Vancouver Canucks pick a goalie in the second round of the NHL Draft
The Vancouver Canucks chose to add to their goaltending depth on the second day of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Canucks got things started at the draft on Friday night by taking centreman Braeden Cootes with the 15th overall pick. Despite rumours circulating that they may wind up moving some picks before the draft, that hasn’t been the case, as on day two, they selected goaltender Aleksei Medvedev at 47th overall.
Medvedev was the fourth goalie to be taken at the draft, and appears to boast a ton of potential.
“It’s an indescribable feeling, just really really excited,” Medvedev told reporters, before describing his style of play.
“I’m just a structured goalie, I use my athleticism well.
“I’m a winner, too.”
The 6-foot-2 Russian netminder spent the 2024-25 season with the London Knights as a rookie in the OHL. He appeared in 34 games, posting a respectable 2.79 goals-against average along with a .912 save percentage, and an even better 22-8-2 record. He split the net this past season with Austin Elliott, but is set to take over the starting role with Elliott having aged out.
The Canucks brass was clearly very high on Medvedev. Not only is he the first goalie they’ve drafted since 2022, but he joins a long depth chart in Vancouver. The organization has seven other goalies in the fold in Nikita Tolopilo, Aku Koskenvuo, Ty Young, Jiri Patera, Arturs Silovs, and of course Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko.
The Canucks extended Lankinen part way through the 2024-25 season, and are believed to be closing in on an extension with Demko. That could result in them trading Silovs, whose value has been built up thanks to his role in leading the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup win.
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