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12 Canucks prospects ranked from worst to best

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
|
Jul 17 2024, 11:46 pm
12 Canucks prospects ranked from worst to best
Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

The Vancouver Canucks aren’t a prospect rich organization but they do have a few intriguing players in their system.

While not long ago, they had one of the worst prospect pools in the league, the Canucks now have a few skaters and goalies who look like they could be significant contributors in the future.

This leaves the Canucks with enough solid prospects to rank some of their top prospects. For the purpose of this exercise, we’ve excluded anyone who has played NHL games from the list. This means that players like Aatu Räty, Vasily Podkolzin, and Arturs Silovs are ineligible.

Here are the team’s top 12 prospects at the moment.

12. Jett Woo

  • 2023-24 stats: 62 GP, 7 G, 24 A, 31 PTS (AHL)
  • Age: 23
  • Position: D
  • Year drafted: 2018 (37th overall)

Jett Woo has been in the Canucks system for a long time now and is already 23 years old. While his development hasn’t been perfect, he played pretty well last season in professional hockey.

He’s now played a significant part in four seasons in the AHL. He did get called up to the big leagues last season but never got into a game. His ceiling is quite low but he could be a depth option for this year.

11. Danila Klimovich

  • 2023-24 stats: 24 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS (AHL)
  • Age: 21
  • Position: RW
  • Year drafted: 2021 (41st overall)

Last season was tough for Danila Klimovich. He couldn’t build on an encouraging 2022-23 season and finished with just four points in 24 games.

He’s now 21 and needs to show major improvement quickly to stay relevant in the team’s system. He’s got a good shot, but does he do enough other things at a high level to stick around?

10. Vilmer Alriksson

  • 2023-24 stats: 67 GP, 17 G, 16 A, 33 PTS (OHL)
  • Age: 19
  • Position: LW
  • Year drafted: 2023 (107th overall)

Vilmer Alriksson is a huge winger who made the transition to North America last season. At 6-foot-,6 Alriksson has the type of build that catches your eye on the ice.

He was one of the better players at the most recent development camp as the fourth-round pick showed that he has the skill to package with his size.

9. Anthony Romani

  • 2023-24 stats: 68 GP, 58 G, 53 A, 111 PTS (OHL)
  • Age: 19
  • Position: RW
  • Year drafted: 2024 (162nd overall)

The first thing that stands out about Anthony Romani is his stats from last year. He led the OHL in goals and finished second in points as he absolutely tore up the league. He’s got a good shot and natural scoring instincts.

This was his second time through the draft, which should temper expectations somewhat. He’s also not the best skater in the world, which is another reason he’s not higher on this list.

8. Josh Bloom

  • 2023-24 stats: 34 GP, 17 G, 23 A, 40 PTS (OHL)
  • Age: 21
  • Position: LW
  • Year drafted: 2021 (95th overall)

Josh Bloom just finished his fifth season in the OHL and was a massively impactful player. He’s an energy player who has the skill to convert the chances he creates.

Bloom scored the Memorial Cup-winning goal this year and had an emotional moment after the game. The winger will be making the jump to professional hockey this year and should help out in Abbotsford.

7. Max Sasson

  • 2023-24 stats: 56 GP, 18 G, 24 A, 42 PTS (AHL)
  • Age: 23
  • Position: C
  • Year drafted: N/A

Max Sasson’s first full season of professional hockey was a big success. He scored 0.75 points per game and made what’s an often difficult transition look manageable. He can skate, contributes in different areas of the game, and is likely to get a look at the NHL level this season.

6. Kirill Kudryavtsev

  • 2023-24 stats: 67 GP, 5 G, 42 A, 47 PTS (OHL)
  • Age: 20
  • Position: D
  • Year drafted: 2022 (208th overall)

Kirill Kudryavtsev has developed as well as you could hope for a seventh-round pick. He’s played three seasons in the OHL and continues to add to his game each year. He’ll either be playing in the AHL or heading back to the OHL next season.

5. Melvin Fernstrom

  • 2023-24 stats: 45 GP, 31 G, 32 A, 63 PTS (J20 Nationell)
  • Age: 18
  • Position: RW
  • Year drafted: 2024 (93rd overall)

The Canucks top draft pick this summer, Melvin Fernstrom had ridiculous numbers in Sweden last year. He has a great shot and stood out at Canucks development camp earlier this summer.

4. Sawyer Mynio

  • 2023-24 stats: 63 GP, 16 G, 37 A, 53 PTS
  • Age: 19
  • Position: D
  • Year drafted: 2023 (89th overall)

Sawyer Mynio showed off a new side to his game this year as his counting stats exploded. The 6-foot-1 defenceman was close to a point-per-game while keeping up his steady defensive play.

Mynio has been picked for the Summer Showcase, which acts as a prelude to the World Juniors. There’s a chance he could be representing Canada next winter.

3. Elias Pettersson

  • 2023-24 stats: 34 GP, 3 G, 11 A, 14 PTS (HockeyAllsvenskan)
  • Age: 20
  • Position: D
  • Year drafted: 2022 (80th overall)

The man who shares the same name as current Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson comes in third on this list. He’s a 6-foot-4 defenceman who plays nasty and can skate well, especially considering his size.

Pettersson played eight games in the AHL last season as he started his transition to North America. As he continues to develop, he should get a full-time role in Abbotsford this year.

2. Tom Willander

  • 2023-24 stats: 38 GP, 4 G, 21 A, 25 PTS (NCAA)
  • Age: 19
  • Position: D
  • Year drafted: 2023 (11th overall)

Tom Willander is the first of two bluechip prospects in the Canucks system. The 6-foot-1 right-handed blueliner played last season at Boston University and will return to the program this season, where he’s expected to assume a larger role.

Willander can play in all situations. He will fill a role on the right side of the Canucks blue line one day, although he’s unlikely to make the jump next season.

1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki

  • 2023-24 stats: 46 GP, 19 G, 12 A, 31 PTS (SHL)
  • Age: 19
  • Position: RW
  • Year drafted: 2022 (15th overall)

The crown jewel in the Canucks prospect pool is Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The Swedish winger had a massive season, helping launch him to the top of this list. It marked a massive bounceback for Lekkerimäki, who struggled during his post-draft season.

Lekkerimäki won MVP at last year’s World Juniors, which is a massive honour for any prospect. He’ll likely start the season with the Abbotsford Canucks, but he has a shot at cracking the big club this season.

Honourable mentions

These players just missed out on making the list. They’re listed below with their position and the league they played in most recently.

  • Ty Mueller, C, 21 years old (NCAA)
  • Nikita Tolopilo, G, 24 years old (AHL)
  • Riley Patterson, C, 18 years old (OHL)
  • Parker Alcos, D, 17 years old (WHL)
  • Jackson Dorrington, D, 20 years old (NCAA)
  • Aiden Celebrini, D, 19 years old (NCAA)
  • Ty Young, G, 19 years old (WHL)

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