Vancouver Canucks are saying goodbye to former second-round draft pick
On a day when the Vancouver Canucks are slated to add eight new prospects to their pipeline, one of their former top draft picks will reportedly test free agency.
Back in 2021, the Canucks selected Belarusian winger Danila Klimovich at 41st overall. The 6-foot-2 winger was noted for having high-end physical tools and a good shot, although his work rate and hockey IQ were called into question.
Klimovich was the first draft pick for the Canucks in 2021, after they traded away the ninth overall selection in the ill-fated Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland trade with the Arizona Coyotes. Arizona went on to select Dylan Guenther with that pick, who’s morphed into one of the most lethal young snipers in the NHL.
Kamloops, BC native Logan Stankoven was also taken six spots after Klimovich at 47th overall.
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported on Saturday that Klimovich’s agent, Dan Milstein, says the Klimovich will test free agency.
Danila Klimovich’s agent Dan Milstein tells me reports of Klimovich heading to the KHL are false.
“KHL is not being considered at this time.” #Canucks
— David Quadrelli (@QuadrelliD) May 14, 2026
The report comes as a bit of a surprise, considering that the 23-year-old is currently a restricted free agent. However, if the Canucks choose not to qualify him, he would become an unrestricted free agent.
Klimovich surprisingly went straight to the AHL as an 18-year-old, and he’s spent the last five seasons in Abbotsford. The Pinsk, Belarus native is tied for the franchise lead in goals with 70 alongside Linus Karlsson, although Karlsson hit that same total in 117 fewer games.
His production dipped following a 2024-25 campaign in which he scored 25 goals in 68 games, leading the Abbotsford Canucks. However, his role was marginalized in the playoffs, and he ended up with just four goals and no assists in 16 games.
Earlier in the offseason, a report suggested that Klimovich was headed to the KHL. Milstein quickly shot down that report.
Klimovich’s impending departure spells a pretty dreadful end to Benning’s draft era. With the young Belarusian leaving British Columbia, the Canucks will have no players from the 2020 or 2021 draft to play NHL games.