The Vancouver Canucks Draft Day Two had more happen that Draft Day One. But also, nothing happened for the Canucks on Draft Day Two.
Nothing New but the Players for Draft Day Two
Despite plenty of noise about possibly moving up to the second round, the Canucks picked exactly where expected. There may have been a possibility of packaging some third- or fourth-round picks – Vancouver had five in total – but it didn’t happen.
So instead, the Canucks used all the picks they came into the draft with. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course! By the time the draft selections reach triple digits, the more darts at the board the better.
75 – Hunter Brzustewicz
According to us – and plenty of other sources – the Vancouver Canucks Draft Day Two got off to a great start. Eventually, when the third round finally came around. Brzustewicz is a right-side defenceman who led the Kitchener Rangers defence in scoring last year.
He loves to go on the attack, and the Canucks got him in a great value position. They have time to let him find the rest of his game over the next few years before giving him his chance in the NHL.
89 – Sawyer Mynio
For all we joked about the Canucks drafting local players, this one was a bit of a reach. Born in Kamloops, went through Yale, and plays in Seattle, winning the WHL title with the Thunderbirds.
A left-side defenceman this time, Mynio plays one-on-one against attackers with good size and decent skating. That’s likely his calling card – as a defensive defenceman – if he makes it to the NHL.
105 – Ty Mueller
By the time the fourth round happens, player odds are getting remote. Still, once the prospect enters a team’s system, the rest is up to them! Many teams look for a single feature that may be at – or projectable to – the NHL.
Mueller is an overager playing in the NCAA, and is mostly regarded as a cerebral player. If he’s getting to the pros, it’s probably going to be as a penalty-killing specialist forward.
109 – Vilmer Alriksson
You know what we said one paragraph ago? Teams are looking for a single feature by the time they get this late. Alriksson is a left-shooting winger who is 6’6″ and 214 pounds at 18 years old.
Might we suggest that this young man work on his tip-ins? That’s an awful lot of forward to move.
We’re somewhat annoyed that Hoyt Stanley was taken with the next pick. We mentioned him by name, dang it! What else do they need?
119 – Matthew Perkins
Balance in all things, apparently, as the very next Canucks Draft Day Two pick is 5’11” and all of 155 pounds. We’re not actually sure how that’s physically possible, but it seems “needs to fill out” should be in his description for another decade.
A left-handed centre – can’t have enough centres – from Saskatchewan. Last year, he was the primary centre for the USHL champion Youngstown Phantoms. He might emerge as a defensive centre by the time he’s a pro.
Since no one managed to snap him like a twig, he must be a smart player. But boy, it’s tough to project what Perkins may become.
171 – Aiden Celebrini
Okay, this is a nice touch. Yes, he’s the older brother of THAT Celebrini and the son of a former Canucks doctor. Never a bad idea to encourage next year’s first overall pick to know where his brother’s playing.
But Celebrini actually has some potential, even picked this late. He is, as are the majority of Canucks picks, a right-handed defender. Macklin played a role on the AJHL champion Brooks Bandits, though he wasn’t on their top pair.
We’ll see how he develops, but he’s a physical defender who is smart enough to intercept attackers and play angles. That’s, well, better than some of the players drafted around him. The local connection might be enough to inspire him to the pros yet.
He joins Vancouver’s first pick, Tom Willander, at Boston University for 2023-24.
In Conclusion
It’s not the most inspiring group, especially outside the first two picks. A few reaches in there – especially in Mynio – but once they’re in the system they have a chance. Overall, we’d rather the Canucks made fewer picks a bit higher up.
Grade the Canucks Draft Day Two a C after their Draft Day One got a C+. Uninspiring, but at least it wasn’t exciting in the worst possible ways.
Main Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
