3rd and 4th rd- 91 and 121 OA

By Ian Esplen

A brief look at the pros, cons, and comparisons of some of the players the Canucks may draft and what rounds those players may go( if the Canucks were to select them).

3rd round(91 OA)

Robbie Russo, Defenseman USA U-18

Pros- high skill, great passer, poised, controls the game from the backend, solid on both the PK and PP, good skater, works hark

Cons- needs to get stronger, not so good in the corners or in front of the net, inconsistent in his own end

NHL Comparison- Tomas Kaberle

Reece Scarlett, Defenseman Swift Current

Pros- good skater, makes a nice first pass, steady 2-way D

Cons- needs to get stronger, not so good in the corners or in front of the net, gets intimidated easy, soft

NHL Comparison - Andrew Ference

Olivier Archambault, Left Wing Val d'Or

Pros- great speed, one of the best skaters in the draft, great shot, high end skill, great 1 on 1 player, dynamic, pure scorer, finishes checks but not a big hitter, very coachable, smart

Cons- a bit under sized, gets intimidated from time to time, doesn't back check, forgets about his end of the ice

NHL Comparison- Claude Giroux

Nick Cousins, Center Sault Ste. Marie

Pros- great vision, excellent character, good skater, good skill, works hard, good kid, smart

Cons- needs to get stronger, may top out as a 3rd line player

NHL Comparison- Ray Whitney

Tobias Rieder, Center Kitchener

Pros- excellent skater with an explosive first step, great stick handler, plays a good 2-way game, strong leadership skills, good shot, good vision, hard to hit, smart

Cons- has only had 2 year of playing against good players, still learning, a bit small, could play more physical

NHL Comparison- Andy McDonald

Patrick Koudys, Defenseman Rensselaer

Pros- size, good skating, good skill level, physical, good 2-way D, smart, good character, good athlete

Cons- very raw still, lack of playing time this year, needs to get stronger

NHL Comparison- Brent Seabrook (poor man’s)

Magnus Hellberg, Goalie Almtuna

Pros- size, great athlete, solid butterfly goalie, ready to play in the AHL now, calm

Cons- can challenge the shooter too much sometimes which puts him out of position, limited playing time before this year

NHL Comparison- Pekka Rinne

Mattias Backman, Defenseman Linkoping Jr

Pros- great skater, very mobile, great in his own end, can shut players down, finishes his checks, good size, moves the puck well, good passer, good shot, good skill

Cons- may be limited to being a 4-6, needs to get stronger, limited offensive upside

NHL Comparison- Toni Lydman

Jean-Francois Leblanc, Center Val d'Or QMJHL

Pros- size, skates ok for his size, good on face offs, decent skill, good 2-way player, Physical, tons of upside

Cons- limited offensive upside, may top out as a 3/4 line player, takes shifts off, needs a quicker first step

NHL Comparison- Jarret Stoll

Nikita Kucherov, Wing CSKA 2

Pros- excellent 1 on 1 skill, great stick handler, good skater, good shot, plays well in big games, pure scorer

Cons- Russian factor, limited viewing, soft, needs to get better in his own end

NHL Comparison- Nikolai Kulemin

Logan Shaw, Right Wing Cape Breton

Pros- size, good skater, good shot, never quits, excellent work ethic, great in the corners and in front of the net, solid 2-way game

Cons- needs to hit more, would like to see him take over games more and dominate

NHL Comparison- Shane Doan (less physical)

Ryan Tesink, Center Saint John

Pros- solid 2 way game, good skater, smart, very well rounded, good skill level, will to win, mature

Cons- lack of playing time, needs to get stronger, be more consistent

NHL Comparison- Antoine Vermette

Andrew Fritsch, Right Wing Owen Sound

Pros- Great skater, great shot, natural goal scorer, tons of offensive upside, explosive first step, finishes his checks, bit of a pest, scores dirty goals, can handle the puck at high speeds, solid compete level

Cons- still learning how to play in his end, had a few injuries, may not be able to hit as much in the NHL

NHL Comparison- Teemu Selanne

4th round

Michael Mersch, Left Wing U. of Wisconsin

Pros- size, good skater, play physical, strong on the puck, scores dirty goals, works hard

Cons- limited offensive upside, so/so skill level

NHL Comparison- Troy Brouwer

Michael Paliotta, Defenseman USA U-18

Pros- very mobile, good defensivly, decent puck mover, good kid, works hard, smart kid

Cons- needs to get stronger, could play move physical, may top out as a 5/6 D

NHL Comparison- Rob Scuderi

Destry Straight, Center Coquitlam

Pros- decent size, good skater, plays well in traffic, great passer, good skill, good leader, excellent hockey sense, goes to the net, makes other players better

Cons- needs to get stronger, be more consistent, plays at a lower level, could play more physical

NHL Comparison- Brendan Morrison

Brennan Serville, Defenseman Stouffville

Pros- great passer, moves the puck well, very good skater, plays a sound 2-way game, good hockey sense, plays his best in big games, good size

Cons- needs to get stronger, plays at a lower level, could play more physical

NHL Comparison- Cody Franson

Dylan Demelo, Defenseman Mississauga St. Michael's

Pros- gets under players skin, good 2-way game, tons of offensive upside, fights, physical, good skater, moves the puck well, good shot

Cons- needs to get stronger, forces passes at times, turnovers, tries to do too much, might be a bit small to play as physical as he does in the NHL

NHL Comparison- Kevin Bieksa

David Broll, Left Wing Sault Ste. Marie

Pros- big, strong, throws some of the biggest hits in the draft, is fast once he is moving, great in front and on the boards, scores dirty goals infront, great screen infront, good fighter, toughness

Cons- skating needs work (turns and 1st step), bad penalties, sometimes forgets about his own end

NHL Comparison- Shawn Thornton

Frans Tuohimaa, Goalie Jokerit Jr.

Pros- big, athletic, solid positioning, ready for the AHL

Cons- still a project, played at a low level of competion, plays on a real good team, so/so playoffs

NHL Comparison- Antti Niemi

Johan Mattsson Goalie Sodertalje Jr.

Pros- big, freakish athletic talent, plays deep in his net, ready for the AHL(maybe 1 more year), great at stopping the puck, solid butterfly, plays angles well

Cons- rebound control can be so/so at times, terrible playoffs, still a project, gets rattled, lack of games played

NHL Comparison- Kari Lehtonen