Canucks sign 2023 third-round draft pick Sawyer Mynio to entry-level contract

After a strong showing at the Young Stars Classic as well as fitting in nicely at Canucks training camp, 2023 third-round pick Sawyer Mynio has earned himself a three-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

The 18-year-old left-shot defenceman has played two seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds, tallying up 11 points in his rookie season and 31 points in his second year with the Thunderbirds.

“Sawyer has gained some valuable experience since we drafted him, taking part in our summer development camp, Penticton Young Stars Tournament and our Training Camp in Victoria.” said GM Patrik Allvin. “We have liked the way he has looked on the ice and our staff is looking forward to helping him improve his game and skillset in the years to come.”

Mynio is a defensive-minded defenceman who contributes on the penalty kill and should see an increased role with the Thunderbirds this season as the WHL champions of 2022-23 will be losing a few of their top defencemen as they graduate to pro hockey.

He skates with average pace but showed some good hands at development camp and at Young Stars.

Mynio will be back with the Thunderbirds this season, and that means that his contract will slide to next season and likely to the 2025-26 season as we don’t see him coming out of the WHL at the end of this year.

Though Mynio may not have the flash and dash that other defencemen have, he is solid defensively and NHL organizations are always looking to find value prospects later in the draft. The Canucks are hoping that Mynio can be that value add as he only cost them a third-round pick.

It wouldn’t surprise us to see Mynio get a preseason game or two with the Canucks, as they will likely play their young players more often in the early preseason games on the road.

Mynio will be a player who is talked about in our weekly Blackfish prospects article. We hope to see his offence rise in his draft plus one season as he made a nice jump from 11 points to 31 points from year one to year two in the WHL.

If you’re a BC resident and want to see Mynio play, the Thunderbirds will be in Victoria to play the Royals on November 10th, in Kelowna to play the Rockets on November 25th, and in Vancouver to play the Giants on December 17th.

Check in every Tuesday to get an update on Mynio in our Blackfish report.