The NHL Draft has come and gone, and despite having no high picks, the Vancouver Canucks managed to add a list of intriguing upside swings to their depth chart.
Are they guaranteed NHL stars? Absolutely not. But skilled players with the potential to rise among the club’s prospect rankings? Without a doubt.
So, why not run a mid-summer rankings update?
Typically, we like to stick to U23 skaters, but we’ve decided to broaden the criteria this time. In this ranking, we will be evaluating the Vancouver Canucks’ top 20 prospects.
Let’s go over some rules.
The first rule is that a prospect must be under the age of 25, which eliminates names like Akito Hirose. They must have also played fewer than 25 NHL games, which makes Vasily Podkolzin (137 games) ineligible from the list.
Aside from that, our ranking criteria will be quite obvious.
First and foremost is upside: Where do we think their top potential could be?
Will these players realize that upside? Who knows. We understand that not every player will hit on their said upside, but in a perfect world, that’s what they could become. For better or for worse, it’s important to remember that the path a prospect takes in their development is rarely linear. Some higher pedigree kids never pan out, while some develop late and carve out respected careers. You simply never know.
Age will play a major factor. Riley Patterson, a freshly drafted 18-year-old, will have a much longer developmental path and as a result, a greater chance of hitting that upside than 23-year-old Max Sasson.
We also consider the depth chart. Kirill Kudryavtsev is a skilled defender but faces competition from many other left-shot defenders in the system. So, where does he fall in the pecking order? Having higher touted names in front of him directly affects his spot in the depth chart, which ultimately weighs his spot down in our ranking system.
Finally, location plays a small part in our thought process. For younger prospects, it’s not as concerning, but as they hit that 20-year mark and still have no plans to cross the pond, it reflects poorly on their future upside within the system.
With the rules in place, let’s dive right in and start with the list of our Honourable Mentions.

Honorable Mentions

Lucas Forsell
Team: Färjestad BK | Age: 20 | Position: Right Wing | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 161 lbs | Shoots: Right

You may be shocked to see Lucas Forsell in our Honorable Mentions list. It wasn’t easy. We really love what the Swede brings to the table – speed, hard-nosed tenacity, and a solid shot. As a soon-to-be 21-year-old seventh-round pick, however, the clock is ticking for him to take that next step in his career.
He averaged just 9:24 of ice time last year, contributed just seven points in 46 games, and continues to be stuck on a fairly high-powered Färjestad team. He also just signed an extension that would keep him in his home country until 2026-27, if not broken to cross the pond.
Realistically, we’re hoping for a middle-six energy NHL player down the road. If you combine that with the fact that he’s still overseas, the timeline results in him dropping on our list this summer.

Tristen Nielsen
Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Age: 24 | Position: Left Wing/Centre | Height: 5’10 | Weight: 192 lbs | Shoots: Left

Don’t get it twisted, we love Tristen Nielsen’s game. He’s a true bulldog on and off the puck and has tremendously soft hands. Unfortunately, he’s now 24 and with just 87 points across three seasons to show, we’ve likely seen his ceiling: a serviceable AHL player who can provide some offensive substance.
We could see him enjoying a cup of coffee in Vancouver as a call-up option. Heck, we were even calling for it at times last year. But at the end of the day, there’s a good chance that he’s simply a depth piece and a leader in Abbotsford.

Jackson Dorrington
Team: Northeastern University | Age: 20 | Position: Defence | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 192 lbs | Shoots: Left

Jackson Dorrington is a defensive defenceman through and through. He added some offence to his game with six goals and six assists last season, but it’s still not enough to warrant a spot in our top 20 — at least not yet.
Although, he does pull off some pretty moves from time to time.
At his best, he’s a big-bodied shutdown defender who is strong on the penalty kill and makes life tough for attackers. His upcoming junior year will be a telling season for the direction of his development. Who knows, perhaps he will claw his way into our top 20 and turn pro by season’s end. There are just too many names on the left-side depth chart to warrant a spot within the top 20 today.

Daimon Gardner
Team: St. Cloud State University | Age: 20 | Position: Centre | Height: 6’4 | Weight: 201 lbs | Shoots: Left

Daimon Gardner is in a similar situation as Dorrington. We like the profile, but just haven’t seen enough yet to warrant top-20 excitement. With just one goal and six points in his freshman year, we were left wanting more.
He drives the net, has a good motor off the puck and has a strong release. With a transfer to St. Cloud State, we hope to see more of that power game from this 6’4, 201 lbs pivot.

Parker Alcos
Team: Edmonton Oil Kings | Age: 17 | Position: Defence | Height: 6’3 | Weight: 181 lbs | Shoots: Right

Admittedly, we thought long and hard about having Parker Alcos in our top 20. The 6’3, mobile right-shot profile offers tons of intrigue; it’s just too early to make that call.
Having just completed his rookie season as a 17-year-old in Edmonton (Oil Kings), we expect big things from him in his second year and won’t be shocked to see him slide into our top 20 rather quickly. His game is still raw and with little experience under his belt, we would like to see how his game develops over the year.

Linus Karlsson
Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Age: 24 | Position: Right Wing/Centre | Height: 6’1 | Weight: 179 lbs | Shoots: Right

We mentioned that age plays a role in our rankings, and with Linus Karlsson turning 25 in November, that curve took its toll on our list. To top that off, we’ve now seen him at the NHL level and have a decent gauge of where he likely stands. We love his board work and willingness to pay the price around the net. However, the feet likely aren’t good enough to carve out anything more than a bottom-six grinder role.
With a one-year “show me” deal in hand, we’ll see if he can prove us wrong and find a permanent role in Vancouver. More likely, however, he’s a top-six AHLer with capabilities to jump up, if needed.
That completes our Honourable Mentions list. Stay tuned as we delve into dedicated articles on each of our top 20 Canucks prospects, counting down from number 20 to number 1.
Sponsored by bet365