Day One of the 2026 NHL Draft has come and gone, and the Vancouver Canucks made away like bandits with their two picks.

Already shoring up their centre pipeline with Caleb Malhotra at Third Overall, the club struck tremendous value with Adam Novotny with pick 24. Incredibly, the Canucks hold eight more picks to continue finding that value. We’ve already established names that could be available to the Canucks in the second round, but what about further down the list?

At this point, you begin to throw darts at the realistic targets. With over 350 players in the Central Scouting registry, there is a wide range of players that bring intrigue: smaller offensive types, rangy and sizable types and of course, goalies.

Here are a few names to watch out for through the third and fifth rounds.

Will Beckett Hamilton still be available when Vancouver steps to the podium at 78th overall? It’s difficult to say. There is a very realistic chance another team jumps on him somewhere in the second round. But if he is still hanging around, he feels like exactly the type of player Vancouver should be targeting.

While there are certainly bigger offensive swings available in this range, Hamilton offers one of the more complete player profiles on Day 2. He already plays a mature, responsible game, yet still flashes enough secondary offence to project as an NHL contributor.

And while some players benefit greatly from playing on powerhouse junior clubs, Hamilton didn’t exactly have that luxury. The Red Deer Rebels endured another difficult season, yet Hamilton consistently found himself driving whatever offence the team managed to create. He finished as the club’s leading scorer by a comfortable margin while drawing the toughest matchups on a nightly basis.

It’s one thing to produce while surrounded by elite talent. It’s another to become the focal point of every opposing defensive game plan and still find ways to create. Even during Red Deer’s opening-round playoff loss to Braeden Cootes and the Prince Albert Raiders, Hamilton consistently pushed the pace and looked like one of the few Rebels capable of changing a game.

What stands out most is how many different ways he impacts play. He wins puck battles, creates turnovers on the forecheck, attacks through traffic and quickly turns those recoveries into scoring chances. There isn’t one elite tool carrying his projection. Instead, it’s a collection of good habits, strong hockey sense and a willingness to stay involved in every shift.

Can he provide a secondary offence at the highest level? Hamilton owns a quality shot and does his best work attacking downhill, but scouts remain split on whether he possesses enough dynamic skill to become a true offensive driver at the NHL level. Some project him as a middle-six winger capable of contributing offensively while handling difficult defensive assignments. Others see a reliable complementary player whose versatility and compete level should allow him to carve out a lengthy NHL career.

Regardless, there is still value to be had somewhere on Day 2.

If Nils Bartholdsson were two inches taller, there’s a very good chance we wouldn’t even be talking about him in Vancouver’s range.

The Rögle winger checks many boxes NHL teams covet in a Day 2 swing. He can score, create, and compete, and has consistently performed against his own age group. Will his size limit his projection against stronger professional competition? Perhaps.

What makes Bartholdsson intriguing is that he doesn’t play like a smaller forward. He attacks the middle of the ice, willingly goes into traffic and remains engaged defensively. Rather than relying solely on skill, he complements it with an impressive motor that keeps him involved shift after shift. If you’re into stats, his numbers are sure intriguing. With 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in just 32 J20 games, only likely first-round selection Alexander Command outproduced him among U18 skaters.

Looking into his downfalls, it’s his skating that will ultimately determine how high his ceiling climbs. And if he can find another gear physically, there’s enough offensive talent and competitiveness here for a team to find tremendous value outside the opening two rounds.

The Canucks don’t have a track record of selecting players from the Vancouver Giants. Fortunately for them and Canucks Nation, Tyus Sparks finished his season somewhere else.

After a statistically quiet rookie campaign, Sparks took a significant step forward during his sophomore season, producing 37 points in 40 games with the Giants before being dealt to Spokane in the Mathis Preston trade. He dove right into his new system and nearly maintained a point-per-game pace, recording another 28 points in 29 contests.

There remains plenty of rawness in his game, but there are also plenty of reasons to be intrigued. Sparks owns a legitimate release, plays with pace and continues to show flashes of offensive creativity that suggest there may still be another level waiting to emerge. He’s exactly the type of mid-to-late round swing that can reward patient organizations.

Sparks’ game is raw, but he brings a ton of energy, a wicked release that should translate to any level. and a very interesting skill set worth a look in the third- to fourth-round.

Already passed over at the draft, Ethan MacKenzie finally forced NHL teams to pay attention.

His career-high 58-point campaign certainly helped, but it was his showing at the World Junior Championship that truly cemented his draft stock for most draft watchers.

MacKenzie looked terrific against international competition, displaying the same calm, reliable game that had steadily evolved throughout his WHL career. While the offensive numbers before this season won’t jump off the page, defenders who skate well, move the puck efficiently, and make consistently smart decisions often age extremely well as prospects. MacKenzie fits that mould.

The offensive ceiling may not be spectacular, but the projection is very appealing. Reliable right-shot defenders tend to find NHL work, and MacKenzie feels like another player whose game should continue improving as he matures physically.

Could you find a Beckham Edwards in round 4 or 5? If so, we do believe that you’re extracting terrific value once again.

He may not possess a single defining elite tool, but there are enough positives throughout his game to envision a legitimate NHL path. He’s a natural centre who competes hard, owns a quality release, and consistently plays with the type of motor that coaches and fans appreciate.

Back-to-back 45-point seasons with Sarnia don’t necessarily scream offensive upside, but some flashes suggest there could be more. His release is legitimate; he attacks with pace and has shown an ability to finish in past circuits. Combined with his willingness to compete in all three zones, it’s easy to envision him eventually earning trust further down a lineup.

Is it time for a wild swing? Well, Oscar Holmertz might be one of the biggest wild cards in the entire draft.

The offensive tools are undeniable. His production has remained strong at Sweden’s J20 level despite consistently being one of the younger players on the ice, and his playmaking ability regularly flashes high-end potential.

Yet scouts continue debating exactly what to make of him. We imagine that has something to do with Holmertz completely controlling the pace of play on some nights. Other nights, he fades into the background. The inconsistency, along with questions surrounding his shift-to-shift engagement, has left evaluators wondering exactly where he belongs.

But if an NHL development staff can unlock that next level of competitiveness, there could be more players here than his draft slot suggests. It’s boom-or-bust time, and if a name like Holmertz’s falls to the fifth (ish) round, you might as well leap.

Let’s swing again, shall we? And Axel Elofsson presents another fascinating Swedish gamble.

The offensive tools are obvious, and the Swedish right-shot defender moves the puck confidently, creates offence naturally, and has enough vision to quarterback a power play at higher levels.

The concern comes everywhere else. Standing under six feet, questions surrounding his defensive game and physical projection will almost certainly push him down draft boards. But that’s exactly why he becomes such an interesting Day 2 swing.

If the Canucks spend their premium selections adding safer, projectable talent, Elofsson becomes the type of player worth betting on later, as the upside could be substantial.

Whether he eventually develops into an NHL puck mover or tops out as an elite SHL power play quarterback will depend almost entirely on how much he can round out the defensive side of his game.

Honourable mentions: