The Vancouver Canucks made five moves in the final hours before NHL General Managers put down their pens on deadline day. But in reality, their draft positioning for the 2026 NHL Draft began shifting weeks earlier. First, they moved Quinn Hughes to acquire a second first-round pick, and again with the Kiefer Sherwood deal in mid-January to bring in an additional second.

With all transactions now official, the Canucks head into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft holding ten selections. It’s the most draft capital the organization has carried into one draft since 2003 — the year they selected Ryan Kesler 23rd overall.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the maneuvering is finished. Technically, the draft takes place days after the Stanley Cup is awarded, leaving a small window to reshape the board even further. Could an Elias Pettersson conversation resurface? Is there a Jake DeBrusk deal to be explored? That all remains to be seen. But one thing we know for sure is that this will be one of the most important drafts this organization will navigate.

A breakdown of the picks:

• 1st (x2 — VAN, MIN)
• 2nd (x2 — VAN, SJ)
• 3rd (CBJ)
• 4th (VAN)
• 5th (VAN)
• 6th (x3 — VAN, BOS, WSH)

First round (VAN, MIN)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Braeden Cootes – 2025, 15th overall
Tom Willander – 2023, 11th overall
Jonathan Lekkerimaki – 2022, 15th overall

Regardless of where they finish, the Canucks will have a strong chance of grabbing a player that could single-handedly change the course of this organization’s rebuild. According to tankathon.com, a last-place finish would give Vancouver a 25.5% chance at first overall under the current lottery format, with a significant 55.7% probability of sliding to third. In other words, the margin between franchise-altering and merely very good remains razor thin.

Regardless of exact placement, the Canucks will enter the draft with a premium opportunity. At the top of the class, Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg have separated themselves as the headline talents and players capable of immediately reshaping the trajectory of a rebuild. Should Vancouver slip to third, names like Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, and Caleb Malhotra (to name a few) enter the conversation, each carrying a legitimate top-of-the-draft pedigree in their own right.

Acquired in the Quinn Hughes transaction, Minnesota’s first-round pick projects to land somewhere in the back half of Day One. Of course, there is still some volatility attached to it. The Wild remain competitive, and while their Stanley Cup probability sits modestly — MoneyPuck.com currently gives them an 11.5% chance of reaching the Final — playoff variance always exists.

If you were looking for a silver lining or something to put you at ease, the Colorado Avalanche pulled the trigger on a few major deals at the deadline to provide them with a potent pack for their Stanley Cup run. Realistically, this selection could settle in the mid-to-late 20s.

Even so, the significance shouldn’t be understated. This will mark the first time since 2014 — Jake Virtanen (6th) and Jared McCann (24th) — that Vancouver holds multiple first-round picks in the same draft. For a franchise that has often leveraged draft capital for immediate help, simply having two bites at the apple represents a crucial philosophical shift.

Second round (VAN, SJ)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Alexei Medvedev — 2025, 47th overall

The second round has quietly become a rare asset in Vancouver’s recent draft history. Over the last seven drafts, the Canucks have made just three selections in this range, with the Patrik Allvin era making just one. That trend will finally shift in 2026.

If the Canucks do manage to finish in last place, their pick *technically* becomes a first-round pick. Due to the Ottawa Senators’ forfeiture of their 2026 first-round pick as part of the Evgenii Dadonov trade penalty, the draft board will compress. That means Vancouver could walk into Buffalo holding three selections inside the top 32, which would mark the first time since 1990 when they selected Petr Nedvěd second overall.

Acquired as part of the Kiefer Sherwood trade, San Jose’s second-round pick adds another layer of intriguing potential. The Sharks remain one of the league’s more entertaining but volatile teams. As of today, MoneyPuck gives them roughly a one-in-three chance of making the playoffs and a modest 10.9% probability of advancing beyond the first round.

Translation: this pick likely lands in the low-to-mid 40s.

If the board breaks favourably, Vancouver could enter the draft with four selections inside the top 45 and for a franchise that has rarely operated with that kind of early-round volume, that’s incredibly exciting.

Third round (CBJ)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Kieren Dervin — 2025, 65th overall
Melvin Fernström — 2024, 93rd overall
Hunter Brzustewicz — 2023, 75th overall
Sawyer Mynio — 2023, 89th overall
Elias Pettersson — 2022, 80th overall

The third round has quietly been one of Vancouver’s more productive hunting grounds. Whether those players remain in the organization or have since been moved as assets, this is a range where the Canucks have consistently identified legitimate NHL traits.

