Vancouver Canucks have one of the NHL's deepest prospect pools according to expert ranking
It’s amazing what one good draft can do for a team’s prospect pool.
The Vancouver Canucks clearly have a long way to go in their rebuild. But at least their prospect pool has some meat on it.
Back in 2023, the Canucks had the NHL’s 28th-best prospect pipeline, according to The Athletic. After Jonathan Lekkerimäki, their second-best prospect was 2020 fifth-round selection Jacob Truscott, a defenceman who spent most of last season in the AHL.
Now, The Athletic tabbed Vancouver as having one of the deepest prospect pools in the league.
Scott Wheeler recently released his ranking of the top 100 drafted prospects in the NHL. The Chicago Blackhawks led the way with eight prospects named, which isn’t a surprise considering they made 11 first-round picks in a four-year span.
The Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators were best represented after Chicago, with both teams having seven of their prospects named to the list.
Then, the Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks were all tied with six prospects listed in the NHL’s top 100.
Unsurprisingly, Caleb Malhotra was considered to be the Canucks best prospect, ranking eighth overall in the NHL. He was also considered to be the second-best centre prospect in hockey, with only San Jose Sharks pivot Michael Misa (second overall in 2025 NHL Draft) slotted ahead of him.
The other five Canucks prospects were ranked outside of the top 50.
Adam Novotny, who slid to the Canucks at 24th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, was ranked 63rd overall. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound winger recently drew rave reviews at Canucks development camp by flashing his speed and shot release.
Two full-time Canucks players last season cracked the list, as they were still considered prospects by The Athletic.
Liam Ohgren was the next-highest Canuck on the list after Malhotra, with Wheeler ranking him 58th overall.
Liam Ohgren was one of the better Canucks players after coming via trade from Minnesota (Bob Frid/Imagn Images)
The 21-year-old winger was a lone bright spot during a horrid stretch of games for the Canucks following the Quinn Hughes trade. On a per-60 basis, only Linus Karlsson registered more five-on-five points than Ohgren following Hughes’ departure.
Tom Willander also cracked the list at 73rd overall. The young defenceman was tasked with some tough minutes in his rookie season. While the underlying numbers weren’t flattering, Willander showcased his smooth skating ability and battle level, providing hope that he can be a second-pair fixture for years to come.
Lekkerimäki was the fifth Canucks prospect to be named to the list. He’s among the oldest cohort of prospects on the list, as Wheeler didn’t include anyone older than players from the 2022 draft.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Braeden Cootes was ranked sixth among Canucks prospects on the list, with Wheeler ranking him 95th overall. While he’s considered an important piece of the Canucks rebuild internally, it’s worth noting that the three players drafted immediately after him (Kashawn Aitcheson, Victor Eklund, and Cole Reschny) were all ranked ahead of him on the list.
It’s a small gripe when you consider that, for the first time in years, there’s excitement brewing in the Canucks prospect pool.