August 32-in-32: Vancouver Canucks

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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects! Every day in August, we will bring you a complete breakdown of a team’s draft and insights into their off-season movements thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons. Check back often because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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The Canucks’ 2023-24 season could be characterized as ahead of schedule. The team finished at the top of the Pacific division when many picked them to finish behind teams such as the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights. This has changed the mindset of the Canucks’ front office.

Vancouver has their core in place, so surrounding these core pieces with a good supporting cast is paramount. The Canucks offseason is highlighted by the addition of Jake DeBrusk and the extension of Filip Hronek. The team is hoping to take the next step next season and fight for the Stanley Cup.

Draft Recap

Round Three, 93rd Overall: Melvin Fernström, RW

The Canucks continued their tradition of drafting Swedish players. Fernström is a skilled offensive player with a good shot. He has put up good numbers in the past few seasons in Sweden, including 31 goals, 32 assists and 63 points in 45 games playing for Örebro HK’s U20 team. He’s followed this up with strong play in international competition. Fernström has yet to sign his entry-level contract (ELC), meaning that he will head back to Sweden and play for Örebro HK in the SHL.

Round Four, 125th Overall: Riley Patterson, C

Patterson has put up strong offensive numbers in the last two years. He put up 62 points in 68 games for the Barrie Colts last season and 73 points in 52 games for the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League the year before that. He plays a solid two-way game and is good at just about everything on the ice. Patterson has also not signed his ELC and will head back to the Colts for this season

Round Six , 162nd Overall, Anthony Romani, C/RW

The Canucks continued their trend of drafting skilled, offensively effective players. Romani was one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft. He has the physical skillset to excel in professional hockey with his shot and playmaking ability, along with the stats to back it up. He had 58 goals and 53 assists for North Bay in the OHL last season. He went low in the draft and will head back to North Bay for this upcoming season and prove why the Canucks got a steal in the sixth round.

Round Six, 189th Overall, Parker Alcos, D

The Canucks took Alcos as their first defenseman taken in this draft. He follows a similar mold of defensemen that Vancouver has taken in recent years. Alcos is a big, mobile, strong skating defenseman that is solid in all-three zones. He doesn’t put up a ton of points but, assuming he cracks the NHL roster at some point, he would fit well into Rick Tocchet’s system.

Round Seven, 221st Overall, Basile Sansonnens, D

With the final pick in the draft, the Canucks went with another defensive defenseman in Basile Sansonnens. Not much is known about Sansonnens, aside from his defensive game. He has spent the last two seasons with the U17 and U20 Gotterón teams, respectively. He will head back to Switzerland this year, vying for a spot on Lausanne in the Swiss National League.

Off-Season Moves

Re-Signed/Extended:

Filip Hronek – Eight-year extension
Mark Fridman – One-year contract
Linus Karlsson – One-year contract
Teddy Blueger – Two-year contract
Tyler Myers – Three-year contract
Dakota Joshua – Four-year contract
Arturs Silovs – Two-year contract

Incoming:

Jake Debrusk – signed a seven-year contract
Danton Heinen – signed a two-year contract
Vincent Desharnais – signed a two-year contract
Kiefer Sherwood – signed a two-year contract
Derek Forbort – signed a one-year contract
Daniel Sprong – singed a one-year contract

Outgoing:

Ilya Mikheyev – Traded to Chicago Blackhawks
Sam Lafferty – Traded to Chicago Blackhawks

Elias Lindholm – Signed with Boston Bruins
Nikita Zadorov – Signed with Boston Bruins
Ian Cole – Signed with Utah Hockey Club
Casey Desmith – Signed with Dallas Stars
Vasili Podkolzin – Traded to Edmonton Oilers

Development Camp

The Vancouver Canucks held their annual development camp from July 1-4 at UBC. The camp gives both the front office and fanbase an opportunity to see the young players in the organization, including those recently drafted. This season, the Canucks cut down the invite number from 60 to 28, in an effort to promote connection throughout the entire organization. The reduced number also gives each player a better opportunity to connect with coaches, what it’s like to play for the Canucks and get a clearer outlook on what they need to improve.

Off the ice, players were exposed to various non-hockey related topics. They were joined by
RCMP Inspector Kevin Cyr to talk about mental perseverance and dealing with high-pressure
situations.

In terms of the roster, each player drafted in 2024 was invited to camp, giving them a look into
their future teammates and coaches in the organization. Of this group, Patterson and Romani
impressed. Patterson showcased his skating ability and work ethic, while Romani gave us flashes
of his scoring and playmaking brilliance. Other notable prospects who were at camp included
Josh Bloom, Aiden Celebrini and Tom Willander.

To round out the week, everyone took part in the famous Grouse Grind. Outside of the Sedins
who, unsurprisingly, finish first every year, Celebrini was the first to finish the legendary trek.

Final Thoughts

The Canucks have done a lot of work in rounding out the supporting cast. The core is in place, and securing pieces around the likes of Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and JT Miller was a primary focus. The team has put themselves as true Stanley Cup contenders. The talent and coaching are there and it’s about playing up to their potential. In 2025, Vancouver has a first and second round pick. It will be interesting to see if they continue to build out the organizational depth or ship those picks for players to win now. Whichever choice they make, the team is still in a great spot to compete now and in the future.