We continue our 2026 mid-season Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings with one of the organization’s more straightforward projections. If you’re looking for a high-motor winger whose value comes from pace, work ethic, and competitiveness rather than from pure offence, this may be your guy.

Be sure to check out our Honourable Mentions installment if you’re looking for a refresher on our ranking criteria.

Gabriel Chiarot plays the game like a prototypical third-line grinder.

The offensive profile is modest and unlikely to be highly projectable as a high-pedigree producer. What is translatable, however, is the way he plays and the attitude he brings toward the game. Chiarot brings an honest, abrasive style that keeps him involved even when the puck isn’t finding him. It’s the type of game that can influence the game in many more ways than his numbers may suggest.

After showing encouraging early-season production with the Brampton Steelheads, a trade-deadline move to the Kitchener Rangers has hindered his overall point totals. Even with the dip, Chiarot remains on pace to set new career highs, sitting at 30 points through 47 games in his third OHL season.

It’s not as if he doesn’t bring tangible skills that could carry to the next level. He skates well, carries decent straight-line speed, and possesses a heavy release that can beat goaltenders clean when he finds space. Even better, the majority of his offence comes from high-danger areas. Just by a quick glance at his shot map, it’s clear where he’s getting the majority of his chances from, and they aren’t from the perimeter.

And clearly, the Vancouver Canucks’ brass saw something in him early.

Although a later-round pick, Chiarot earned himself an entry-level contract coming out of his first NHL training camp. That’s not something that happens by accident. It speaks directly to the traits that are difficult to teach: competitiveness and a willingness to play through contact. A cousin of NHL veteran Ben Chiarot, Gabe’s game is built on work ethic and a confrontational style of play. If there’s a puck battle to be won, he’s usually involved. Along the boards, in the corners, or at the net front, he consistently puts his body in uncomfortable areas to make something happen.

It’s often the case that lower-skilled prospects have to find inventive ways to remain relevant as they move into the professional ranks. Sometimes, you just need a little sandpaper, and it’s profiles like Chiarots which make it easier to place long-term bets. Late-bloomer players such as Kiefer Sherwood come to mind.

But obviously, we are talking about a fifth-round pick, and the production question remains unavoidable. Chiarot is now more than 160 games into his OHL career and sits under half a point per game. While he’s likely to reach new highs this season, you want to see a bit more output from a player who has been trusted with top-six minutes and leadership responsibility already in his third campaign in major junior.

But what keeps him firmly inside our rankings is the reliability of his “B game.” Even on nights when the offence isn’t there, Chiarot finds ways to contribute through energy, physicality, penalty killing and pressure. That kind of player often survives roster churn because coaches know exactly what they’re getting.

Ceiling: Chiarot’s ceiling is an NHL third-line energy winger who can contribute on the penalty kill and provide physicality and secondary scoring.

Floor: A dependable AHL role player who brings leadership, effort, and matchup utility.

ETA: Having him sign this early in his Canucks tenure is interesting. Although he has one more year of OHL eligibility, we wonder whether that will prompt them to fast-track his progression and see what he has at the American League level sooner rather than later. The NCAA route is no longer an option, so it’s OHL or AHL. Given that he will be 20 by December 31st, the option to play in Abbotsford is there. Either way, we don’t expect him to be a factor in Vancouver Canucks conversations until the 2027-28 season (at minimum), regardless.

That’s our #12 spot. Stay tuned for another installment tomorrow right here at CanucksArmy.