Vancouver Canucks

Draft Review

Mike Gillis stated in an interview that he’d like to add some draft picks and although the Canucks didn’t make any major moves during the weekend, they did make a minor swap with Phoenix for their 187th pick by sending minor leaguer Shaun Heshka packing. The Canucks had a total of seven picks in this year’s draft and selected three forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie, evenly stockpiling the cupboard. Three (four, if you count Price) were taken from the NCAA, two from Sweden, and only one from the CHL.

1st round, 22nd overall: Jordan Schroeder, C - Minnesota, WCHA
- He was ranked 5th among NA skaters at the draft but kept falling and falling due to his small stature at 5′8″. At 175 lbs. he’s quite got a stocky frame which will help him in the NHL, but what impresses scouts the most is his offensive prowess. The Minnesota native is a product of the US Development Program and in his freshmen year was second in scoring for the Golden Gophers with 45 points in 35 games, one less than team leader Ryan Stoa, a senior, who was picked in the second round in 2005 by Colorado. Along with Hodgson, he is one of a handful of forwards Canucks fans can really get excited about and look forward to. Schroeder is the teammate of another Canucks draft pick, Patrick White, selected 25th overall last year.

2nd round, 53rd overall: Anton Rodin, F - Brynas, Swedish Junior
- Ranked 15th among European skaters, the first thing scouts will tell you about Rodin is his skating ability. I have to admit that I don’t konw much about Rodin, other than the fact that we can probably expect to see him on the Swedish squad at the World Junior tournament. Rodin absolutely tore it up in the Swedish junior league, with 29 goals in 37 games. He finished the year with Oskarshamn with the Swedish Tier II league, a step below the SEL. The Canucks have an excellent track record with Swedes and this one could be no different. As a general rule the Swedes do not come over to North America right away, so expect Rodin to make his North American debut further down the road after a couple more years in Sweden.

3rd round, 83rd overall: Kevin Connauton, D - Western Michigan, CCHA
- You may have some trouble finding Connauton in any draft guide, but that’s okay, because the Canucks went off the board with this one and took the smooth-skating defenseman who was ranked 202nd among North American skaters. Obviously the Canucks saw enough in Connauton to take him this high, who is considered one of the best ten freshmen in NCAA hockey after receiving honourable mention to the CCHA All-Rookie team. Connauton is a regular in the Broncos lineup, a rarity consider the seniority in NCAA hockey, and logs anywhere from 20-30 minutes per game.

4th round, 113rd overall: Jeremy Price, D - Nepean, CJHL
- At only 19 but standing 6′1″ and 205 lbs., it seems as though Price is physically mature than his peers. The Canucks took another mobile defenseman from Milton, Ontario, who collected 41 points in 55 games this year. Price is committed to Colgate University next year and we shall get a better view of who this player is. Price was ranked 113th among North American skaters.

5th round, 143 overall: Peter Andersson, D - Frolunda, Swedish Junior
- Like Rodin, Andersson hails from the Swedish junior league. At 6′3″, he’s the tallest Canucks draft pick this year and he could be considered a steal since Andersson is ranked 48th among European skaters. Andersson remained in the junior league this year despite playing one game with Frolunda of the SEL, collecting 8 points in 35 games with 42 PIMs. He is known to be a tad flashy in his own zone and as a result makes some mistakes, but that should be corrected with time, especially for a big defenseman that some scouts note has good offensive instincts.

6th round, 173rd overall: Joe Cannata, G - Merrimack, Hockey East
- Ranked 15th among NA goaltenders, Cannata is the starter for the Merrimack Warriors in the Hockey East division of the NCAA, arguably the toughest, with powerhouses like Boston U, Boston College, UMaine, UNH, and Vermont. Despite posting a losing record of 7-11-4, Cannata was named Merrimack’s Defensive Player of the Year and his goals against of 2.35 and save percentage of 0.918 all rank in the top 25 in the entire NCAA. From scouting reports, Cannata is a technically sound goalie who doesn’t get fazed easily when he lets in a bad goal. He’s great with angles with his big size and very strong at 215 lbs.

7th round, 187th overall: Steven Anthony, LW - Saint John, QMJHL
- Ranked 184th among NA skaters in the final rankings, Anthony was actually ranked 92nd in January. Still only 18, Anthony made the Sea Dogs roster last year and scored 14 points, but made his presence known this year when he made a 34 point improvement. He finished third in scoring with the Sea Dogs after Chris DiDomenico was traded away but Anthony is still a long way from the NHL. Scouts have cautioned against his questionable work ethic and his defensive play, who finished a team-worst -18 this year.