Canucks make a trade and pick 7 players on second day of NHL Draft
The Vancouver Canucks first draft under new general manager Ryan Johnson is in the books.
Vancouver entered the draft’s second day with eight total picks, after making two selections in the first round.
However, they ended up making just seven of those picks, after Johnson made his first trade as GM of the Canucks, dealing the first pick of the sixth round (161st overall) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2027 fifth-rounder.
After selecting Caleb Malhotra and Adam Novotny in the first round, here are the seven other players Vancouver added to their organization.
Brooks Rogowski, C
- Selected in the second round, 33rd overall
The Canucks kicked off the third round of the draft by picking one of the largest humans possible.
Brooks Rogowski stands at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds. Although he isn’t overly physical, Rogowski plays with pace and has some offence to his game as well.
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Niklas Aaram-Olsen, RW
- Selected in the second round, 41st overall
With the number of picks the Canucks had in the first and second rounds, it made sense for the club to make a boom or bust type of draft selection.
Niklas Aaram-Olsen fits that description.
The Norwegian winger has been touted for being an explosive skater with a lethal shot, with some scouts noting that he needs to work on his defensive game.
Dmitri Ivchenko, G
- Selected in the third round, 78th overall
In a draft where a dizzying number of goaltenders were selected, the Canucks picked 6-foot-3 Russian netminder Dmitri Ivchenko.
The 17-year-old is a young goalie for this class, being born on June 29, 2008. In Russia’s top junior league, Ivchenko posted an 11-5- 1 record with a .922 save percentage. He was the seventh goalie taken in the 2026 draft.
Yaroslav Bryzgalov, LW
- Selected in the fourth round, 97th overall
The Canucks weren’t able to snag the Ruck twins, but they did draft one of their Medicine Hat Tigers teammates.
Overage prospect Yaroslav Bryzgalov had a breakout season with the Tigers, posting 13 goals and 55 points in 64 games. Scouts note his best attributes are playmaking and physicality, although he needs to work on his skating.
And no, Bryzgalov is not related to retired NHL goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
Connor Davis, RW
- Selected in the fifth round, 129th overall
The Canucks had a trend going in this draft, as they showed a propensity to select bigger-bodied players.
Connor Davis might have been the smallest of the bunch, but scouts note that he plays bigger than he is.
The 6-foot winger has been touted for having an “insane motor.” He also ended his USHL season with 24 points in 13 games.
Lucian Bernat, RW
- Selected in the sixth round, 176th overall
The Canucks snagged another big winger here, with Lucian Bernat standing at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds.
Bernat, who played in Finland’s U20 league last season, hails from Slovakia. One scout had him tabbed as the 87th best prospect in the draft.
The Slovak winger will play for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL next season.
Samuel Eriksson, LD
- Selected in the sixth round, 184th overall
No worries, Canucks fans, Samuel Eriksson has no relation to Loui.
The Canucks used their final draft pick on a 6-foot-5, 212-pound defenceman, who earned a recall from Sweden’s U20 circuit to play an SHL game last season.
Scouts note his subpar skating and high-panic threshold. However, he’s physical and considered a raw prospect.