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JPat’s Monday Mailbag: Is this the week we see Canucks management put its stamp on the franchise?
Jeff Paterson's weekly Vancouver Canucks mailbag.
Jeff Paterson
Jun 22, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 21, 2026, 16:09 EDT
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Welcome to Draft Week. And hopefully trade week, too. Lots of trades, if we’re being honest. The National Hockey League Draft is slated for Friday and Saturday in Buffalo. By this time next week, we’ll know who the Vancouver Canucks have added to their talent stable and whether they used all 10 of their selections. Or perhaps they will have reallocated some of that draft capital as trade chips. Either way, there will be plenty to talk about in the lead-up to the draft and then again in the aftermath. As we count down the minutes to Friday’s first round, we present this week’s Monday Mailbag, which has a heavy emphasis on the draft and the possibility of trades.
Absolutely, we could. I’m not expecting to see the club move back at the top of the draft, but after that, I think the Canucks have to be open to any and all possibilities. While I hope they make two selections in the first round, I don’t think it’s out of the question that they could put the 24th pick in play in an attempt to harvest additional assets. If there is a team motivated to trade for the 24th selection, the Canucks should take that phone call. It’s possible the Canucks could still get a player they’re looking at in the 24 range with the 33rd selection and manage to collect assets along the way. I could also see the Canucks using one of their two second round picks as trade bait if the right deal presents itself. So I am anxious to see how Ryan Johnson and the Sedins approach their first NHL Draft as the guys in charge. It’s been relatively quiet since they were introduced more than a month ago. It’s time to start making some moves to shape the rebuild.
Absolutely, I will. Oh wait, it’s not up to me. But hypothetically speaking, I would be willing to make that move as long as St. Louis took the full contract with no money retained. I’d like to see what the Canucks would do with three picks in the top 24 of the draft. I don’t know that the Blues would be a team – and St. Louis a destination – that would be of interest to Elias Pettersson. And, of course, that matters since the player has a full no movement clause and controls any and all deals. If we all set reality aside and simply deal with the question as posed, yeah, that’s a trade I’d make if I were the Canucks.
I hope so. But that’s all I’ve got. I think the reality of a DeBrusk deal increases by the day. I don’t know if it happens at the draft or perhaps after the first wave of free agency when teams realize they still have needs to fill. I am putting DeBrusk in a separate category from the two defencemen. DeBrusk has made it clear he didn’t sign up for a rebuild, and at $5.5M, the perennial 20+ goal scorer should be in demand. His personality would allow him to fit into 31 other locker rooms around the NHL. He’s a proven power play finisher. The Canucks should have no trouble finding a dance partner. To this point, the d-men mentioned have shown no interest in leaving and I don’t expect that to change at the moment. We may get to a point in time where they can be convinced to move (or maybe it will require waiting them out until their trade protection eases). 
Throughout the process, I have been drawn to Carson Carels. He checks off just about every box imaginable. I have enjoyed his stories of doing his farm chores each morning before training. I like the idea of the Canucks taking a player from a BC Western Hockey League team. And as much as the team needs help at centre, let’s be honest – it needs help everywhere. And if Carson Carels is deemed the best player available when the Canucks get to the podium, the team should grab him. Now, to be perfectly clear, I’m not expecting the Canucks to use the third selection on Carson Carels. I’m simply answering the question as asked. Wherever Carels winds up going, I am going to look forward to assessing his career five and 10 years down the line. He looks the part of a player who should grow into a dominant defenceman at the NHL level. Some team is going to be thrilled he’s still on the board when it’s their turn to draft.
Change seems inevitable for every NHL team. And certainly for a last place team, you’d think there would be significant change. However, with so many players under contract and many with trade protection, it may be a challenge for the Canucks to significantly overhaul their roster this summer. I’d like to see this management group find a way to deal away at least two veterans to clear a couple of roster spots. I’m expecting the Canucks will trade for or sign a couple of culture-carrying vets with little term. With just over a week to go, they may elect to let pending unrestricted free agent Teddy Blueger hit the open market, which would free up another roster spot. And I think the team needs to figure out what it plans to do with Nikita Tolopilo who will require waivers to be sent to Abbotsford next season. 

What excites you most about the prospect (pardon the pun) of this organization taking the first steps to embracing a proper rebuild?

— Strongbelly (@strongbelly.bsky.social) 2026-06-20T20:47:21.714Z

I suppose it’s the clean slate aspect of it all. Simply saying rebuild doesn’t accomplish the task. I’m looking forward to seeing the new management group stick to its word of going about a methodical rebuild without taking shortcuts. Can they stick to that plan? Can ownership stay out of the way? The Canucks have been spinning their wheels for the better part of a decade now with very little in the way of a calculated plan. I am excited to see if the guys in charge can make the types of moves that successful rebuilding teams make. Are there big thinkers in that front office? Can the Canucks get a step or two ahead of every other team? Can they identify weaknesses on other teams and take advantage of those? So I suppose I’m most excited about the endless possibilities of a rebuild. As long as it’s done properly.

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