SportsHockey

Canucks select 5 players on Day 2 of 2016 NHL Draft

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
|
Jun 25 2016, 11:39 pm
Canucks select 5 players on Day 2 of 2016 NHL Draft

A day after adding defenceman Olli Juolevi to their prospect pool, the Vancouver Canucks were at it again on Saturday, selecting five more players on Day 2 of the NHL Draft.

No, they didn’t select Ty Ronning from the Vancouver Giants. He slipped all the way until the 11th-last pick in the draft before being selected by the New York Rangers.

See also

So who did they pick? Let’s take a look.

RW William Lockwood (3rd round, 164th overall)

After trading their second round pick in the Erik Gudbranson deal, the Vancouver Canucks had to wait until the 164th pick to make their second selection in Buffalo. They used that pick to select speedy right winger William Lockwood from the US National U18 Team.

Lockwood, a 5’11”, 172-pound winger Royal Oak, Michigan is a player that Canucks scouts compare to Jannik Hansen. The 18-year-old scored 33 points (13-20-33) in 60 games for USA-18 in the NTDP. He also played for Team USA in the USHL, scoring 6 points (3-3-6) in 20 games.

D Cole Candella (5th round, 140th overall)

With no picks in the 4th round, the Canucks had another long wait before selecting defenceman Cole Candella. The 6’1″ d-man played just 37 games this season after suffering a fractured wrist.

Candella, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, was sixth in points per game among draft eligible defencemen in the OHL. 

LW Jakob Stukel (6th round, 154th overall)

The Canucks chose a local kid, and a former member of the Vancouver Giants with their sixth round pick. Jakob Stukel is 6’0”, 185-pound left winger from Surrey, BC.

Stukel was dealt from the Vancouver Giants to the Calgary Hitmen early in the season, and found his form immediately after that. He scored 56 points (32-22-56) in 57 games with Calgary after the trade.

C Rodrigo Ablos (7th round, 184th overall)

With their first pick in the 7th round, the Canucks chose a overage player from Riga, Latvia. Vancouver will hope that Abols, 20, is a player that slipped through the cracks. He’s older than most of the other players drafted, but has only played one season in the WHL, after spending time in the KHL in 2014-15.

A big, 6’5″, 188-pound centre, Abols scored 49 points (20-29-49) in 62 games with Portland last season. He also represented Latvia at the 2013 World Junior Championships and at the 2015 World Championships.

C Brett McKenzie (7th round, 194th overall)


With fans on Twitter screaming for Ty Ronning, the Canucks instead chose 19-year-old Brett McKenzie of the North Bay Battalion of the OHL.

McKenzie is a 6’2″, 190-pound centre from Ottawa who put up 53 points (26-27-53) and 43 penalty minutes in 66 games.

Rob WilliamsRob Williams
+ Offside
+ Hockey

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIVE

Get the latest news sent to your inbox and stay in the loop