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Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 7:35 pm
by Meds
Nuckertuzzi wrote: ↑Wed Jan 07, 2026 4:05 pm
donlever wrote: ↑Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:56 pm
Nuckertuzzi wrote: ↑Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:46 pm
This would be more notable if it wasn't the 3 (soon to be 4, if not already) best players in the world.
Hmmm...we're talking about a top paid player in the game who demanded that level of pay and a month's worth of stats compared to a half a season.
I believe it to be topical....
No, you're right, it is. It's just that as disappointed as we are in Petey, it's a little much to compare him to 4 absolute Supermen. That's a whole other tier. I don't think anybody expected that even before his drop off. Agree though, very disappointing production and overall performance, can't argue there.
No. It’s absolutely appropriate.
McDavid: $12.5M
MacKinnon: $12.6M
Draisaitl: $14M
Celebrini: $975K
Pettersson: $11.6M
2 guys took much much less than market to stay with their teams…..and they continue to drive the bus for those teams. 1 took probably a bit below open market, he’s the alternate driver of said bus. 1 is on an ELC. The other guy? Well enough said.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:21 pm
by Nuckertuzzi
It’s great for their teams and fanbases that 3 guys are vastly underpaid and 1 one is providing incredible surplus value on an ELC (but he will get his bag big time). All 4 of these guys are easily worth anywhere north of 18 mill in today’s market, if Kaprizov’s new deal is the standard.
Their December numbers extrapolated over a full season is somewhere between 130-200 points. These are numbers only produced by generational players, which all of them are. Nobody once ever used that word on Petey and most in the market were OK with that even when he signed his 11.6, as long as he lived up to his expected production as a top line center producing in the 80-100 range.
He clearly hasn’t. He’s underperformed and extremely disappointing, no question, but stacking Petey up against these guys is excessive.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:33 pm
by donlever
Discussion moved to the Petey thread...
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 9:42 pm
by dangler
Aaronp18 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 07, 2026 7:34 pm
I feel like Bjorck will need some serious size beside him to make it work in the NHL. Especially playoffs!
Probably true, but could work
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 10:39 am
by Aaronp18
Honestly not sold on who we should take if we win the draft lottery this year, fortunately the odds are we won't so we will get what's left most likely. Which may be a better option to be honest!
The top pick is going to have to live up to expectations not only being the top pick this year but competing with the impact the last 3 first OA picks are having nearly immediately after getting drafted. I mean all 3 were on the Olympic roster radar, one making it outright and the other 2 being talked about as additions if injuries come up!
So here's a question, would you perhaps trade down a couple spots to grab an additional pick in the first round. Im sure more first rounders will move at or before the trade deadline but lets say we win 1st OA, the Blackhawks take 3rd. We move our pick for their 3rd and thier FLA pick this year. They take McKenna to play with his cuz.
We still get Verhoeff or Stenberg and another mid first round pick giving us 3 at least first rounders this year! Hopefully we can get another one moving Keifer, 4 first round picks in once draft would be stellar!
Again, I'm sure even having the best odds to win the lottery we will still pick 3rd.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:04 pm
by donlever
This is an interesting post AP.
Let me ponder on this one a bit...
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:23 pm
by JelloPuddingPop
Aaronp18 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 08, 2026 10:39 am
Honestly not sold on who we should take if we win the draft lottery this year, fortunately the odds are we won't so we will get what's left most likely. Which may be a better option to be honest!
The top pick is going to have to live up to expectations not only being the top pick this year but competing with the impact the last 3 first OA picks are having nearly immediately after getting drafted. I mean all 3 were on the Olympic roster radar, one making it outright and the other 2 being talked about as additions if injuries come up!
So here's a question, would you perhaps trade down a couple spots to grab an additional pick in the first round. Im sure more first rounders will move at or before the trade deadline but lets say we win 1st OA, the Blackhawks take 3rd. We move our pick for their 3rd and thier FLA pick this year. They take McKenna to play with his cuz.
We still get Verhoeff or Stenberg and another mid first round pick giving us 3 at least first rounders this year! Hopefully we can get another one moving Keifer, 4 first round picks in once draft would be stellar!
Again, I'm sure even having the best odds to win the lottery we will still pick 3rd.
Really an interesting idea - perhaps the 1st OA will be the best player taken in the draft - but Van still ends up with two, VERY good players building out their much needed depth. Similar to the trade Hughes during a rebuild idea - one potentially generational player for three very good ones (hopefully).
