Canucks Army Monday Mailbag: May 1st

I don’t know for certain where that quote is from, but it sort of sounds like something I would say. Which is to say that I’m totally on board with the Vancouver Canucks moving down from their fifth overall selection to accrue more picks in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft.

How far back would I go? Honestly, I’d feel comfortable dropping as far as tenth. I get the sense that even after the Owen Sound Attack’s wild playoff run (which finished as I write this) and Nick Suzuki’s significant role in driving that success, he’s not seen as a top ten pick in this year’s draft. In my estimation, Suzuki is somewhere in the six-to-eight range. If the Canucks can add a third round draft pick to move back a few spots and select Suzuki (or a player of similar quality) that’s worth making a move.

I don’t know if I’d word it as “better off”, but I think there’s certainly a case for the Canucks drafting Timothy Liljegren or Miro Heiskanen at fifth overall, regardless of whether the centres they covet are there or not. That said, I think Cody Glass is still the right play if he’s there.

I’m bullish on Glass as the third best prospect in this year’s draft class. He’s the complete package. In fact, third is right where he sits on my most recent draft rankings. If the Canucks can find a way to get Glass at five, they have to pull the trigger. Glass is a 6’2 centre who can skate, play at both ends of the ice and is lauded for his high-end vision and anticipation.

Do I think the Canucks have the pieces to move up to first overall? Probably. I would caution against that move, though. This isn’t the draft to pay a king’s ransom to secure a top pick in. If anything, the Canucks would be wise to move back in the first round and pick up additional assets for later rounds.

As for next year, I tend to think the Canucks will find themselves at the top of the lottery. It’s safe to wonder if they’ll even need to trade up for the first or second overall pick.

I hope I’m interpreting Aaron correctly here, but I think what he’s striking at is that if the trade market pushes the Canucks with substantial offers for Chris Tanev, how far will they have to go to move Vancouver from their conviction about moving the stay-at-home defenceman.

With this current iteration of the Canucks front office, one of their greatest strengths and flaws is that they’re decisive. If they want a player, they’re going to do everything in their power to get that player. By that same token, if they have it in their minds that they need to keep a certain player, the same logic applies.

This is to say that I think we can take the Canucks at their word when various media outlets indicate their unwillingness to part with Tanev. So I have a hard time picturing what it takes to shake the Canucks from that stance. Tanev is a premier shutdown defenceman and a right-shot at that, so they shouldn’t settle for anything short of a blue chip prospect, a first-round pick and maybe someone who can play in a depth role for the Canucks immediately.

As an aside, I think Tanev for Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Callahan makes such an obscene amount of sense for everyone involved. That’s the trade the Canucks should pursue this offseason.

I don’t mean to be pedantic, but multiple players in each round can make plays at top speed. I’m going to assume you’re talking about the high end of this draft for the purpose of this question though. With that, I think Glass, Suzuki, Liljegren, Heiskanen, Nolan Patrick, Cale Makar, Kailer Yamamoto, Owen Tippet and Casey Mittelstadt are high-end players who make great plays at top speed regularly. I’m sure I’m leaving some players out, too.

This is just a complete guess, but I could see the Lightning wanting to jump into the top five if Heiskanen or Liljegren are available. Tampa Bay has an embarrassment of riches in their prospect pool, but if there’s one area that’s lacking, it’s probably their blue line. Their window isn’t going to be open forever. Perhaps if they see a defenceman that can contribute to the Lightning not this year but the one after, they consider it worth the bounty to snag that player.

I don’t know if I agree with your assessment of Gabriel Vilardi as someone who isn’t a playmaker. I think that’s definitely an element of his game and a strong one at that. There aren’t many players in this class with better hockey smarts and vision that Vilardi.

If there’s one question about Vilardi, it’s whether he’s going to play centre at the NHL level or not. That, and if his skating can improve enough to take his game to the next level. Would I be upset with the Canucks taking Vilardi at five? Not in the slightest. Can I see it happening? I’m doubtful of it.

I’d rather the former of those two options. The thing is, the Canucks can always trade some of the players and assets they already have eventually. This rebuild is a long-term play. When you have a chance at a player of Patrick or Hischier’s calibre, you take it every time.

I can definitely see one of the top four teams in the draft taking a defenceman. In fact, I’ll be surprised if the Dallas Stars don’t take a defenceman. I’m less confident Patrick gets passed over, but anything can happen.

The Canucks aren’t cursed. The fifth overall selection was the second-most likely scenario for the Canucks. This isn’t voodoo and the league isn’t out to get them. And yes, waiving the towel was a good idea. They tried to compete and still finished 29th in the league. It’s not like there’s an alternative here. And no, I can’t foresee a scenario where Patrick falls to fifth.

I would consider those the likely scenarios, assuming two of the three you’ve listed are available to Vancouver with the fifth pick and their second first rounder, assuming they get one.

Coaches: Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville, Bill Peters, Peter Laviolette and Bruce Boudreau. Honourable mention: Alain Vigneault, Darryl Sutter, Peter DeBoer

General Managers: Lou Lamoriello, Ron Hextall, Jim Rutherford, Steve Yzerman and Doug Wilson

Honourable mention: Ron Francis, Bob Murray.

Sorry, but I’m just not equipped to answer this particular question. There are far too many factors at work here for me to make even a worthwhile guess.

I suppose Mittelstadt being the best player to come from this draft is possible. I don’t fancy it as likely.

Cody Glass.

Every one of the offensive players you’ve listed has the potential to be a first-line player in the NHL in some capacity. So, too, do the blue liners you’ve listed have potential to develop into top pair defencemen.

There might be a player in the fifth or sixth round of this year’s draft that could be the best player when we look back on this class ten years or more from now. Which is to say that it’s possible the Canucks could draft a player at five that turns out better than the player taken at one. I don’t think it’s likely, though.

This is a tough one, but I’m thinking Denmark.

Okay, in all seriousness, I can’t wrap my mind around the notion that Saturday’s draft lottery changes anything. If your perspective on the Canucks post-trade deadline plan changed, I just don’t even know how to reconcile that. It makes absolutely zero sense. The probability didn’t change. And the Canucks still benefited from their 29th place finish! One more point and they would be picking seventh overall.

Everything the Canucks do at this stage should be focused on building an optimized roster and salary situation for four-to-five seasons from now. If that means waiting out Mittelstadt, then they absolutely should.

The only thing I would be leery about is that once Mittelstadt finishes his senior year of college, he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Let’s just hold the draft on Ellis Island from now on and let the fine people there figure out what to name these guys.

Depends on what rankings you’re looking at. That said, if they go with Liljegren, at the rate he’s dropping, it will be considered something of an off the board pick depending on who you’re talking to.

Jackson.

Nope. Other teams can make trades. In fact, the Carolina Hurricanes just acquired Scott Darling from the Chicago Blackhawks last week.