How Minnesota's playoff run will affect Canucks draft pick from Hughes trade
Passion and sports go hand-in-hand.
And for passionate Vancouver Canucks fans, there are certainly some intriguing storylines to follow in the NHL playoffs.
However, none is more important than the Round One matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild.
Former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes got his wish. He’s no longer with the Canucks, and he’ll begin his quest to help Minnesota win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Canucks fans should be hoping that his journey is cut short far before that.
There are petulant reasons why the Canucks should cheer against Hughes and the Wild, but the primary reason is that an early Minnesota exit will improve the Canucks’ draft position.
The Canucks hold Minnesota’s first-round pick following the Hughes trade in December. Now that the regular season is finished, there’s a bit more clarity on how high the Canucks could pick with the Wild’s first-rounder.
If everything shakes right for the Canucks, they could draft as high as 20th overall with Minnesota’s first-rounder.
The Canucks first-rounder that originally belonged to Minnesota could be as low as 31st overall if they were to win the Stanley Cup. The Ottawa Senators are guaranteed to have the 32nd overall selection due to the Evgenii Dadonov trade deadline punishment of 2021.
From there, the Canucks selection can only increase, and here’s what Canucks fans should be cheering for.
- For Minnesota to be eliminated in Round One or Round Two
- For division winners to get knocked out before the Conference Finals
- For teams ranked below Minnesota (except Ottawa) to make Cinderella runs to the Conference Finals
These are the teams below Minnesota, who could help the Canucks draft position with a run to the Conference Finals.
- Atlantic Division: Boston Bruins
- Metropolitan Division: Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers
- Central Division: Los Angeles Kings (Wild Card)
- Pacific Division: Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth (Wild Card)
With Minnesota’s first-round pick currently sitting at 24th overall, the Canucks could move as high as 20th overall if a combination of the four teams above makes the Conference Finals.
However, the reasons for cheering against Hughes and the Wild might mean a little more for Canucks fans.
There’s clearly animosity in the fanbase about Hughes’ departure. Even though he had the captain’s “C” on his chest, president Jim Rutherford has gone on the record saying he wanted out, even before the start of this season.
And while management has to wear a large portion of the blame for his departure, Hughes having one foot out the door before the season even began is something Canucks fans could feel justified in taking personally.
It also isn’t a great look for Hughes that Canucks players have been talking about an improved team culture following his departure.
Rooting against Hughes becomes easier when you look at the opposition.
While Hughes didn’t want to stay in Vancouver, his old teammate and current Stars defenceman, Tyler Myers, reportedly wanted to retire with the Canucks.
Myers has professed his love for the city, but also did the Canucks a favour by waiving his no-trade clause, allowing his former team to accumulate second and fourth round picks in the process.
The Stars and Wild are the two highest-seeded playoff teams to battle each other in Round One, finishing third and seventh overall respectively in the NHL standings. Only one other playoff matchup features two teams that finished top-10 in the NHL. That’s the Carolina Hurricanes (2nd overall) and the Senators (9th overall).