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3 Defenceman the Vancouver Canucks Should Consider in the Middle of the Draft
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J.D. Burke
May 19, 2016, 13:00 EDTUpdated:
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The Vancouver Canucks appeared ready to take the best defenceman available in the draft if they finished any lower than third overall in the draft lottery. That is, of course, until the draft lottery came to a close with Vancouver selecting fifth. At that point, the discussion shifted almost immediately to Matthew Tkachuk and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
It’s often said, though, that the Canucks glaring area of weakness within their prospect pool is on the blue line. We know at this stage that the best route to acquire these players is through the draft. And with a master scout in tow as General Manager for the Canucks, there is every reason to believe they can find that player outside the first round, too.
I haven’t a crystal ball, nor do I have access to the Canucks draft board. I can’t say with any level of certainty which players they have in mind to develop their prospect pool on the blue line with, but I’ve a few players in mind that might be worth the distinction. 

Sean Day, D, Mississauga (OHL)

Stats:
pGPS n
pGPS s
pGPS %
pGPS P/GP
pGPS R
139
24
17.27%
0.28
0.04
Sean Day is considered by many to be the exception to exceptional status — a dubious distinction if there ever was one. Day was granted exceptional status in advance of the 2013 OHL priority draft and taken fourth overall by the Mississauga Steelheads. John Tavares, Connor McDavid and Aaron Ekblad aren’t just the three previous recipients, but the only three to earn that distinction in advance of Day. Something here is not quite like the rest, though.
Concerns abound in scouting circles about Day’s work ethic, stagnating production, disinterest and poor fitness. If the NHL Draft was held to select 17-year-olds, we’re discussing a top five selection. Luckily for the poor sap that would’ve fallen victim to Day’s tools, it’s not. Day has done everything since to sabotage his stock and withdraw his name from the first-round conversation entirely. In all likelihood Day is a player that falls in between the third and fifth rounds of this year’s draft.
There is no doubt about the physical tools at Day’s disposal, though. Catch him on a good night and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better specimen in the entire defensive class. Day has all the elements necessary to facilitate a clean break out and the physical tools to disrupt the opposition’s forecheck. If he ever finds a way to put it all together, he will be a top pairing defenceman in the NHL for years to come. That reward is well worth the risk of a mid-round selection.

Sebastian Aho, D, AIK (SHL)

Stats:
pGPS n
pGPS s
pGPS %
pGPS P/GP
pGPS R
8
2
25%
0.52
0.13
Sebastian Aho – of the Swedish variety – is entering his third draft. Though why is beyond me. This is a player that’s been playing against men, in the SHL, since his draft campaign, as a 17-year-old. Aho has been relatively productive, too, which makes it all the more astounding.
Perhaps Aho’s size has something to do with teams lament to select him. Aho checks in at about 5’10”, though it’s entirely fair to wonder if that’s a generous listing.
Aho does a great job of overcoming his size, though, using his high-end ability to process the game and excellent skating to get himself out of trouble. Though Aho’s game is built primarily on his ability to drive offence, it should be noted that his SHL club, AIK, uses him on both special teams. Honestly, you could justify a second-round selection on Aho. I wouldn’t be even remotely surprised, though, if Aho was passed in this draft, again.

Victor Mete, D, London Knights (OHL)

Stats:
pGPS n
pGPS s
pGPS %
pGPS P/GP
pGPS R
18
4
22.2%
0.51
0.11
Consider this the richest among these selections. Of the three players I’ve highlighted in this series, I’m least certain of Victor Mete’s availability in the third-round and beyond. Perhaps if he were an inch or two taller even we’re talking about a player that goes in the first-round of the draft. His production is such that it would certainly warrant consideration.
Mete is an offensive defenceman, with great skating and transitional skills. He’s not afraid to carry the puck out of his own zone and make the difficult pass to facilitate his team’s break out. For a more detailed profile, though, here’s Corey Pronman’s take on Mete, from his Top 100 Draft Prospects article for ESPN.
Mete was a favorite of mine this season. On a team full of superstar prospects in London, he found a way to consistently stand out. Mete is one of the best skaters in this draft class. He can explode up the ice and lead a rush as well as anybody in the CHL, and he is quite agile. His puck skills aren’t high-end, but he can make some plays in open ice, and he moves the puck around well. He’s a small defender, but he is actually quite solid defensively and was often relied on by London in key defensive situations. Although he isn’t perfect in that area, mainly due to his size, his skating and quality hockey IQ allow him to make some stops. He’ll need to bulk up a ton, but he has significant pro upside.

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