On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by prospect scout Dave Hall for some insight into Vancouver’s recent development camp.
“Right off the bat, it’s really hard not to notice Vilmer Alriksson,” Dave started. “The kid’s 19, he’s 6’6”, and looks like he’s up to 235 pounds. In terms of play, it’s hard not to focus on Tom Willander. He’s head and shoulders above everyone else. His skating is smooth, and just his hands in general.”
Alriksson was drafted in the 4th round, 107th overall by Vancouver in 2023.
The main name Dave was drawn to was previous 1st rounder Tom Willander, whose progression and fluidity have been most noticeable thus far.
“One important thing to take away from the development camp is that it’s not really the environment to be judging the players’ progression versus last year. This week isn’t focused on earning a job; it’s really just a lot of drills that focus on quick plays and quick transitions. It’s early in the summer, a lot of the kids haven’t skated in a while, some are coming off jet planes from all over the world, so everyone’s a bit rusty. Without trying, you’re almost just gravitating towards Willander because he’s doing everything so smoothly and effortlessly. It’s nice to see the improvement, and you get a true appreciation for how smooth he really is.”
Next up was Melvin Fernstrom, who the Canucks acquired with the 93rd overall pick in this year’s draft.
“Fernstrom has come as advertised,” said Dave. “I wouldn’t say he has the hardest shot in the camp, but he’s picking corners all the time and seems to have a good idea where those shots are going. You can see the creativity he has in his game, but you can also see some of the downsides. They were doing a lot of curl plays, and you can tell he’s below average compared to some of those other kids in his skating.”
Dave then gave his thoughts on Anthony Romani, who was Vancouver’s 6th round pick in this year’s draft.
“He’s looked really good; you can tell he’s not the fleetest of foot, but his skating is decent and has come a long way,” Dave said. “His shot is definitely on par, and his passing is very good. Overall, he’s stood out among the crowd as a pretty good player. By all accounts, he seems like a really good kid too, so I’m excited to talk to him.”
One player Dave has liked since last year is Sawyer Mynio, who was taken with the 89th pick in the 2023 draft by the Canucks. Mynio continued to impress throughout the development camp.
“For a third-round pick, every time I watch him, I have a hard time not liking what I’m seeing; there’s not much to dislike in his game,” said Dave. “Skating-wise, he’s one of the most fluid out there. He’s aggressive, his shot is incredible, and overall the profile is there enough that there’s some more intrigue than you’d think for a third-round pick. There are still some things he’ll have to work on; he’s playing in the WHL against 17-year-old kids, so take it with a grain of salt, but he’s got a good profile.”
When it comes to Vancouver’s prospect pool, this year’s draft showcased the front office’s determination to take more risks with more upside. Not drafting until the 3rd round would have fueled this decision in a particularly average draft, as anything past the first round is extremely difficult to project.
“It’s nice to hone in on some of that offensive skill because, let’s be honest, the Canucks don’t really have a big prospect pool, and it’s not very potent in terms of upside, so why not take some swings? They took five swings; let’s hope they hit on at least one.”
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