Originally, they weren’t even scheduled to pick here in 2026. Their third-rounder had been dealt in the Nikita Zadorov trade back in 2023 — another example of leveraging mid-round capital for immediate help. But that changed late on the eve of the deadline. By moving Conor Garland to Columbus, Vancouver not only recouped a 2026 third-round pick but also added a 2028 second-rounder.

As things stand, the Blue Jackets sit on the playoff bubble, carrying roughly coin-flip odds of qualifying. Whether they sneak in or fall short, this selection projects to land in the 75–85 overall range and right in the middle tier of the round.

Fourth Round (VAN)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Riley Patterson — 2024, 125th overall
Ty Mueller — 2023, 105th overall
Vilmer Alriksson — 2023, 107th overall
Matthew Perkins — 2023, 119th overall
Daimon Gardner — 2022, 112th overall

The Canucks didn’t hold a fourth-round pick in 2025, but historically this has been a range where they’ve taken calculated swings and have quietly found value.

Riley Patterson has exploded offensively in the OHL and is now firmly in the “intriguing asset” category. Ty Mueller has established himself as a heartbeat-type presence in Abbotsford, capable of playing in all situations. Meanwhile, Vilmer Alriksson continues to work through his first professional season, blending size and projectable tools that remain difficult to ignore.

That’s three intriguing development pieces in a range that, league-wide, is often treated as organizational filler. Heading into 2026, Vancouver holds its own pick and is currently projected to pick near the top of the fourth round, around 96th overall.

Fifth round (VAN)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Wilson Björck — 2025, 143rd overall
Ty Young — 2022, 144th overall

Much like the second round, the fifth hasn’t been an area where Vancouver – at least, not this regime – has consistently loaded up on picks. Even dating back to the last regime, the results in the fifth round have been mixed.

The most tangible progress has come in goal. Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo — Aku stemming from the previous regime picks — are now firmly in the professional mix, occupying roles in Abbotsford and Kalamazoo and keeping themselves in the conversation within a fluid goaltending pipeline. That alone represents respectable value for mid-round swings at a volatile position.

Wilson Björck, meanwhile, is still early in his development curve, bringing a motor and edge as he navigates the NCAA route. The jury remains out on the rest, which is often the reality at this stage of the draft.

Holding their own fifth-round selection in 2026, the Canucks are currently projected to pick near the top of the round, around 129th overall.

Sixth round (VAN, WSH, BOS)

Patrik Allvin’s draft history:

Gabriel Chiarot — 2025, 175th overall
Anthony Romani — 2024, 162nd overall
Parker Alcos — 2024, 189th overall
Aiden Celebrini — 2023, 171st overall
Jackson Dorrington — 2022, 176th overall

Assuming no further movement, Vancouver will head into the 2026 NHL Draft with three sixth-round picks, which includes two that are currently tracking toward the earlier portion of the round due to their original teams’ position in the standings.

Historically, the sixth round is incredibly unpredictable. The hit rate across the league drops dramatically, and you’re often projecting tools over production. Vancouver’s record here mirrors that reality. There hasn’t been a true impact NHL player pulled from this range in recent memory, but there have been intriguing swings.

Anthony Romani looks like the most promising bet of the recent group. His scoring touch has translated well to the NCAA, and for a 162nd overall selection, he has already outperformed typical sixth-round expectations. Gabriel Chiarot, meanwhile, earned himself an Entry-Level contract out of his first NHL camp and projects as a high-motor, identity-type winger who could grind out a role down the line.

When the dust finally settled on the trade deadline, the message was clear: this is a pivot toward asset accumulation. But that accumulation goes beyond just 2026. The Canucks managed to add an extra second-round pick in 2027 and 2028, as well as an additional fourth-round pick in 2027, 2028 and 2029 NHL Drafts.

All of that acculturation is important, but now it’s time to show some results. The 2026 entry draft marks the start of an incredibly important stretch of drafts that will shape this organization’s future. Now, the pressure falls on Todd Harvey and this organization’s entire amateur scouting staff.

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First round (VAN, MIN)

Second round (VAN, SJ)

Third round (CBJ)

Fourth Round (VAN)

Fifth round (VAN)

Sixth round (VAN, WSH, BOS)

Recent articles from Dave Hall

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