In one week, the Vancouver Canucks will have a brand new crop of prospects in their system. They hold four premium picks in the first two rounds: third, 24th, 33rd and 41st. The organization hopes that most of these selections will turn into contributors at the NHL level.

They will undoubtedly get a special player at third overall, but will have plenty of swings to take at their later first-round pick at 24th overall. There will be lots of options at the selection, but potentially none with higher upside and pedigree than Vancouver Giants forward Mathis Preston.

The Penticton, BC native was viewed as a top-10 selection coming into the season. But a mid-season trade, along with a lengthy injury, has resulted in him falling to the back half of the first round, firmly within the Canucks’ range.

We had the opportunity to chat to Preston about his draft year, his relationship with the Rucks, the NHL Draft Combine, and what it would mean for him to be drafted by his home province team on today’s episode of Blackfish.

Preston began the year with the Spokane Chiefs before getting traded to the Giants halfway through the season. Through 36 games with the Chiefs, he scored 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points. The 5’11”, right-shot forward made a fantastic first impression in Vancouver, dancing through the defence to score the game-winning overtime goal in his Giants debut.

Unfortunately, in his second game as a Giant, Preston suffered an injury that would keep him out of the lineup for nearly two months. With just eight games remaining in the season, Preston went on to end the year on a seven-game point streak, scoring three goals and six assists for nine points.

Having not played much hockey over the final three months of his draft year, Preston decided to head overseas to represent Team Canada at the U18 World Championships. Preston had a great tournament, scoring two goals and six points in five games, using this as a final showcase to show NHL scouts more of his game.

“I think that was definitely an important tournament for me,” Preston said about the U18 World Championships. “When you’re hurt, no one’s seeing you; no one’s seeing your consistent play. So I think that tournament, I went into it pretty dialled in and pretty focused on, you know, what I had to do to ultimately help the team win. You’re going there, you’re playing for Canada, and you want to help the team as much as you can. And every time you go to those events, the main goal is just to win gold. Obviously, we didn’t do that, which was unfortunate. But yeah, I think that was an important tournament for me just to be seen again and get my confidence back and get playing again.”

After the World Championships, the next thing on Preston’s agenda was the NHL Draft Combine. Preston met with a total of 24 teams during combine week in Buffalo, sharing that teams were mostly just trying to get to know him as a person and his family background to get a feel for his character.

“I thought the main thing was like your family background,” Preston shared. “What your family’s values are, what kind of family you come from, what type of person you are, and how you treat people. I would say mostly character stuff, because obviously they’re super smart and they know a lot about know your game. They come and watch you play throughout the year. So I think mostly just how you are off the ice, how you are with your teammates, and how you can help a locker room.”

In speaking with Preston, it’s hard not to find his energetic and outgoing personality infectious. These are qualities he felt his interviewees learned about him that they couldn’t necessarily pick up by just looking at his game tape or stat sheet.

“I think that I’m a pretty fun guy to be around,” Preston said. “I think on the ice, it kind of gets misinterpreted that I’m super serious – which I am on the ice for sure and super competitive. But I think off the ice, I love to joke around, have fun, joke around with the boys and stuff like that. So I think they definitely learn that side of me. Kind of my personality, I would say.”

The Canucks were one of the 24 teams that Preston met with over combine week. And there was a little pep in his step when he was discussing how his meeting Canucks representatives went.

“They were really good, actually,” Preston said enthusiastically. “I loved the vibe. I thought when I got in, it was good. I think they got to know me a lot off the ice. But I think with the way they’re going, the thing that I can help them with is creating offence; score goals and, you know, generate offence. But yeah, the meeting went really well. It was good. I got to know them, got to know a little bit about their organization, how they run things. So, yeah. That meeting went really well.”

Some of the questions teams ask these prospects during combine interviews are always funny to hear about. Preston shared a question he was asked over the week, involving a puck, a garbage bin, and the Montreal Canadiens:

“There was a few questions that kind of caught me off guard,” Preston laughed. “Montreal asked me to throw a puck into a garbage bin, and they said I could take as many steps back as I wanted, but if I stepped forward, I didn’t want to show that, you know, I wasn’t confident in myself. So I ended up stepping back and luckily got it in.”

As mentioned, Preston’s injury played a part in him falling from a projected top-10 pick to the back half of the first round. He played 46 of 68 WHL regular season games, but when he was on the ice, his skill was always apparent. So, with all the skill in the world and an injury being the main factor for his fall, we asked Preston if he believes he’s being slept on.

“To be honest, I think so, yeah,” Preston answered honestly. “[The injury] is kind of out of my control. You know, I couldn’t have done anything about it. I don’t have superpowers to heal it up fast and get back out there. So yeah, I think so for sure.

“But for me, I just want to go to a team that values me. I think the main thing is just going to a team that I can play as early as possible and make an impact at that level. But I think with the injuries, it’s definitely, you know, frustrating at times because it’s so out of my control. I couldn’t have really done anything about it. So I think that’s kind of the part that was most crushing. But at the end of the day, I’m just super grateful to be in this position.”

Regardless of where Preston gets drafted, the team will be excited about his offensive traits. But what does Preston believe his best traits are?

“I think my skating. I think I’m a dynamic skater. That’s probably one of my best traits. I think my IQ, as well. I think I think the game in kind of a unique way, you know, before I get the puck, I know what to do with it after. I think I see plays developing early and can make reads. And I think I have a pretty good shot as well. I love to use my shot, whether it’s on the power play or 5-on-5. And yeah, I think my skating and my hockey sense are my best attributes for sure.”

Throughout the conversation, Preston often mentioned being around his teammates and how nice it was to see friends at the combine whom he doesn’t usually see during the season. Funny enough, he was in the car with two of his best friends, Liam and Markus Ruck, during our interview. With Preston being from Penticton and the Rucks from Osoyoos, they’ve basically grown up playing hockey with and against each other. Preston dove into his relationship with the twins, going as far as sharing that Liam and Markus made the family photos that are on the inner layer of his suit jacket:

“Honestly, when you’re younger, you don’t really realize how much it means to you,” Preston said about growing up with the Rucks twins. “But, you know, getting older, you realize that those are the times that you remember forever. They’ve been my best friends off the ice for a number of years now. And yeah, obviously playing with them, how they think the game is so special. … Off the ice, we hang out a ton in the summer, train together. It’s lots of fun being around them, and, you know, it’d be crazy if [we got drafted by the same team]. It’s what the dream’s all about.”

As a British Columbian, Preston is fully aware of how passionate the province is about their hockey. Growing up as a Canucks fan, and now having an opportunity to play in Vancouver with the Giants, Preston shared what it would mean to him and his family if he heard his name called by the Canucks:

“Oh man, it would mean the world, honestly,” Preston beamed. “Being a BC kid growing up in the area, now even playing in Vancouver, I think the script would be crazy; playing in Vancouver, getting drafted by Vancouver. It would honestly be a dream come true. I was four years old in a Canucks jersey, playing mini sticks, and then to be drafted by them, it would be crazy, honestly. I can’t really put into words what I would think, but for me and my family, it would be unreal. I’m super grateful to hopefully get picked by any team. But by the Canucks, it would mean a little more being a BC kid, for sure.”

You can watch the full Preston interview on Blackfish below!