceiling but would be fantastic. JR would be tremendous.

[donlever]

We will do well to achieve one of the 4 ex Nucks you suggest 'Tuzzi.

Jeremy Roenick scored 500 games and 1200 points and is a HoF'r.

I mean dare to dream I suppose but Cootes is not that.

[theman]

I tend to worry about selecting ‘fast risers’ in a draft but this year really does seem to be a crapshoot. I have also noted that Verhoeff seems to be dropping as well. If the Canucks fall to 3rd, who knows who they should take.

[donlever]

Click bait, game playing, keep our tongues wagging and lips drooling interests piqued media diatribes.

I still think Verhoeff is the potential Unicorn of the draft.

[theman]

Click bait, game playing, keep our tongues wagging and lips drooling interests piqued media diatribes.

I still think Verhoeff is the potential Unicorn of the draft.

One thing in his favour is the hat he is one of the youngest top prospects in the draft.

[Picker of Cherries]

Ohlund, damaged right eye(?)

Manny, damaged left eye(?)

Nucker, I think you may be onto something....

(<- Not winkies... Matty & Manny emojis)

Yeah, based on their pictures I think you got it right (..or left??). Then Manny can be Matty's right eye man.

If they play into it right, they could really inspire team toughness.

[Carl Yagro]

All Manny & Matty would need to add is an assistant with a Sherwood peg-leg to kick the player's asses, another assistant with a hook to Yankinen and pull the goalie, one more up in the crow's nest as a spotter and a team parrot for media relations.

What a coaching staff this would be.

Arrrrgh, mateys! We lose again. Sunken back to the bottom of Davey Jones' lockerrrr once more.