BUFFALO, NY — The Vancouver Canucks had the entire board at their disposal on day two of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Would they swing on the upside and take the local Vancouver Giant? Would they add another defenceman with several intriguing names still sitting there?

Instead, they went in an entirely different direction.

With the 33rd overall pick, Vancouver selected Brooks Rogowski, one of the biggest players available in the entire draft. Standing a towering 6-foot-7 and over 230 pounds, the Michigan native immediately becomes one of the most physically imposing prospects in the organization.

Ironically, hockey wasn’t always his first sport. With both his father and uncle drafted into Major League Baseball, Rogowski’s focus growing up was centred around baseball, where he hoped to earn a collegiate scholarship. Everything changed after an OHL scout discovered him at one of his high school hockey games. Fast forward a few years, and he’s walking across the stage as the 33rd overall selection.

Committed to Michigan State, Rogowski confirmed after being drafted that he’ll return to Oshawa for one more season before making the jump to the NCAA. He finished tied for third on the Generals in scoring this past season with 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 46 games.

Given his profile, the projection probably leans more toward floor than ceiling. He projects as the type of player capable of filling a bottom-six role, killing penalties and making life miserable around the blue paint. But size like this isn’t teachable. When you combine it with legitimate athleticism and a solid skating profile, it’s easy to understand why teams were fascinated with his upside.

Were there flashier swings available? Absolutely. Personally, I thought this was one of the safer selections on the board, but it’s more than justifiable. He was always expected to come off somewhere in this range, and considering who Vancouver would eventually grab later in the round, it ended up being a nice balance between safety and upside.

Sitting beside draft analyst Anthony Donati in Buffalo, better known online as “The Prospect Don,” he offered a similar assessment.

“Brooks Rogowski is a baseball player turned hockey star. He has immense potential given his size and frame, with more offensive upside. He can create havoc in front of the net. This is an upside swing with a player who can have a bottom-six floor. He will be an intriguing part of the Canucks’ prospect pool.”

Fortunately for Vancouver, they didn’t have to wait long before taking that higher-upside swing.

With the 41st overall selection, the Canucks selected Norwegian winger Niklas Aaram-Olsen out of Örebro.

This was my second favourite – behind Adam Novtny – picks of the draft for the Canucks. Playing primarily in Sweden’s J20 circuit, Aaram-Olsen scored 20 goals and 40 points in just 29 games, finishing only four points behind this year’s 12th overall selection, Alexander Command, for the U18 scoring lead. While his role in the SHL was understandably limited — sometimes even non-existent — he still managed to appear in 16 games against men.

Finding natural goal scorers in the middle of the second round isn’t easy, and Aaram-Olsen possesses one of the better releases available outside of Day 1. There’s work to be done in his 200-foot game, and he will need to learn to play a more abrasive game. But he’s choosing a promising path to learning that.

He confirmed he’ll head to Boston University next season, where he’ll join fellow Canucks draft pick Caleb Malhotra. He explained that the Terriers’ Norwegian assistant coach played a significant role in helping steer him toward the program.

It’s a tremendous development path for a player making the jump to North America.

Sitting beside Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson during the selection, his evaluation was short and to the point.

“He’s a shooter. He’s got upside.”

I couldn’t agree more.

The Canucks continued adding to the system with the 78th overall selection, taking Russian goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko. While the pick came slightly earlier than some public rankings projected, the numbers are difficult to argue with.

Playing primarily for Omskie Yastreby of the MHL, Ivchenko posted an impressive 11-5-1 record while recording a sparkling 1.91 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and four shutouts.

Watching alongside Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, he immediately praised the selection.

“He’s so relaxed all the time. Fluid skater. Doesn’t give shooters much to look at.”

Ivchenko spent much of the season backing up an older goaltender, which limited his opportunities, but his underlying tools are very intriguing.

“Solid long-term pickup,” Ellis added.

Considering David Quadrelli’s preferred target, Juuso Ainasto, came off the board just a few selections later, it certainly feels like Vancouver knew a run on goaltenders was beginning.

Overall, I liked the pick.

Holding the first selection of the fourth round, Vancouver once again prioritized size by selecting Belarusian forward Yaroslav Bryzgalov.

After crossing to North America during his official draft-eligible season (2024-25), Bryzgalov spent the year in the USHL before eventually landing with the Medicine Hat Tigers this year after being selected in the CHL Import Draft. He responded with 55 points (13 goals, 42 assists) in 64 games during his lone WHL season.

Bryzgalov is a pass-first forward with legitimate size and a willingness to use it. He plays physically, protects pucks well and isn’t afraid to finish checks. This was probably the first pick where I felt Vancouver left a little value on the table. Only slightly.

Players like Tyus Sparks and Thomas Vanderberg came off the board shortly afterward, and I probably would have leaned in that direction. Still, the passing ability and size combination make Bryzgalov an understandable swing, even if his skating remains the biggest developmental hurdle.

Admittedly, that hurdle may be a large one.

Vancouver stayed with the overage route in the fifth round, selecting Connor Davis from the USHL.

The Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, native finished second on Cedar Rapids with 55 points (26 goals, 29 assists) in 55 games and is committed to North Dakota next season.

The selection immediately reminded me of Vancouver’s 2023 draft, when they selected overagers Ty Mueller and Matthew Perkins in the fourth round. Mueller now looks well on his way toward becoming an NHL contributor. Perkins, meanwhile, has struggled to establish himself at the collegiate level.

Time will tell which path Bryzgalov and Davis follow. That said, this draft wasn’t the deepest, so to judge the picks this deep feels a little premature.

The Canucks eventually made their first trade of the weekend at the start of the sixth round, sending their selection to Toronto in exchange for Ottawa’s 2027 fifth-round pick.

When they returned to the podium at 176th overall, they dipped back into Europe, selecting Slovak winger Lucian Bernat. Playing for Tappara’s U20 program in Finland, Bernat recorded 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in just 31 games. Standing 6-foot-4, he brings another sizeable frame to Vancouver’s draft class.

Already selected by Owen Sound in the CHL Import Draft, Bernat is expected to make the jump to the Ontario Hockey League next season, providing another excellent opportunity to continue his development in North America.

They wrapped things up by dipping into the Swedish circuit to select a towering left-shot defender, Samuel Eriksson. Standing 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds, he’s a towering presence. The statistical profile is essentially non-existent, but that’s clearly not what they’re drafting him for.

It’s the sixth round, it’s a fine pick.

That was all the Canucks had for the weekend, and our overall thoughts were that they did a good job. We really liked the team’s first five picks and believe they added some legitimate options for the future. Whether it was a high-flying offensive pick or a complementary heavy piece, they did a solid job of adding talent.

The most important stage of the shallower draft was the first three rounds, and we think they absolutely nailed it. For that, we give them an A grade for this year’s draft.