One problem I see with that, is the media/fan driven frenzy at being the only team to ever trade a 1st OA purposefully. Probably the only franchise to never live that one down...
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:30 pm
by Aaronp18
I mean it would be akin to the Canucks moves to get the Sedin twins, that paid off for us pretty well!
It would definitely be debated and scrutinized but doing something to restock the depth in one swift and strategic draft could quickly get this franchise headed in the right direction.
I mean Cootes will likely be a solid 2/3 centre, picking up either of Verhoeff or Stenberg will determine what you would use the other picks in the first round on for sure. But there is plenty of talented depth even close tot he end of the first round and likely into the second.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:34 pm
by Lancer
I think ownership would be scared of a fan revolt if the team won the first overall pick for the first time in its history, only to turn around and trade it - even for the third pick.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:43 pm
by JelloPuddingPop
Lancer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:34 pm
I think ownership would be scared of a fan revolt if the team won the first overall pick for the first time in its history, only to turn around and trade it - even for the third pick.
As much as I think it would be a good idea - this is the reason it would never happen. The much discussed "AQUA Connection to the Fan Base Management Style
(TM)."
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:48 pm
by donlever
AIG...do everything in their power to deter any chance of picking in the lotto.
Then...when picking in the lotto ignore any opportunity to further the benefits of it.
Seems about right yep....
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:49 pm
by theman
Purely based on what I saw at the WJ tournament and what I have read about the top 3 prospects, this is how I would draft, if I were the Canucks and had the 1st overall pick:
1. McKenna. (Highest ceiling and Canucks need forwards)
2. Stenberg. (Safer pick and fills a need at forward)
3. Verhoeff. (Potential stud RD man, even though Canucks have good young D men can’t pass on his potential but I would still go with 1 of those 2 forwards ahead of him)
Reading stuff like Stenberg is ‘more NHL ready’ kind of scares me TBH. Last time the Canucks got the ‘most NHL ready’ prospect in the draft was Podz and we all know how that turned out. Also, I think McKenna has a ‘higher ceiling’ than him so I would got with the forward prospect with the most potential.
Lastly I would be happy if the Canucks got any of these 3.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 2:40 pm
by donlever
To AP's post I will again lend an ear to the Dallas Cowboys.
When Jerry Jones bought the team he hired Jimmy Johnson to handle the football ops.
They were coming off a 1-15 year and they were awful.
But they had Herschel Walker, a top player in the league.
It's a long convoluted story but they traded Walker for what ended up being draft picks.
One of those picks was Emmit Smith which was mid first round.
That team Johnson built won 3 SB's and has not had a sniff since Jerry Jones decided he knew more about football than running a circus.
In Aaron's plan Herschel Walker would be our #1 pick.
In our painful existence FA is Jerry Jones.
....the point being if we can swap a 1st overall for enhanced draft and player capital & perhaps 4 or 5 picks out of the top 35 and the first o/a is not McDavid, Celebrini, Schaefer or Bedard but what you are left with at the top of the draft is of equitable value to those selected ahead of him..
...you have to entertain making the move.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 3:52 pm
by Ronning's Ghost
Moved from the Petey topic:
Lancer wrote: ↑Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:13 pm
Unless your core players commit to the team early-on from the get-go, pump and dump them for a player more likely to stick around.
Would this consideration move anyone from their "Best Player Available" position ?
(however you define best -- which you absolutely should if you want to make this assertion)
I am thinking of the Tryamkin experience, here.
Re: 2026 NHL Draft
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 4:44 pm
by dbr
Quinn Hughes is our Herschel Walker! Star player on a last place team, traded to Minnesota for a pile of futures, now if only the Canucks had the vision and courage to turn some of those players into even more draft picks like the Cowboys did.
I do think you have to look at trading down, but the value probably isn’t there (based on precedent, moving down 2 spots in the top 10, or 3-4 spots from 8 or 9, seems to be worth a high second round pick). That said if your scouts list is very different from the rest of the league (eg. you have Bjorck as the best player in the draft) there’s probably a chance to snag some extra picks.
If you don’t love the players projected to go 15-25, trading down with Minny’s pick might be a way to have your cake and eat it too, there’s a handful of teams with multiple picks between 30 and the mid-50s.