Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2026 8:50 am
Im not down on the Malhotra selection like many here. He being the consensus top C in the draft who had a fantastic development curve from mid season then exploding into the post season sounds like a great pick. Good wheels but a choppy stride isnt ideal maybe but he's a future top 6 pro through and through. I like some of those defenders more maybe but it's still a win/win pick. RJ drafted a for sure heart and soul guy with his first ever pick
Im also getting extra stoked about the Czech kid. Seems like a guaranteed future impact top 6 winger as well. He may have fallen 8+ slots into our laps and was easily the best player at that spot. Well done
What's the story on the giant? Can he skate?
According to the Pete’s GM, he is a very good skater.
2 months ago I said Malholtra was high on the Canucks list and several media was projecting this and most here said it would not happen. IMHO he was a good pick not because of the name but his position and what he can bring. I think everyone was predicting most likely it would be Reid as the most assumed MacKenna and Stenberg will be gone.
Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2026 8:50 am
Im not down on the Malhotra selection like many here.
Been thinking about this Cuz.
Perhaps portrayed as such in conversations both past and current (up to yesterday) but I think "down on" is to strong ultimately.
That is from a me/us who spoke in disappointment rather than a critique of you using the word descriptively.
My thoughts are they could have achieved more with the pick via other avenues but the player himself I am more receptive to today than I was yesterday.
Which is likely a byproduct of reflection and then analyzation of the overall draft and pipeline currently in place.
Read up on what his two previous Junior coaches had to say about him, Donny. Particularly in the ‘Wack. Neither coach spoon fed him any minutes, just the opposite in fact. He started on the 4th line in tier two and was even healthy scratched. By the end of each season and into the playoffs, he was the best player on the team.
He’s a coaches dream, every situation player who raises his game when it matters most.
Personally, I was hoping the Canucks would not elect to enter into the unnecessary father son circus ring given all the drama this team has endured considering there were at least 2/3 very, very good options presenting themselves (Reid, Verhoeff or Carels).
However now that it's all said and done, the pick is a very good pick regardless of the circus angle. He was a safe pick that is guaranteed to not only be in the lineup within 2 years max, but likely to be our top center when he arrives (unless they strike gold next year)
I liked the idea of building the defense as our strength but working on the center position is just as worthy of a high pick like that.
At the end of the day we come out of this draft much father ahead than before so onward and upwards (and no wimpy swedish shrimps to help with Mëds sanity)
Rogowski is another intriguing pick. Turns 18 tomorrow and still has room to grow physically. Will head back to the O in September, but is committed to Big 10 Michigan State for 27/28.
At #78 overall in the third round, the Canucks did exactly what they love to do: they went straight to the crease and took Russian goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko from Omskie Yastreby (MHL).
He is an incredibly fascinating addition to Ian Clark's developmental pipeline. Here is the quick book on him:
The Physical Package: He's a 6-foot-3, 179-pound netminder who catches left.
The Modern Toolset: Central Scouting had him ranked as the #4 European goaltender in this class for a reason. He put up fantastic numbers in the MHL (including a 1.91 GAA and a .922 save percentage in his draft year). Scouts rave about his uncommon fluidity; he moves around the blue paint with high-end lateral quickness and handles depth changes incredibly smoothly.
The Development Path: Because he's under contract in Russia for a bit, he has plenty of time to refine his game before making the jump across the pond. For a goalie-spinning factory like Vancouver, he is the ideal long-term project to stash away.
It completely lines up with the organizational strategy of taking big, mechanically clean goalies with a ton of athletic upside. What are your thoughts on taking a swing on a Russian netminder here in the third instead of grabbing more skater depth?
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