Welcome back to CanucksArmy’s top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings. Today, we take a closer look at Anthony Romani, a recent sixth-round draft pick who has shown tremendous potential despite his incredibly late draft position.

We know what you’re thinking: Anthony Romani is a sixth-round draft pick, and a double entry at that. How could he be this high in your prospect rankings?

We caution not to let the “double draft entry” angle diminish the accomplishments we will highlight today. Born on July 12th, he was not far removed from having the 2024 draft as his primary year of eligibility, and he did spend his entire 2023-24 season as an 18-year-old like most of his 2024 Draft-eligible peers. Pound for pound, there aren’t many bouncebacks bigger than the one Romani just experienced.

Stuck in the lower half of the North Bay Battalion’s lineup in 2022-23, he posted just 23 goals and 43 points in 68 games. Those pedestrian totals were part of the reason he was left off the draft podium in his original year of eligibility.

Fast-forward to 2023-24, and the Pickering product went ballistic. It took him just 27 games to match those previous point totals, and with 58 goals and 111 points by season’s end, he would nearly triple them.

“After going undrafted last year, I kind of have that chip on my shoulder and I wanted to prove to teams what I am and what I’m capable of doing, so I think I always kind of had that confidence in myself and I think it was just more proving to the teams what I’m capable of doing,” Romani told Postmedia in a recent development camp interview.

He happened to pot his 50th goal and 100th point simultaneously in mid-March, becoming the third member of the Battalion to reach 50 goals in franchise history, joining Michael Amadio (50 in 2015-16) and Justin Brazeau (61 in 2018-19). He was also the first player to eclipse the 55-goal plateau in the OHL since Brazeau — and Tye Felhaber (59) — did so during the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition to being the OHL’s leading goalscorer, the newest Canucks’ recruit picked up an incredible list of accolades. Throughout the season, he earned the OHL’s Player of the Week Award on two occasions. Additionally, he picked up several “Coaches Poll” Awards, including the Eastern Conference’s Smartest Player (22 votes), Most Dangerous in Goal Area (26 votes), and tied for second with 15 votes for the conference’s Best Shot. He capped it off by being named to the CHL Second All-Star Team.

What makes his production so intriguing is the combination of goals and assists. He’s notched 168 points through 188 games across four seasons in the league, and they are incredibly evenly split between 89 goals and 79 assists. He’s not only an incredible sharpshooter but can also find teammates in various fashions, whether that be off of the rush, with crafty threaded cross-creases, or cheeky drop passes.

And when scoring goals, they’re coming from anywhere. His release enables him to score from a distance while running the half-wall on the man advantage. He can find the back of the net from the slot with a mid-range shot, or he can get himself in tight and beat the goaltender with his soft hands or by paying the price in the blue paint. You name it, he probably scored it last year.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves; he’s still a sixth-round pick. But why did he slip, you ask? It’s a tough read.

The first thing that comes to mind is his average skating ability and lack of separating speed. It’s not detrimental to his game, but if there’s an area in need, it’s in the feet.

He’s also not the most physical player. At 6’0, 184 lbs, he’s not slight, but he’ll need to strengthen and add another gear to his game. Of course, these focused areas of development are not lost on the 19-year-old, and he recently took advice from some of the best to play the game while attending his first NHL Development Camp.

“A lot of the focus we were talking about was just engaging in body position. I think that’s the big thing in the NHL, and I think they were really keen on that,” he mentioned in his post-camp interview. “I think the Sedins were really good at it because they told us they were only 180 lbs playing in the NHL, so they had to use their body position and stuff like that to win battles and be great players.”

Hey, if you’re going to invest in mid-range-sized but offensively gifted forwards, the Sedins are two solid voices to help mould those assets.

Even with said deficiencies, it’s difficult trying to find reasons why he shouldn’t be considered a steal in the sixth round. No, not because he’s guaranteed to make it to the NHL, but because you simply don’t find 100-plus point players this deep in the draft. Full stop.

The road is long, and there is no guarantee that he’ll translate. But if you want to talk “boom-or-bust” prospects, he’s a prime example.

He may get to showcase that skill on an added level of playing field, too. He, along with three fellow Canucks’ prospects, received an invitation to the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase. The tournament, held in late July, offers World Junior bound squads one final look at their crop, before deciding on their final roster for the event in December. With a list of high-pedigree names among the forward group, Romani has an uphill battle to solidify his name. Regardless, it’s a strong showcase of where he stands among his fellow U20 peers.

Ceiling: While he may not play a complete game, we simply cannot look past the offensive upside that could develop in Anthony Romani. His combination of high-end goal-scoring, playmaking, and hockey IQ makes him an easy top-six hopeful at the NHL level. Everything will have to go right for that to come to fruition, but as of today, the junior package is far too enticing.

Floor: A looming question surrounding a player with his profile is simple: Can he do it at the professional level? We briefly mentioned the name Tye Felhaber, who potted 59 goals and 109 points back in 2018-19. Well, he’s now 25, shares a very similar build and is now a career ECHL/AHL tweener journeyman. It happens. How about Kevin Hancock, who also posted 52 goals and 107 points in that 2018-19 season, who’s now suiting up in the ICEHL in Austria? We mention these names only to throw caution that Romani is still very young, and point totals come and go at the Junior level. While we tend to think Romani’s floor is closer to that of Tye Felhaber, it’s simply too early to make a proper judgement.

ETA: He’ll head back to North Bay to compete for a shot at the Memorial Cup in 2024-25. Heck, he may be a player who plays out his 20-year-old season back in juniors as well. Regardless, the road will be long, and we anticipate him to develop in the system for at least four years. Let’s see if he can repeat that Junior production first.