Canucks could be sniffing around for the 2nd overall draft pick
Are the Vancouver Canucks preparing to make a big draft day move?
Maybe.
The Canucks interviewed Juraj Slafkovsky, a 6-foot-4 winger from Slovakia, according to Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. Marek, who was in attendance at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, said that Slafkovsky told him the Canucks were one of at least two teams that asked if he could play centre.
It’s interesting that the Canucks are interviewing Slafkovsky, because he’s expected to be picked well ahead of when Vancouver is scheduled to pick at No. 15.
Is Canucks GM Patrik Allvin planning for a big move up the draft order?
This could be a case of the Canucks simply doing their due diligence, but Elliotte Friedman certainly found it noteworthy when his podcasting co-host Marek brought it up.
Slafkovsky is the top-rated European player by NHL Central Scouting, and could be picked as high as No. 2 overall, after the Montreal Canadiens do the expected and pick Shane Wright first overall.
Coache's Video: With his performance at #Beijing2022 a lot of people now have Juraj Slafkovsky #1 at the #NHLdraft after this tournament. What do you think of that?
Let's watch ALL of his goals from the OG. Leave me a comment.#HockeyTwitter #Slovakia šøš° @ahadvising pic.twitter.com/wn7MvHw2Ru
— Mitch Giguere (@Mitch_Giguere) February 19, 2022
The second overall pick is currently held by the New Jersey Devils, who have been rumoured to being open to trading the pick. Unlike Montreal ahead of them, as well as Arizona and Seattle behind them, the Devils already have a lot of recent high draft picks in their system.
New Jersey picked Luke Hughes fourth overall last year, Alexander Holtz seventh overall in 2020, and have a pair of recent first-overall picks in Jack Hughes (2019) and Nico Hischier (2017).
If there’s a team that could be willing to move a high pick for some more immediate help, it might be New Jersey.
And if there’s a team that would be motivated to move up in the draft, it’s the Canucks, who haven’t picked in the first round since 2019. Vancouver prospect cupboards are as bare as can be at the moment, and the new management team has expressed a desire to clear cap space on multiple occasions.
It’s all speculation for now, but would J.T. Miller pique their interest? The Devils have over $25 million in projected cap space according to CapFriendly.com.
Miller alone likely wouldn’t get that trade done, but the Canucks have other pieces they could move as well.
Stay tuned.