Vancouver’s name has not come up a lot when talking about the NHL Draft and who the Canucks may be selecting. Most likely, it is because they do not have a pick until the third round with the 93rd overall selection. They traded away their first-round pick which turned out to be the 28th overall pick to the Calgary Flames in the Elias Lindholm trade, and the team traded their second-round pick which will be 61st overall along with Jason Dickinson to the Chicago Blackhawks for Riley Stillman. Chicago has since flipped that pick to the New York Islanders for more draft capital. Although sitting at 93 for their first pick may seem like a bad position to be in for this draft, the Canucks could get a useful player at this spot.
Gabriel Frasca, Center, Kingston Frontenacs (Ontario Hockey League)
Taking Gabriel Frasca in this position even four months ago seemed impossible. He was ranked 37th by NHL Central Scouting among North American forwards and had a good showing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game in Moncton after coming off of an injury. Since then, his stock has dipped down to 85 in the most recent rankings and looks to be a solid third-round option for teams.
Frasca is a big-body center that can push the pace of the game very well and has the ability to keep possession of the puck through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He has shown in both his freshman and sophomore seasons that he can be a reliable playmaker as well as a great finisher when having the puck on his stick in the slot. He produced 32 points in 58 games in his rookie season in 2022-23 and after battling injuries this season, he still improved on his points per game by scoring 34 points in 44 games. If Frasca is still available for the Canucks at pick 93, they should take a chance on him for the value alone and because he has a very high ceiling if he can stay healthy during his post-draft years.
Gabriel Eliasson, Defence, HV71 J20 (J20 Nationall)
The Canucks have a long history of Swedish players on their team. Some include the Sedin twins, Markus Naslund, and Alex Edler. They have also added several Swedish players to their prospect pool in recent years like forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, along with defensive prospects Tom Willander and Elias Pettersson. Adding a player like Gabriel Eliasson would follow a pattern for the Canucks, but they could use a player like him.
Related: Gabriel Eliasson – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Eliasson is physically intimidating with his 6-foot-7 stature and left shot from the back end. He is a physical defenceman who staples players to the boards if they try to break by him into the offensive zone. His offensive game will need some work at the next level but the raw talent for a defensive defenceman is definitely there for Eliasson. The Swedish defender will be looking to come to North America sooner rather than later as he has already committed to the University of Michigan for the 2025-26 season, a program that has most recently produced another defenceman that is over 6-foot-5 in Owen Power. He is also the youngest player in this draft as his birthday is Sept. 9, 2006, just meeting the cutoff by six days. With him being a late birthday, he may even grow a little more. If the Canucks were to select Eliasson at pick 93, they would be getting a project defenceman that they could mould into an NHL calibre player that could help them in the years to come.
Anthony Romani, Right Wing, North Bay Battalion (Ontario Hockey League)
Anthony Romani has one of the most interesting stories in this year’s draft. He is entering his second year of draft eligibility as he went undrafted in 2023 due to an uninspiring 43 points in 66 games. It’s not uncommon for a player to get drafted after going undrafted, but it is extremely uncommon for a player to do what Romani did after not being picked by an NHL team. He went on a rampage in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and proved all of his doubters wrong by scoring 58 goals and 53 assists for 111 points with the North Bay Battalion. Due to his incredible season, he has shot up draft boards as an overage player and is now very likely to hear his name be called in the earlier rounds of the draft.
His quickness and phenomenal ability to put the puck in the back of the net at the junior level should translate well to the professional leagues. Teams will be wary of Romani because he is an overage player, but I see him as an experienced player who has finally figured out his game. If the Canucks select Romani and allow him to develop over time, he could be an incredibly reliable goal scorer if put with another offensively-minded center like J.T. Miller or Elias Pettersson.
The Canucks not having a pick until the late third round is not ideal, but there are still players that could help their team at pick number 93. With those players flying under the radar, they could select one and turn them into NHL talents with the already great roster they have assembled.
