VANCOUVER, BC – For the first time since being drafted in 1999, the Sedin twins are no longer a part of the Vancouver Canucks. The future begins this month when the NHL Entry Draft begins in Dallas and Vancouver holds the 7th overall pick in the draft. Let the speculation begin.
The last two drafts the Canucks held the 5th overall picks and drafted Elias Pettersson and Olli Joulevi. The 2015 draft produced rookie sensation Brock Boeser. In 2014 the Canucks selected a goaltender in Thatcher Demko in the second round. So which way will Vancouver go this time around?
The Canucks won’t have a shot at some of the top wingers in the draft but should have some very good options if they decide to go for offense. It is possible that winger Oliver Wahlstrom could be on the board at #7, as well as some of the top center prospects such as Joe Veleno, and Barrett Hayton.
If the Canucks want to go for defense, Adam Boqvist, Noah Dobson, Quinn Hughes, and Evan Bouchard are solid options as well. For the purposes of our mock draft we see Hughes and Bouchard off our board as Detroit and Arizona nab them respectably.
We see the Canucks going for defense so the decision should come down to Boqvist and Dobson. Boqvist is more of an offensive defenseman where Dobson is more of a stay at home type. Both bring a lot to the table and some scouts see Boqvist having more skill and speed but Dobson is as skilled scoring goals and is built like a tank.
At the end of the day the Canucks have a tough decision to make but we expect Vancouver to make the following call some draft day.
With the 7th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft the Vancouver Canucks select, from the Memorial Cup Champions Acadie-Bathurst Titan, defenseman Noah Dobson.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
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