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Canucks Army Monday Mailbag: May 2nd
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J.D. Burke
May 2, 2016, 17:00 EDTUpdated:
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How does this season keep getting worse? It’s been over for almost a month now and the hits keep on coming. The most recent, of course, being the Canucks double-loss out of the top three at the NHL Draft Lottery.
It’s not like they can’t find a franchise type player outside the top three. In fact, it’s totally possible. Getting that player into the Canucks lineup as a bona fide NHL player, though, will take much longer. That’s the part that really sucks, I guess. Oh, and the uncertainty bit. There’s a lot more of that outside the top three.
Well, on the bright side there’s way more discretion outside the top three. It makes the guessing part of the draft all the more relevant. You’ve all reflected as much in your questions for the Monday Mailbag and I’ll do my best to answer them in kind on the other side of the jump.
The Canucks drafting a defender at 5-6 is far from a certainty. Jason Botchford confirmed as much in his article posted in the aftermath of the lottery.
Vancouver’s desire for a defenceman has been overstated. The Canucks understand they need a big No. 1 centre, and a succession plan for Henrik Sedin, more than anything.
It was a point Benning drove home earlier this week in an interview with Ben Kuzma when he said this: “If we think a player is going to be a No. 1 line player — over a first-pairing defenceman — then we’ll take the forward.”
As for whether the Canucks should trade down… I think they absolutely should try to. The difference in quality among the top four defenders is entirely up to discretion. Some might argue the top five, even. If the Canucks can land a couple extra picks for their troubles, trading down is absolutely the best move.
Olli Juolevi at fifth overall isn’t a reach. It’s not off the board. It’s not even a bad pick. It’s a totally defensible move. Nowhere near the direction I would go in with that pick, but I could absolutely understand where the Canucks would be coming from if they did.
I don’t necessarily have much in the way of qualitative knocks. He’s got good speed, size, positioning and high-end hockey IQ. One thing I might point out, though, is that he doesn’t play the power forward game he’s been billed with. Not in my estimation.
I’ve often brought up his Quality of Teammates as somewhat of a knock on his lofty point totals, but one might point out that it’s actually an indictment of his ability that he’s playing alongside the two best forwards in the CHL and keeping pace.
I would say that, of the two, it’s more likely that the Canucks take Logan Brown fifth overall. In fact, Craig Button had the Canucks taking him fifth overall in his mock draft immediately after the lottery. I don’t think it’s very likely that the Canucks take Brown, but I wouldn’t rule it out entirely.
  1. Dubois
  2. Sergachyov
  3. Nylander
  4. Tkachuk
  5. Juolevi
  6. Chychrun
Easy. Take Dubois. Don’t look back.
If Tyler Benson, Vitali Abramov and Samuel Girard are available 33rd overall, many teams have made many terrible mistakes. Of the three, I’m particular to Abramov. Though I’m a huge fan of Benson and Girard, too. Hell, why can’t we have all three?
I’m glad you brought up Sean Day. Huge fan of his, but I’m not pulling the trigger on using a second or first-round selection on him. A tonne of risk associated with Day. I’d be very fond of the Canucks taking a late round flyer on Day though.
I’m all aboard the trade down wagon. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that Mikhail Sergachyov, Dante Fabbro or Jakob Chychrun are available, in some combination, between 10-15. I’m not sure they can get two firsts for their troubles, but I’ve seen crazier things happen at the draft.
Very.

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