Welcome back to the Blackfish Prospect report.
I know. You’ve probably been wondering where we went.
With the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect pool officially into the early stages of the offseason and with little news to report, we have trimmed down our installments ever so slightly. As a result, we will not be running a weekly report for a short period of time.
Fret not, however, as the NHL Entry Draft and prospect development camp are right around the corner, and we will be right back to our regular scheduled programming before you know it.
While 99% of the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect depth has been diving into off-season routines, one member has been taking part in meaningful games — and making quite an imprint.
Josh Bloom, who returned to the Saginaw Spirit mid-season, embarked on his Memorial Cup journey with remarkable success. Skating on the team’s top line, Bloom finished with the third-highest point total, netting two goals and six points across five games.
Notably, one of those goals was the game-winner that clinched the Spirit’s first Memorial Cup trophy in franchise history.
According to the Canadian Hockey League, Bloom finished fourth among all skaters in scoring chances per game, with 2.4 per game.
Bloom’s journey to this achievement has been eventful. After starting the season in Abbotsford, he struggled to maintain his spot in the lineup, eventually returning to junior hockey. His hard work and perseverance paid off with a momentous goal and a standout performance in the Memorial Cup.
How can you not see this and smile?
Bloom, 20, has officially aged out of Junior and will embark on his second go-around at the pro level with the Abbotsford Canucks next season.
With AHL games under his belt, he now has a sense of what to work on this off-season, and he can take that experience and hopefully fulfill a permanent role in the club’s forward rotation.
Bloom joined the crew at Canucks Conversation last week to chat about his junior experience and his expectations for next season.
Don’t be deterred by his lack of minutes from last season. The AHL is no easy feat for a 20-year-old, and with a motor that won’t quit and some offensive skill to boot, there could still be a solid depth piece in him.

NHL Mock Draft

Don’t worry, folks. We have some draft articles hitting the press shortly to look at some targets late in the draft.
Before that, however, we thought we’d run a quick mock draft to give you a glimpse at what things could look like come day two in Vegas.
As it stands today, the Canucks’ hold just five picks, none of which come in the first or second rounds. Of course, the hope is that the club is willing and able to move assets with the aim of securing additional picks.
Given what is there, however, we made do.
For this mock, we used the FC Hockey website and drafted solely for the Vancouver Canucks organization.
You may notice a common theme throughout this draft and that’s a priority in these three areas: centres, right-shot defenders and essentially any player who shoots right.
While it’s nowhere near good enough, the Canucks have bolstered their depth charts ever-so-slightly in recent years.
With that said, the depth down the middle has become increasingly slim, and while “best player available” is typically the method of choice, a priority has to be given to those who play up the middle.
Additionally, those who can do so and shoot right are an added bonus. The only right-shot forward among Canuck prospects in Abbotsford last season was Danila Klimovich, who hardly saw the light of the arena on game day. Simply put, that has to change.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the picks.
Round three, pick 93 – Ben Danford
Team: Oshawa Generals, OHL
Position: Defence
Shoots: Right
Height/weight: 6’0, 176 lbs
In a word, safe.
We kick off our draft with solid, and safe value late in the third round to bring in a sturdy, 6-foot right-shot defender.
Realistically, there is a good chance that his offence won’t translate into anything incredible at the NHL level, but the floor is what puts you at ease with this pick.
He’s described as a smart, active and steady two-way defender with a knack for making the right play at the right time. While he typically elects for the safe and defensive play first, he’s always willing to activate from the point and makes excellent reads with and without the puck to produce effective passing plays.
Considered a good skater, he shuts down opponents using both solid gap control and body contact.
Playing as an alternate captain in just his second OHL season, Danford finished third among team defensive scoring with a goal and 32 assists. Additionally, he finished second among defenders with a plus-27 on the year.
Don’t let his somewhat pedestrian numbers sway you, though. He had been playing on his offhand for much of the season, which always comes with some give-and-take in the points department. The ability to play on both sides is an added bonus, to boot.
Some scouts suggest that he projects as a second-pairing shutdown defender.
Round four, pick 125 – Sam O’Reilly
Team: London Knights, OHL
Position: Centre
Shoots: Right
Height/weight: 6’1, 180 lbs
There’s a pretty good chance that Sam O’Reilly being available this late is nothing short of a pipe dream. But if he somehow falls, this pick is a no-brainer selection at pick #125.
