CC Draft Watch Party 2026 Friday June 26 @ 4 pm PDT

[Megaterio Llamas]

Well, I do like the Novotny pick.

Did some research and posted about that pick in the lever thread Megs.

Cool, thanks Donny. I missed that somehow.

I'm going to sound like a GM here, but I expected him to go in the 15-20 range.


**just read your summary Donny, thanks again.

[dbr]

To me, this draft is either the first of many in a rebuild (in which case it’s a fairly low stakes affair, we just want to stock the cupboards) or the first opportunity to execute a hasty retool (in which case who really cares who we pick it’s not going to work out anyways).

At #3 I don’t think there was a clear choice and taking a center with a big frame and a great head on his shoulders - who is off to college next year and unlikely to move the needle on this team for at least a couple years - is a fine choice.

Personally, in the lead up to the draft I thought we should trade down - if we got St Louis top three 1sts we could have come away last night with Novotny, Tynan Lawrence, and then let’s say Maddox Dagenais and Ethan Belchetz, that’s a big addition to the prospect pool - but Malhotra will almost certainly be an NHLer and a good soldier and we need a ton of those.

I’m pleased with the Novotny pick and intrigued by the Rogowski pick, don’t really know enough about the rest to have an opinion on ‘em.

Anyway, hopefully management can accumulate some extra 1sts and 2nds for the next draft and we’re right back here next year with a clear shot at a defenseman or center with franchise potential.

[Megaterio Llamas]

[Todd Bersnoozi]

RJ is a man of his word. He is a fan of size that's for sure.

Blobby will definitely approve of these choices and almost certainly likes the new regime

Todd Harvey says Canucks scouts were directed to prioritize size in 2026 NHL Draft

https://canucksarmy.com/news/todd-harve ... -nhl-draft

Yah, I think lots of ppl on the board here like big doods who can play a heavy game and are hard to play against. I like a roster filled with that kind of makeup as well. I wonder if we going back to days of Patty Quinn when he stockpiled on guys like: Antoski, Stojanov, Cullimore, Polasek, Mike Wilson, McAllister & Brad Ference.

[Hockey Widow]

Rogowski Suffered a broken hand in a fight so we know he is willing,

I’m intrigued too by our picks. Size but apparently with skill. A solid foundation to build around in later drafts. I wonder if that translates in Cootes being expendable at some point. Or how it bodes for re-signing Rossi.

It appears they are letting Blueger walk so if they trade Pettersson they definitely need a centre back.


This draft feels different to me. Maybe just because we had 2 1st rounders.

[Lancer]

Rogowski Suffered a broken hand in a fight so we know he is willing,

I’m intrigued too by our picks. Size but apparently with skill. A solid foundation to build around in later drafts. I wonder if that translates in Cootes being expendable at some point. Or how it bodes for re-signing Rossi.

It appears they are letting Blueger walk so if they trade Pettersson they definitely need a centre back.


This draft feels different to me. Maybe just because we had 2 1st rounders.

I don't know if Cootes is expendable with the drafting of Malhotra and Rogowski. If anything, it incentivizes management to look at trading Pettersson or Rossi by next year's TDD in order to make room for Cootes and maybe Malhotra by the end of next season. I predict the Dickless Swede will be dealt first. If they don't think the odds are good one of the kids takes a centre spot this time next year, management can always go and grab a band-aid C on a short contract. Not like they need wins in the next couple of years, so anybody who can take those minutes and fit into the room culture-wise.

[Picker of Cherries]

Rogowski Is likely years away. I think he’ll need a long stint in Abbotsford. He sounds like a swing for the fences, who has the potential to be a difference maker if he develops, but might be the next Klimovich.

[Lancer]

Rogowski Is likely years away. I think he’ll need a long stint in Abbotsford. He sounds like a swing for the fences, who has the potential to be a difference maker if he develops, but might be the next Klimovich.

He'll likely take the Raty path of seasoning in the minors for a year or two before making the jump - that's after he does his next year in the OHL and then a year of NCAA. I give the kid 3-4 years from now before we see him playing in Vancouver for longer than a cup of coffee.

[Tciso]

Rogowski Is likely years away. I think he’ll need a long stint in Abbotsford. He sounds like a swing for the fences, who has the potential to be a difference maker if he develops, but might be the next Klimovich.

He'll likely take the Raty path of seasoning in the minors for a year or two before making the jump - that's after he does his next year in the OHL and then a year of NCAA. I give the kid 3-4 years from now before we see him playing in Vancouver for longer than a cup of coffee.

He is Myers sized. Does he fall over every time he looks at his feet? If not, just teach him to hit. We need a big mook. Regowski the De-Snotter has a nice ring.

[Megaterio Llamas]

I'm hoping we might have right handed Brian Boyle in 4-5 years. That's one more year in the OHL, and then at least three at Michigan State. And then probably a year or two in Abby, if we still have the farm there in 2031. You know, Brian Boyle style.

[Lancer]

I'm hoping we might have right handed Brian Boyle in 4-5 years. That's one more year in the OHL, and then at least three at Michigan State. And then probably a year or two in Abby, if we still have the farm there in 2031. You know, Brian Boyle style.

A new-age Brian Boyle is not a bad player to have in one's bottom-6. Hopefully he profiles as well of not better. He's a poly-sport athlete, which hints at an ability to pick up new physical skills. Look forward to seeing him in his last season in the OHL.

[Cornuck]

Taking a look at Ivchenko - initially, he seemed like a reach at #74, but then how much scouting was done in the 'MHL'?

A few things I found:

• Elite Prospects scouts' poll ranked Ivchenko as the second-most technical and fourth-smartest goaltender in the draft class.
• Ivchenko put up an elite 1.91 GAA and .922 SV% in Russia's junior MHL.
• Went from 8th up to 4th among International Goaltenders in their final pre-draft rankings.
• Dobber Prospects nailed his true draft value, ranking him #76 overall and calling him one of the most "projectable" goaltenders in the entire class.

He looks quite smooth - of course, it's a two-game sample (below) against unknown competition level. I trust in Ian Clark to analyze these clips better then I.
Comparing him to the goalies drafted before him, Ivenchko seems like a high-floor, technically solid, 6-3 goalie and is a very safe pick. Others picked before him are either flashier or bigger. If he doesn't make it to be our starter, I could see him evolving into a solid backup to Medvedev, giving us a Russian net for a few years.
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We won't see what we have for a few years, as he'll be in Russia - but maybe by 2029 (?) we might see him in the A.

We've got a few more players to watch ahead of him (AI list), so we can hope that one of the prospects pans out in about 4 years when Lankinen's contract finally ends.

Code: Select all

#3 Nikita Tolopilo	AHL Starter (Abbotsford Canucks)	1–2 Years (Injury call-up / Future backup)
#4 Aleksei Medvedev	OHL Starter (London Knights)		3–4 Years (ETA: 2029–2030)
#5 Aku Koskenvuo	NCAA Starter / Pro Rookie			3–4 Years (ETA: 2029–2030)
#6 Dmitri Ivchenko	Junior Pro (MHL/VHL Russia)		4–5 Years (ETA: 2030–2031)
#7 Ty Young		Minor Pro / ECHL Depth			5+ Years (Long-term project)