2026 NHL Draft

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Is Lucic the Ruck Twins' Dad?

If the Ruck Boyz have ballz like Big Looch to go with their skillz, the Nucks have to wheel & deal like Burkie in 1999 to secure them.

[Aaronp18]

I've advocated for the Ruck's already and if we really want to snag them we may have to take them both late first or early second round. Package our 33rd and 49th pick and move up next to our 27th and take them both.

These two are tied for the CHL lead in scoring right now, as draft eligible players. No brothers have ever finished top 2 in scoring in the CHL.

Watch some of their highlights, they have some Sedinesque skillsets playing off each other but play a bit more of modern game wth speed.

With the odds of our darts hitting anything successful in later rounds I'd go out of the way to draft these two in the late first if we could swing it.

[Meds]

One of the things that made the Sedins special was that they pushed each other. That competition between them that was channeled into them both being better.

I’m with You on these two AP…..let’s see if they have the same.

Western kids to boot.

[Aaronp18]

One of the things that made the Sedins special was that they pushed each other. That competition between them that was channeled into them both being better.

I’m with You on these two AP…..let’s see if they have the same.

Western kids to boot.

For sure, and it influenced others on the team as well.

When your top players are putting in the most amount of effort to get better no one else has any excuses!

I feel like CGY is gonna try and snag them as well with them playing out of Medicine Hat, plus they have more picks to offer up teams. Our brass is gonna have to out smart the Flames. So we could be hooped if they don't jettison this motley crew fast and bring someone in to take the reigns.

[Hockey Widow]

Take one with the Minny pick and the other at pick 32.

[Meds]

Take one with the Minny pick and the other at pick 32.

I’d wager they’ll be off the board by then.

[Aaronp18]

Yeah I agree, especially if they continue their pace until the end of the season.

Which is where grabbing the 26th or 28th pick could be key. So 32 and 48 for 26th pick. Seattle might be the best target at 26.

*yes I’m aware we have the 33rd and 49th but we actually get the 32nd and 48th as Ottawa does get their pick. So I’m just calling them whatever.

[Megaterio Llamas]

https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/mock_draft

The Tankathon mock draft has Liam Ruck going to Calgary right after the Canucks pick - I can see the flames doing that since they play junior in Alberta.

If the Canucks want the Ruck twins, they probably need to take Liam with their #32 pick and his brother with their other 2nd rounder.

Their second 1st rounder lines up with a batch of centres in that mock draft - Shilov, Roobroeck, Command, Dagenais, Rogowski - which need wise seems like a good idea, though I have zero knowledge who they should take.

We're loading up on Russians according to that. Yeah, no thanks. I do love the McKenna selection, though.

What's the Ruckus all about?

[Cousin Strawberry]

Do they play rugby?

[Meds]

Do they play rugby?

No. Ruckby.

[dbr]

We're loading up on Russians according to that.

I think it is literally just the same players in the same order every time with the teams varying by standings and simulated lottery outcome. I wouldn’t put much stock into any mock draft, but this isn’t even that (where someone attempts to draft “as” the teams in question in each spot).

[Megaterio Llamas]

We're loading up on Russians according to that.

I think it is literally just the same players in the same order every time with the teams varying by standings and simulated lottery outcome. I wouldn’t put much stock into any mock draft, but this isn’t even that (where someone attempts to draft “as” the teams in question in each spot).

Yeah, I know. I still gives me the heebee jeebees.

[Picker of Cherries]

A bit of AI assisted research shows that if the Canucks don’t maintain their current top lottery spot and drop to three, they can take over top spot in lottery futility since Detroit will not be in the lottery this year.

We’re number one! We’re number one!

“The following list quantifies the "lottery movement" for every NHL franchise, defined as the cumulative number of draft spots gained (+) or lost (-) relative to their final league standings (pre-lottery seeds). This analysis includes the inaugural 1970 roulette wheel spin, the unique 2005 lockout drawing, and the most recent results from 2025.

