The Top 15 Canucks Prospects Ranked By NHL Readiness

The hockey side of the internet is already rife with prospect rankings. For fans of the Vancouver Canucks—a franchise that has gathered a fairly impressive stable of young players over the past few seasons—these rankings have no doubt been a fun and rewarding read.

But for those fans who only follow the Canucks themselves, and don’t pay much attention to the developmental side of the organization, these prospect lists can often feel a bit irrelevant. After all, even in a strong prospect pool one can probably count on at least half the names on the list never making it to the big leagues.

With that in mind, I’ve eschewed the traditional system of ranking prospects—something I’m almost certainly unqualified to write about, anyway—in lieu of a list that ranks the Canucks’ top prospects by how close they are to actually seeing NHL action.

As such, these ranking s will be less focused on the overall quality of a prospect, or how good of an NHLer they project to be—instead, they’ll look at how soon a prospect might reasonably be expected to lace up for the Canucks. For those who aren’t an immediate threat to crack the lineup, we’ve also included an estimated date of arrival so that fans can set their hype-metres accordingly.

For the purpose of this ranking, Thatcher Demko, Adam Gaudette, Reid Boucher, and Nikita Tryamkin are not considered prospects.

 

Though he may be papered down to Utica at the start of the season in a roster-shuffling manoeuvre, it’s quite likely that Hughes goes his entire career without playing a game in the AHL. He’s not just penciled in as a Vancouver Canuck next season, he’s penciled in as a blueline savior that can expect a boatload of minutes in all situations.

Estimated Arrival: 2019/20

 

MacEwen has acquitted himself well over the past two seasons, and he seems likely to force his way onto the NHL roster at some point in the near future—whether it be by outright winning a spot in training camp or by being the first forward callup from Utica. The Micheal Ferland signing may have delayed MacEwen’s arrival, but it won’t prevent it.

Estimated Arrival: 2019/20

 

It’s a bit surprising that Brisebois is just 21 years old, given that it feels like he’s been on the periphery of the Canucks for years. Brisebois has already acquitted himself well in brief NHL cameos, and he’s in the running to nail down a pressbox spot in training camp—though few would expect him to ever progress beyond a bottom-pairing defenseman.

Estimated Arrival: 2019/20

 

Sautner has been battling to establish himself as a full-time NHLer for a couple seasons, and at age 25 it’s now or never. Sautner will be in the thick of it with Brisebois, Alex Biega, and Oscar Fantenberg to compete for the last couple spots on the blueline in training camp, and he’ll almost certainly receive a call-up or two if he doesn’t make it—but if Sautner doesn’t make an impression this season he’ll probably be a minor league lifer.

Estimated Arrival: 2019/20

 

For a player who was traded for Erik Karlsson, Perron doesn’t get a lot of hype. The Sharks obviously didn’t have room for him in their development pool, but Perron arrives in Vancouver a little further along his curve than most of the team’s other forward prospects—and is thus in line for an early-season call-up when injuries hit.

Estimated Arrival: 2019/20

 

With his recovery from surgery and the Canucks’ influx of free agent defensemen, Juolevi is almost guaranteed to start the season with Utica—but the Canucks will be looking to call him back up at the earliest convenience. It’s a make-or-break year for Juolevi, and if it doesn’t end with him having spent significant time in the NHL it will have to be considered a disappointment.

Estimated Arrival: 2020/21

 

There are those who have whispered about Hoglander being NHL ready right here and now, and that’s certainly exciting—though not very likely to come to fruition. Still, Hoglander seems like the kind of prospect who is going to challenge for a spot each and every training camp he attends until he breaks through—probably sooner rather than later.

Estimated Arrival: 2020/21

 

Rafferty looked solid in a limited NHL cameo last season, but he’ll struggle to find consistent playing time on a loaded blueline in Utica. He may not see many or any callups in 2019/20, and he’ll need to continue to progress to earn them thereafter—though his right-handedness gives him a distinct advantage.

Estimated Arrival: 2020/21

 

Podkolzin would likely slot in just behind Quinn Hughes on this list if we were purely discussing one’s readiness to perform in the NHL—but, alas, Podkolzin is signed for two additional seasons in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg. As of right now, the expectation is for him to step directly onto the Canucks’ roster when his contract ends.

Estimated Arrival: 2021/22

 

Woo will likely get an extended look in training camp, but after that it’s back to the WHL, since he’s still too young to play in the AHL. The following season, Woo can probably be expected to spend the bulk of his rookie campaign in Utica—though it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if he challenged for an NHL spot immediately upon arrival.

Estimated Arrival: 2021/22

 

Madden flirted with turning pro this offseason, but opted to return for what most assume will be his final season in the NCAA. Look for Madden to receive a late audition with the Canucks in 2019/20, but expect him to get a season or two of AHL action thereafter before making the jump.

Estimated Arrival: 2021/22

 

Teves already looks like a longshot to crack the Canucks’ roster—heck, he might struggle to find a consistent spot in the lineup with Utica this season. It will take at least a couple years of steady progression for Teves to work his way into Vancouver’s long-term plans—and he’s not currently very high on the call-up list.

Estimated Arrival: 2021/22

 

Of all the wing prospects imported to Utica over the past few seasons, Jasek has surprisingly performed the best. He’ll need to take another step forward this season to earn a call-up in the near-future, but Jasek currently has a leg up on teammates like Kole Lind and Jonah Gadjovich.

Estimated Arrival: 2021/22

 

The Canucks chose not to sign Lockwood this offseason and he’ll be returning to the University of Michigan—where he’ll need to stay healthy and take another offensive step forward to lock down an NHL contract. If he’s able to do so, his physical style should put him on the fast-track to time in the big leagues—though he’ll have to battle through a logjam of forwards to get there.

Estimated Arrival: 2022/23

 

It came down to Gadjovich or Kole Lind for the final spot on this ranking, and Gadjovich’s grit and versatility ended up winning the day. Gadjovich has the sort of frame and skillset that would make him a fine fit on the fourth line—a utility that could put him in line for a call-up sooner than his more skilled contemporaries.

Estimated Arrival: 2022/23