CC Draft Watch Party 2026 Friday June 26 @ 4 pm PDT

[BoS]

Why didn’t someone tell Rogowski he didn’t need to wear his shoulder pads to the draft?

Definitely like him at 33.

If he can handle himself in scraps, all the better.

[donlever]

....wings took netminder Michal Orsulak right after Ivchenko.

Better ranked than our guy.

Maybe our people had intel Detroit was going to take "their" guy they had slotted at 97 on our board.

[Lancer]

Ilya Bryzgalov from Medicine Hat. Committed to NCAA Merrimack. A project winger. Could do worse with the pick.

[Picker of Cherries]

AI says “At #97 overall, the Canucks grabbed Yaroslav Bryzgalov from the Medicine Hat Tigers, and he is a total powerhouse of a pick.

Yaroslav is a massive 6-foot-4, 216-pound left winger.

He had a massive draft-year statement in the WHL after transitioning from the USHL. Here is what makes him such a compelling 4th-round pick:

The Production: He put up 55 points (13 goals, 42 assists) in 64 regular-season games for Medicine Hat, finishing fourth on the team in assists. He then elevated his game even further in the postseason, racking up 14 points in 15 playoff games.

The Playing Style: He is a prototypical modern power-forward playmaker. He uses his massive frame exceptionally well to protect the puck down low, dominate wall battles, and extend offensive zone possession. He isn't just a brute force player either; his vision and passing ability out of traffic are highly advanced.

The Fit: This completely doubles down on the theme of the weekend. Management wanted to get heavier and harder to play against without sacrificing playmaking utility.
Pairing him with guys like Novotný and Rogowski gives the Canucks an incredibly physical, imposing crop of forwards from this class.”

[Lancer]

They seem to be leaning into the beef market this draft. Not a bad thing after a succession of razor-thin dainty Swedes and vegans who hate the weight-room.

The dickless Swede cannot be displaced and gone fast enough.

[Picker of Cherries]

They just let Klimovich go to free agency, Bryzgalov taking his project slot?

[rats19]

I love the addition of size. I havnt got the energy to check can you guys tell me timelines of when guys actually play for us?

We still have Douglas right?

[Cousin Strawberry]

I love the addition of size. I havnt got the energy to check can you guys tell me timelines of when guys actually play for us?

We still have Douglas right?

No he's not being resigned and let to go ufa

[rats19]

I love the addition of size. I havnt got the energy to check can you guys tell me timelines of when guys actually play for us?

We still have Douglas right?

No he's not being resigned and let to go ufa

Ok thnx cuz..

[Ronning's Ghost]

Now that I have had the night to sleep on it, I don’t hate the Maholtra pick, I just worry how the toxic local media can turn everything sideways. Having 2 potential 2Cs in the Canucks system is great to have. The more I read about the Novotny, the more I love that pick.

I don’t think they did poorly.

I don't think they "poorly", either, in that most are convinced he'll be a pretty good player.

I think the disappointment lies in the relatively low perceived upside relative to the perceived value of a #3OA. And there was (possibly) an opportunity cost. We don't know if the deal was there, but it is widely suspected (on this board, at least) that the Canucks could have had just as valuable a player 3-6 picks down, plus a very attractive compensation for moving down. Malhotra was the safe high floor player, when most here wanted the Canucks to swing for the fences on maximum ceiling, as you discuss below:

If there’s a disappointment it’s that the entire approach was conservative. From the players picked to the lack of trade movement.
...The Canucks were definitely trying to avoid zeros with these two picks...

What worries me about that as a person who would like to see the team succeed some day is that while the conservative approach can be successful, if it succeeds, it is likely to take longer to succeed. I fear that ownership will bail too early.

Which means, amusingly, that I'd like this pick better if I were sitting in the owner's box.

They seem to be leaning into the beef market this draft.

