The Vancouver Canucks won’t be picking until the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft after trading their first-rounder to the Calgary Flames in the Elias Lindholm deal and their second to the Chicago Blackhawks as a sweetener to get rid of Jason Dickinson’s contract. If Lindholm isn’t re-signed, both of those trades will turn out to be massive duds as they would only have Josh Bloom (who was acquired for Riley Stillman) to show for it.
As a result, the Canucks will have to mine for talent in the later rounds, unless they find a way to recoup a first or a second before the festivities commence at The Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28 and 29. How it’s looking right now, general manager Patrik Allvin and his scouts have five picks – Nos. 93, 125, 162, 189 and 221. Let’s predict who those picks will be with our first mock draft of the season.
3rd Round, 93rd Overall – Eriks Mateiko, Left Wing, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
The last Latvian the Canucks drafted has turned out pretty well, so why not grab another one? Arturs Silovs has seemingly established himself as a legitimate NHL goaltender after his surprising performance in the 2024 Playoffs and could be in line to be Thatcher Demko’s backup in 2024-25. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 Draft, and is the latest Latvian-born player to skate in the NHL. Now Eriks Mateiko is hoping he will be the next one.
Suiting up for the Saint John Sea Dogs this season, Mateiko scored 23 goals and 43 points in 49 games, improving on his 16-goal effort from his rookie season. He also played in the World Juniors, where he scored a goal in five games. With his 6-foot-5 frame, strong work ethic and mature defensive game, he has all the tools to become an elite bottom-six presence that kills penalties and leads a very effective third or fourth line. His speed and shot are also notable, so with some development, he could even rise higher than that and take some reps in the top-six. THW’s Jim Bay said it best in Mateiko’s prospect profile regarding his NHL potential:
Mateiko is a big forward who also plays well in the defensive zone. He uses his range to close down passing lanes and break up opportunities at both even strength and on the penalty kill. This skill set should lead him to a bottom-six role in the NHL, where he can kill penalties and be reliable when his team needs to close out games.
If Mateiko can hit that ceiling, he will become a favourite of Rick Tocchet’s in no time. His skillset and playstyle are exactly the type of package that is needed in the playoffs. Seeing that his defensive game already appears to be NHL-ready, he could turn pro sooner than other late-round picks and might be offering his services to the Canucks in a couple of seasons. As for whether he will be available when they are up at 93, that remains to be seen considering he is ranked as high as 59 by McKeen’s and as low as 94 by Elite Prospects. But if he is still available, he would be their best choice at this point in the draft.
4th Round, 125th Overall – Jack Bodin, Right Defence, Örebro HK J20 (Nationell)
Moving to the fourth round, the Canucks opt to add more depth to their defensive pool by selecting another Swede in right-hander Jack Bodin. In last year’s draft, they bolstered it with Tom Willander, Hunter Brzustewicz, Sawyer Mynio, and Aiden Celebrini. However, they only have three of them left after trading Brzustewicz to the Flames. He was a right-hander too, so Bodin would just replace him on the depth chart. But that’s about all he would do, as he plays an entirely different style. While Brzutewicz’s claim to fame is his skating, puck movement, and offensive game, Bodin’s is physicality and defense.
Bodin isn’t afraid to throw his body around, and when he connects, he really connects, sending players flying with thunderous checks. Think Nikita Zadorov, but without the mobility or offence. At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, he is already a big body, and he uses it every chance he gets. He also has a pretty good shot from the blue line, but at this stage of his development, he doesn’t utilize it very well, letting it go from low-danger areas that likely won’t ever hit the back of the net at the NHL level.
Bodin’s defensive game, however, is pretty polished as scouts have noted his calmness and poise in his own zone. He rarely turns the puck over and usually can make the right play to move the puck up the ice. He does struggle with handling the puck at times, and could use more acceleration in his skating, but all in all, he should become a solid bottom-pairing defenceman that might complement an offensive-minded partner like Quinn Hughes; similar to former running-mates Chris Tanev and Luke Schenn.