Total NHL Draft Lottery Movement Ranking (All-Time)

Team - Net Movement - Key Outcomes
Chicago Blackhawks +18 Jumps in 1999, 2007, 2019, and 2023 (Connor Bedard) .
New York Rangers +16 Largest single jump in history (+13) to select 1st overall in 2020 .
New Jersey Devils +13 Moved up 4 times, including jumping to 1st overall in 2017 and 2019 .
New York Islanders +11 Recently jumped from 10th to 1st in 2025 (+9) .
Utah Hockey Club +10 Jumped from 14th to 4th in their inaugural 2025 lottery appearance .
Philadelphia Flyers +8 Boosted by an 11-spot jump in 2017; minor slides in 2022 and 2025 .
Carolina Hurricanes +8 Made a massive 9-spot jump in 2018 to select 2nd overall.
Florida Panthers +6 Jumps in 2002, 2003, and 2014.
Dallas Stars +5 Moved up from 8th to 3rd (+5) in 2017.
Winnipeg Jets +4 Jumped from 6th to 2nd in 2016 to select Patrik Laine.
Los Angeles Kings +3 Jumps in 1995 (+4) and 2020 (+2) offset by slides in 2019 and 2025 .
Edmonton Oilers +2 Despite four 1st overall picks, they only "moved up" twice (2012, 2015).
Washington Capitals +2 Jumped from 3rd to 1st in 2004 to select Alex Ovechkin.
Montreal Canadiens +1 Moved up 1 spot in 2018 to select 3rd overall.
Seattle Kraken +1 Jumped from 3rd to 2nd in their 2021 expansion season.
Calgary Flames -1 One of five teams never to move up; dropped 1 spot in 2016.
Pittsburgh Penguins -1 Neutral in 2005 randomized draft; dropped 1 spot in 2004 and 2 in 2025 .
Minnesota Wild -2 Suffered marginal slides in 2019 and 2020.
Columbus Blue Jackets -2 Jumped in 2016 (+1) but slid in 2023 and 2025 .
Vegas Golden Knights -3 Dropped 3 spots in their first-ever lottery in 2017.
Buffalo Sabres -3 Won the 1970 spin (+1) but lost 4 spots across 2014, 2015, and 2025 .
Colorado Avalanche -5 Dropped 6 spots total across 2017 and 2019 .
Ottawa Senators -6 Cumulative loss of 8 spots since 2018, partially offset by maintaining .
Arizona Coyotes -7 Never moved up in 28 years; dropped multiple times from 2nd to 3rd .
Anaheim Ducks -8 Dropped 1 spot in four of the last five lotteries, including 2023 and 2024 .
Vancouver Canucks -8 Lost the 1970 wheel spin (-1) and 7 spots during their 2016–2019 slide.
Detroit Red Wings -9 The unluckiest team; dropped 8 spots from 2017–2020 and 1 spot in 2025 .

Historical Context and Statistical Outliers

The 1970 Roulette Wheel: This expansion-era draw is the foundation of Vancouver’s lottery misfortune. The Canucks and Sabres shared 50/50 odds, but Buffalo won the spin, securing Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault. Vancouver’s "drop" to 2nd overall (Dale Tallon) represents the first documented case of negative movement for the franchise .

The "Never Gained" Club: Vancouver belongs to an exclusive group of five teams—including Detroit, Buffalo, Arizona, and Calgary—that have never moved up a single spot from their standings-based seed in 30 years of weighted lotteries. Buffalo and Pittsburgh have selected 1st overall in the lottery era, but only in years where they already held the top seed or won a randomized drawing with no standings (2005) .

The 2025 Re-Shaping: The most recent lottery saw two of the largest successful jumps in history. The New York Islanders jumped 9 spots to 1st overall, and the Utah Hockey Club jumped 10 spots to 4th. These two results alone displaced nearly every other lottery-eligible team downward by 1 to 2 spots .

Detroit vs. Vancouver: While the Red Wings hold the title for the most spots lost all-time (-9), the Canucks are tied for the most consecutive years of downward displacement, having lost spots in four straight lotteries from 2016 to 2019.”

[Cornuck]

^ A nice dose of reality

At least everyone else won last night, too.