7 ex-Canucks prospects fans once had high hopes for
The Vancouver Canucks have had many exciting prospects who didn’t pan out over the years.
From top draft picks to late first-rounders who oozed potential, the organization has had their fair share of prospects who burnt out quickly.
Here are seven players that fans were once very excited about but who didn’t reach their full potential with the Canucks.
7. Cody Hodgson
- Drafted: 10th overall, 2008
- NHL stats: 328 GP, 64 G, 78 A, 142 PTS
Cody Hodgson was one of the most highly anticipated forward prospects the Canucks have had in the 21st century. He delivered some iconic moments, such as his slapshot goal in “Game 8” against the Boston Bruins, but ultimately never settled in with the Canucks.
The Canucks eventually traded Hodgson in a deal for power forward Zack Kassian. He would play a few seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before retiring due to health issues.
The forward recently attempted a comeback to pro hockey after making encouraging progress on his ailments. However, it wouldn’t last long as his health problems flared up once again.
Cody Hodgson picks up his first professional point in 8 years with a primary assist on Jasper Weatherby's goal#Preds #MILHockey pic.twitter.com/OPCnqG4w3r
— Preds Prospects (@OnTheFuturePBR) January 25, 2024
6. Jordan Schroeder
- Drafted: 22nd overall, 2009
- NHL stats: 165 GP, 18 G, 24 A, 42 PTS
Jordan Schroeder caught the attention of hockey fans everywhere after he tore up multiple World Juniors tournaments. He participated in three of them and never finished with fewer than a point per game.
Schroeder was very offensively talented but was just 5-foot-9. That size proved to be too much of an obstacle in his journey to becoming an NHL star. He had some strong seasons in the AHL before moving to Europe where he’s played in the KHL and Swiss league.
5. Patrick White
- Drafted: 25th overall, 2007
- NHL stats: N/A
Patrick White was the Canucks first-round pick in 2007, just ahead of players like David Perron and Brendan Smith, both solid NHL contributors. He never even played a single game in the NHL.
Not a single player the Canucks drafted in 2007 ever played in the NHL. It’s widely considered to be one of the worst draft classes not only in franchise history but across the entire NHL.
4. Nicklas Jensen
- Drafted: 29th overall, 2011
- NHL stats: 31 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS
Nicklas Jensen is yet another Canucks first-round pick who busted badly. The Danish winger was selected near the end of the opening round and ended up playing less than half a season in the NHL.
He played parts of four seasons in the NHL, and all his points came in one campaign. He eventually left the league to move across the pond. Jensen played many seasons in the KHL where he put up strong numbers. For the past few years, he’s been playing in Switzerland.
3. Hunter Shinkaruk
- Drafted: 24th overall, 2013
- NHL stats: 15 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS
Hunter Shinkaruk had Canucks fans excited with stellar goal-scoring numbers in junior and the AHL. The sniper’s game never translated to the top level, as his size held him back.
The small winger played just a single NHL game for the Canucks before he was traded to the Calgary Flames. It turned out to be a savvy move, as he played roughly a dozen more NHL games in his career.
He recently signed with a team in the United Kingdom.
2. Olli Juolevi
- Drafted: 5th overall, 2016
- NHL stats: 41 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS
Likely the biggest Canucks draft bust of the 21st century, Olli Juolevi never became a regular NHLer despite being a top-five pick. The fact that Matthew Tkachuk, Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev, and Charlie McAvoy went in the next 10 picks makes this one hurt even more.
Juolevi did not have the foot speed to keep up at the professional level and struggled to even become an impact AHLer. He famously struggled to keep up at Canucks training camp in 2021.
Olli Juolevi update: pic.twitter.com/9Gi1qJzyWp
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) September 23, 2021
He was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Juho Lammikko and Noah Juulsen, two players who have combined to contribute a lot more to the Canucks than the Finnish defenceman ever did.
1. Jake Virtanen
- Drafted: 6th overall, 2014
- NHL stats: 317 GP, 55 G, 45 A, 100 PTS
Jake Virtanen had all the tools to be a devastating power forward at the NHL level. He was big, could skate well, and that combination helped him dominate the junior levels. The BC native scored 45 goals in 71 WHL games in his draft year.
Things never worked out for Virtanen at the NHL level. He was rushed into the big leagues early and struggled to hit his stride. The 6-foot-1 winger managed a career-high of 18 goals and 36 points in 69 games during the 2019-20 season.
Virtanen was given many chances in Vancouver, but it never worked out, and he was eventually bought out. Since then, he has bounced around Europe, playing the last two seasons in Germany.
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