O’Reilly finished third in OHL rookie scoring this season, posting 20 goals and 56 points in 68 games. He also led the rookie circuit in plus/minus, sporting a solid plus-32 on the year.
Granted, playing on an OHL Championship team like the London Knights plays an obvious role in inflating those stats, but with a non-stop motor and projectable offensive skills, there’s a good chance he’d post well regardless.
The offensive flash is an added bonus to his future upside, but his defensive focus and constant energy are what truly separates him from the pack.
At the very least, you can expect a solid middle-six pivot as his future upside, with the possibility of more.
Round six, pick 162 – Petr Sikora
Team: HC Oceláři Třinec, Czechia
Position: Centre
Shoots: Left
Height/weight: 6’0, 174 lbs
We are officially in the sixth round, and now have two picks to work with. It’s upside time, folks.
Petr Sikora stands out as one of Czechia’s premier prospects in this year’s crop.
This season, he divided his time between HC Oceláři Třinec in the Extraliga and their U20 team. Despite a limited role with the main squad, he managed to secure three points across 22 games while often playing as a second-line center – all at the ripe age of 18.
In the U20 league among his peers, however, he was dominant, racking up 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in just 30 games.
What stands out immediately with Sikora is his nasty release. It’s quick, it’s heavy, and it feels like his most projectable asset.
In addition, he’s known for his two-way play and relentless drive. He brings a solid dose of snarl and plays a two-way game, while his tenacity and deadly release make him a worthy gamble.
There is work to be done in nearly every area, with the exception of his high-calibre shot, but this pick feels very boom-or-bust-worthy in the late stages of the draft.
Round six, pick 189 – Fyodor Avramov
Team: Kapitan Stupino, MHL (Russia)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/weight: 6’3, 190 lbs
He looks awkward at times, but Fyodor Avramov feels like the perfect project selection.
Most pundits have him going much earlier than the sixth round, but his projections are a complete shot in the dark.
If developed properly, there is undeniable NHL middle-six upside. On the flip side, it feels just as probable that he withers away in the Russian circuit, never to touch a North American ice surface.
Once again, we are swinging for the upside here.
Playing for one of the weakest teams in the MHL, he racked up 23 goals and 44 points in 49 games to lead his team in scoring by a 15-point margin.
Using his 6-foot-3 frame effectively, he consistently wins puck battles and hounds puck carriers at all times. He combines that with an incredible release — one of the best among Euro skaters, perhaps — which he can let off on a dime to catch goalies off guard.
His skating needs to improve, but his motor does a good job of countering that flaw. If he can add an improved skating stride to his repertoire, we could be looking at incredible value as a sleeper pick this late in the draft.
Round seven, pick 221 – Aidan Park
Team: Green Bay Gamblers, USHL
Position: Centre
Shoots: Right
Height/weight: 6’0, 185 lbs
With five picks remaining in the draft, the Canucks continue to find value. This organization has been good in the later half of the draft, and Aidan Park feels like another pick that could end up being quite popular among the fan base.
Park finished third in the US Prep School circuit with a 93-point (30 goals, 63 assists) effort with Shattuck St. Mary’s in 2023-24. He capped the season off in the USHL, where he scored a huge series-clinching goal to send the Green Bay Gamblers (drafted rights) to the second round of the playoffs.
Park exemplifies relentless effort on and off the puck. His retrieval work and forechecking jump out immediately, and he rounds it out with crafty hands and a strong release.
Defensively, his high-end motor leads to effective backchecks and perimeter battles. Scouts project his game to tailor toward a serviceable bottom-six center in the NHL.
He’ll play one last season in the USHL, which will be followed by a commitment to the University of Michigan for the 2025-26 season.
And with that, we have our list. Here is the full breakdown:
Overall, this feels like a decent draft, considering the available picks.
One could argue that we took a few gambles on ‘upside’, but given where we selected each in the deeper end of the draft, the value was hard to pass up. We countered that with safe and projectable picks at the top half of the draft, anyway.
The Canucks’ depth chart needs an offensive boost and many of these names have the potential to provide that, all the while carrying safe and projectable physical traits.
Anything can happen on draft day, which makes the third round and above the wild wild west.
Look out for more articles in the near future, where we will take a deeper dive for each round that the Canucks hold drat picks.
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