In recent years, there’s been plenty of talk about the Vancouver Canucks needing to acquire more Canadian players, and yes, more players born in British Columbia.

Whether that be via trade, free agency, or the draft, many fans have wanted to see the Canucks acquire players who grew up Canucks fans. But since Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard are still a few years away from hitting unrestricted free agency (at which point they’ll obviously immediately sign with the Canucks), we thought it would be most appropriate to turn our attention to the upcoming NHL Draft as a source in which the Canucks can add some BC blood to their organization.

Here are the top 10 BC-born prospects available in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

There’s little doubt that Richmond-born defenceman Ryan Lin will be the first BC product selected in this year’s draft. A right-shot defenceman, Lin played his junior hockey just down the road with the Vancouver Giants. In his draft season, Lin tallied 57 points in 53 games. Lin is committed to the University of Denver in the NCAA for next season. In Daily Faceoff’s latest mock draft, Steven Ellis has Lin going 15th overall to the St. Louis Blues. Lin has looked like a complete two-way defenceman since his age 16 season, using his strong skating ability effectively at both ends of the ice.

While Lin likely won’t be available for the Canucks at 24th overall (and would be an obviously ridiculous reach at third overall), there is a BC-born player and Vancouver Giant who could realistically be available to them at 24th overall. Hailing from Penticton, BC, Mathis Preston played 10 games with the Giants this season after the Spokane Chiefs traded him ahead of the WHL Trade Deadline. On the whole, Preston put up 42 points in 46 games this past season, including 12 points in his 10 games with the Giants. Preston possesses an NHL-ready shot and has legitimate top-six potential. Daily Faceoff’s latest mock draft has him going 23rd to the Boston Bruins, but if he’s available at 24, he’d be a great option for the Canucks.

The Ruck twins became quite a prominent story in the hockey world this season. They scored some absolutely breathtaking highlight-reel goals with the Medicine Hat Tigers this season, and while they don’t really seem keen on being compared to Daniel and Henrik Sedin, they certainly showed some Sedin-like chemistry on multiple occasions:

Liam is ranked higher of the two brothers, and Daily Faceoff’s latest mock has him at 30th overall. Could the Canucks take him at 24th? Maybe. But they could also select him at 33rd overall if he’s still available, and they’d potentially be able to select his brother at 41st overall with the pick they got from San Jose in the Kiefer Sherwood trade.

Markus has long been viewed as the brother who would go lower in the draft, but his 108 points certainly deserve some respect. Markus put up 21 goals and 87 assists through 68 games with Medicine Hat this past season, leading the WHL in both assists and total points. Markus added 13 points in 15 playoff games as well. The Osoyoos-born twins haven’t been shy about talking about their desire to be drafted by the same team, and the Canucks aren’t the only team with a late first and multiple second round picks to make it happen. The Calgary Flames are believed to be interested in the twin brothers as well, and hold the 30th (or 31st, depending on the outcome of the Stanley Cup Final), 35th, 36th, 51st, and 56th overall picks. All of those picks are before the third round. Keep an eye on them as competition with the Canucks to draft the Ruck twins.

Hailing from Prince George, BC, Chase Harrington tallied 28 goals and 29 assists through 61 games with the Spokane Chiefs, producing at a near point-per-game clip in his draft year. Daily Faceoff has him ranked 50th among all draft eligible prospects, but other outlets see a world where the 6’1 winger is available in the third round. From Steven Ellis: “He’s built like a rocket launcher – he wants to send you flying any time he can… He’s very dangerous around the net, and he’s flashy, too. I think there’s a clear path for him as an energy forward in the NHL who could step up into a bigger role if needed.”

Another Richmond-born defenceman, Ethan MacKenzie was actually draft eligible last season, and did a lot to raise his stock as an overager this past season. He led all Edmonton Oil Kings defencemen in points with 58 in 59 games and was the number one all-situations defenceman on a loaded Edmonton blue line. The Peachland, BC, product plays big, and isn’t afraid to throw big hits. From the Elite Prospects Draft Guide: “MacKenzie never stops working and battling. He plays an ultra-aggressive defensive game, closing on opponents as they receive the puck, throwing crushing hits, beating down net-front attackers, and constantly scanning and moving. His powerful, active skating enables this high-octane style… It’s easy to look at MacKenzie’s draft-plus-two status and disregard him entirely, but if an NHL team had picked him in either of the last two drafts, he’d be talked about as a massive steal.”

If you believe bloodlines matter, then you can’t do much better than taking Joe Iginla with a flyer pick. Iginla’s numbers certainly don’t pop off the page — 21 points through 37 games with Spokane and 10 through 22 with Vancouver — but he has an interesting profile that might be worth taking a chance on with a later round pick. From the Elite Prospects Draft Guide: “He has yet to translate his gaudy U15 production and dynamic skill to the WHL level. Instead, he is more of a details-based player who leverages his physical game and effort to make a difference. A retrieval machine, Iginla outworks opponents in battles, establishes the forecheck, and regularly extends the cycle, playing a linear but hard-working style.”

Gavin Lesiuk did not tally many points with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this past season, but the 6’5 221 pounder from Duncan, BC, certainly racked up the PIMS. Lesiuk ranked 7th in the WHL with 106 penalty minutes this past season. Lesiuk doesn’t try to be something he’s not, delivering crushing body checks, forcing turnovers, and sticking up for his teammates. A profile like this is always an intriguing one, because with improvements to skating and puck skills, you could have a unicorn on your hands.

Riley Steen’s point totals might not show it, but there’s more to the story here. Here’s what Elite Prospects had to say about the Ladysmith, BC, native: “Despite meagre production, Steen is constantly noticeable offensively. He’s always pinching down the walls and activating into space…With a limited role on a strong offensive team, it’s tough to gauge how much Steen’s success was the consequence of playing against weaker forwards. On the flip side, it’s hard for defenders to get momentum playing limited minutes. He’s a wild card, but as one of the youngest players in the class and with a standout element – activity – he could become a topend WHL defenceman and push for an NHL role in the future.”

Coming in at 5’10 and 168 pounds, Hunter Aura is an undersized left-shot defenceman who put up 40 points in 64 games with the Calgary Hitmen. The Kamloops native is thought to be a sixth or seventh round option, but it’s just as possible that he goes undrafted.