S N Y P E R S 7

Another name to keep an eye on, aside from Nolan Collins, for the late rounds: Joel Kjellberg. And I don't think he's related to PewDiePie.

Hey that was fun haha. Although, instead of Barabosha or Johnsson in the 7th round, I'd probably take a flyer on Ben King.

They'd be super smart to grab either Luneau or Rinzel late 1st, then snagging Nolan Collins in a later round. Two super solid RHD prospects.

I feel like the Canucks, yes, will trade down for extra picks. However, I see them taking a big swing at #2 from Jersey. I think they COULD be picking in the top 10, one super late, and another in the second round.

I don't think the Canucks will be picking 15 lol

yalready know I think Kulich is one of the best prospects in this draft class

Heck yeah! Real solid player

Another name to keep an eye on: Nolan Collins Not flashy in the least, but lots of potential as a bottom 4 shutdown kind of D.

Maxim Barbashev could be a high value later round pick. Gritty motherfather that one.

If the Canucks trade Miller in a package to New Jersey for that #2 overall, who are you picking at that spot?

Kulich is probably one of the most complete players in this draft. The only reason I like McGroarty better is that he plays the power forward role better—that, and he doesn't get rubbed out as much. Kulich needs to put on some size, as he gets erased during plays. In terms of understanding the game and being able to actually execute the right play, Jiri Kulich might just be the most cerebral player available. There's a bright future for that guy somewhere. I'm adding him to my highlighted list, which now includes: Rutger McGroarty (Two-way power forward with skill. Competitiveness, work ethic, and willingness to work on all of the areas of his game that need tending to make him perhaps the most coachable player of the pack. Hard to play against when he's on his game. With the right system, his potential is drool-worthy; do prospects always reach those levels? Nah... but Ehlers did. I see something here with McGroarty, I'm not sure what it is but Ehlers had it too. Love of the game maybe? Love of the team? Whatever it is, he's got it and I can see him being relevant in the league for a good amount of time.) Simon Nemec and David Jiricek (Nothing more needs to be said. Two of the most cerebral defensemen in the draft. In the right system, they're pretty much ready to be plugged into an NHL lineup in the 2nd pairing role for a couple years. Once they become accustomed to the pace of play, we're looking at two stable top pairing D.) Owen Pickering (Large, great work rate, could be better offensively. Positioning is very, very good on some plays, and others he gets caught a bit. Could be faster. Very raw prospect that could turn into a special player. Likelihood of that happening? Ehhh...) Cutter Gauthier (Awesome size and work rate. Hard to play against and he's got a great shot. Not the most physical guy, though, which is why I was drawn more to McGroarty. Small things though. Either McGroarty or Gauthier would be great pick-ups, especially now that Gadjovich is gone from the system.) Jiri Kulich (Probably the ultimate defensive 3C, with high enough offensive upside to be a top 6er. Hiiiigh hockey IQ. If he's able to put on size—something I have zero doubt about because, once players get signed, they can eat like kings and get the professional training available to them by NHL clubs—he could be one of the more unstoppable guys. Hard to play against in his own end and very coachable. Very little not to like here.) Other potential players that the Canucks might pick (that have a number of red flags obviously) include: Conor Geekie (Great size and skill. Not the most consistent though, effort-wise. When he gets drafted, I suspect he'll start taking his game to the next level to try and make the big club ASAP. He's got the tools, but so do a lot of other prospects in this draft.) Brad Lambert (Very tunnel-visioned and hasty to make plays. Usually because he's faster and ahead of the play. Needs very fast linemates that can keep up with his quick thinking. Not the most coachable guy, but if a team believes in him, he's got all of the tools to be a pretty dynamic player at the NHL level.) Ivan Miroshnichenko (Only thing is cancer; aside from that, he's got a bright future. Understands his role well, though he can be a bit tunnel-visioned.) Marco Kasper (Very coachable, low ceiling. Outstanding alternative to Jiri Kulich if two-way is the direction they're thinking of going.) Liam Ohgren (Needs to use his size more. Really. I like the skill though, and I think there's something there. Very interested to see where he takes his career.) <-- I see the Maple Leafs taking this dude. Isaac Howard (Has been one of my favorite players for this class for a long time. I just see his timeline to the NHL taking a bit longer.) These would be my favorite picks. If the Canucks take any of these guys, I'll be over the moon. However, as long as the Canucks don't go off the board and pick like... I don't know, Gaucher? They'll be fine. Always exciting, but this isn't a make-or-break draft.

I'm looking at a bunch of comments about weight and I'm like... Don't you think that, after they sign an NHL contract, prospects will be able to eat like kings? Haha. I never worry about weight when it comes to players, unless they have a history of weight-related health issues.

He plays the game a lot like a J.T. Miller or Sam Bennett, the way he gains leverage on guys and bullies his way to the net where he can finish. He's also responsible defensively. Played with Cutter Gauthier all year and, while I definitely looked hard at Gauthier, the guy who caught my eye every shift was McGroarty. It's similar to how every time I watched the Mooseheads back in 13-14, every time Ehlers was on the ice he caught my eye. It's just McGroarty plays a harder, grittier game. He's a gem man. I could see him getting some mentorship from Miller if he sticks around, or Horvat on how he increased his top speed. Could take a few years for him to make it to the NHL, but he'll definitely make it eventually. He's a super hard working fella.

Best fits for the Canucks

These are my top 20, but in COVID I've had very limited viewings of a few guys like Mateychuk and Yurov. I know the guys I've seen very well, and I think McGroarty has a chance to be a really good player at the NHL level, simply due to his attitude, physicality, and willingness to work at the little things to get better. I'm also not really writing for Eliteprospects anymore, just because I have another job now that takes up all of my time! So take this with a grain of salt.

I think McGroarty will definitely be one to watch. Hockey sense is off the charts, and his dedication to improvement makes him super coachable. Skilled versatile two-way power forward.

Whoa... my rankings look pretty different from a lot of other scouts this year. I have McGroarty in my top ten.

what.