6th Round, 162nd Overall – Dawson Cowan, Goaltender, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
After choosing not to select a goaltender in the 2023 Draft, the Canucks go back to the well here in the sixth round with Dawson Cowan. Silovs was the last goalie drafted in the sixth round, followed by Aku Koskenvuo in 2020 and Ty Young in 2021, both in the fifth round. Goaltending coach Ian Clark loves goalies who are athletic and quick with their pads, and Cowan has that in spades. His work ethic and willingness to adjust and improve his game should also draw the interest of Clark and the amateur scouts, along with his character on and off the ice.
“…You don’t always have to be drafted or listed. You can find your way. Nobody will ever shy away from a person that works hard- and that’s Dawson, he works extremely hard. He didn’t get drafted but it didn’t deter his dream of playing in this league and beyond. All he did was grind his teeth and work and it’s paying off so far.”
– Chiefs head coach Ryan Smith on Cowan’s work ethic
Cowan will need to work on his rebound control and reaction time, but with his size at 6-foot-3, glove-hand and athleticism, Clark has more than enough tools to work with to make him a serviceable NHL goaltender. He fits the mould that he usually likes to suggest to his general manager, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cowan get selected around this point when the actual draft hits the sixth round later this month.
6th Round, 189th Overall – Alexander Siryatsky, Left Defence, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
Back to the blue line, the Canucks opt to go for another Russian in Alexander Siryatsky. Their last one is looking pretty good as Kirill Kudryavtsev put together another productive season in the Ontario Hockey League with 47 points in 67 games. Siryatsky is listed by only two outlets, McKeen’s at 179th and FCHockey at 52nd, which is a pretty large gap between rankings. He either will be long gone or still available when the Canucks step up for their second sixth-round pick.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini’s Top 128 Final Rankings
Siryatsky could end up being a steal if he drops down to the sixth round. Jake Janso from FCHockey describes him as “an aggressive two-way defenseman [with a] combination of size, agility, confidence, and cerebral play,” which sounds like the perfect package of skills for the modern NHL. He also looks up to superstars Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, and even tries some of their moves in the MHL and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
I follow Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. They are offensive defensemen who skate a lot and contribute offensively, they score and assist on goals. Their stickhandling skills are at a high level, as is their hockey IQ. I like their style of play. Sometimes I even try to make some moves like they do.
Siryatsky played most of his season in the MHL with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk where he was one of their top defenders logging 20-24 minutes a night. He also suited up for three games in the KHL, where he caught the eye of EPRinkside’s Russian scout, Dylan Griffing. “Siryatsky’s defensive instincts stood out immediately, aggressively closing gaps, making quick reads, and providing plenty of defensive stops in his limited minutes. He found his rhythm through deceptive retrievals and patient plays on the puck. Overall, he didn’t look like a player who had never laced up for a game of men’s hockey before.”
The Canucks seem to love their Russians almost as much as they love their Swedes, so Siryatsky is likely on their radar already. With the Russian factor always being a thing in the draft, I could see him dropping to the sixth round, where Allvin will happily snag him.
7th Round, 221st Overall – AJ Spellacy, Center, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
With their final pick of this mock draft, the Canucks select AJ Spellacy from the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. Another forward with a strong work ethic, he made the most of his sophomore season with a career-high 21 goals and 38 points. His speed was also on display every night as he routinely blew by his opponents for breakaways and shorthanded goals. In fact, he led the team with five of them.
Spellacy’s calling cards are his speed and motor, as both run hot every time he’s on the ice. He’s also very good defensively, using his size (6-foot-2.5, 200 pounds) and willingness to engage physically on the boards to separate opponents from the puck in his own zone. Of course, he’s also an effective forechecker because of those attributes. All in all, he could be a diamond in the rough in the seventh round – if he makes it there, that is, considering Elite Prospects and McKeen’s just released their final rankings putting him at 64th and 72nd respectively.
Canucks Will Need to Find Value in the Later Rounds This Year
Without a first or second-round pick, the Canucks’ team of amateur scouts will be counted on more this year to find some value in the later rounds. They have done a pretty good job on that front lately with Vilmer Alriksson, Elias Pettersson, Kudryavtsev, Brzutewicz, and Mynio, so there should be some confidence that they can do it again. It won’t be an exciting first day for Canucks fans to follow the draft, but Day 2 should provide some intrigue as we wait to find out who they will add to their prospect pool in 2024.