Not the worst way to build a team. I think it is consistent with a conservative approach. As long as all the big guys can skate, they are likely to have at least some value, and I have developed the impression (unsupported by any attempt at rigorous statistics) that if bigger guys can play at all, they tend to have longer careers. Also, given the Canucks' relationship with the League, smaller players are a bigger risk for them.

...BPA doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know what “best” is measuring. There’s a spectrum of risk, of potential upside and downside. Is the BPA the most likely to be a star, most likely to be a contributing nhl player, most likely to provide some nhl value?

I am disproportionately pleased that this consideration has become a regular part of any discussion of draft picks on this board.

[Hockey Widow]

I think RJ said they won’t be re-signing any of their FA.

[Ronning's Ghost]

..and then they do that with Ivchenko.

That's a reach at best.

Taking a goalie in the 2nd/3rd rounds makes a lot of sense.

If the Canucks are looking to build the kind of team I suspect they might be, then I agree that it makes sense for them to roll the dice on a goalie in this part of the draft, although I say that without reference to which players might actually still be on the board.

....wings took netminder Michal Orsulak right after Ivchenko.

Better ranked than our guy.

Maybe our people had intel Detroit was going to take "their" guy they had slotted at 97 on our board.

I like that as a theory for why they might have taken Ivchenko "early".

[Hockey Widow]

The first trade of the Ryan Johnson era has officially been made. The deal saw the Vancouver Canucks send pick number 161 in 2026 to the Toronto Maple leaves. In exchange, Vancouver will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick that originally belonged to the Ottawa Senators.

From some site

[BoS]

RJ had 3 picks in the 6th rd. I have no issue with him swapping one for a higher pick next year.

[Picker of Cherries]

“ Round 5: #129 Overall — Connor Davis (RW, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders – USHL)
Size: 6-foot-0, 188 lbs
Skill Set: An energetic, high-motor overage forward who went undrafted last year but exploded for 26 goals and 55 points this season. Davis is a gritty, dual-threat scorer who thrives on extended puck protection. He targets the defensive triangles of opposing players, uses hip-pocket holds to shield the puck, and is relentless at hunting for tight-angle jam plays or wraparounds around the crease. His playmaking took a massive step forward this year, making him a highly competitive asset heading to the University of North Dakota.

Round 6: #161 Overall — Traded to Toronto
The Canucks were on the clock here but flipped this pick to the Maple leaves in exchange for a 2027 5th-round pick, banking some future asset value instead of forcing a selection.

Round 6: #176 Overall — Lucian Bernat (RW, Tappara U20 – Finland)
Size: 6-foot-4, 198 lbs
Skill Set: A massive Slovakian right-shot winger who plays with incredible structural intelligence. Scouts describe him as a "cerebral tactician" with a heavy sniper mentality. He reads defensive coverage remarkably fast, constantly finding soft ice to showcase a highly deceptive, quick release from mid-range. Playing in Tappara’s disciplined system in Finland has given him mature, defensive two-way habits, making him a rare blend of premium physical length and high-IQ positional discipline.

Round 6: #184 Overall — Samuel Eriksson (D, Färjestad BK U20 – Sweden)
Size: 6-foot-5, 212 lbs
Skill Set: With their final pick, they finally grabbed a defenseman—and he is an absolute mountain. Eriksson is a throwback, pure shutdown blue-liner who plays a menacing, highly physical style but stays remarkably disciplined (just 18 penalty minutes all season). He uses his gargantuan reach and frame to completely take away lanes, relying on elite gap control and deft stickwork to force dump-ins. He isn't a high-end transition skater and his stride is definitely "clunky," but his ability to manage depth, absorb hits to make a play, and crush opponents along the wall makes him a high-floor defensive project.

The Structural Theme: If you look at the macro view, the Canucks walked away from rounds 5 and 6 with a 6-foot-4 sniper and a 6-foot-5 human eraser. This front office is heavily betting on elite length, processing speed, and defensive structure, trusting their development staff to refine the technical skating.”