In his continuing sit-down series with NHL GMs, Pierre LeBrun of TSN spoke with Jim Benning of the Vancouver Canucks last night. The west coast GM holds the fifth-overall selection in this year’s entry draft once again, and will look for a certain type of player.
We feel like at five there’s enough good players in this draft that we’re going to fill that need. To get a center-ice-man, a playmaker that can run a powerplay at some point and score points I think is what we need going forward. We feel we can fill that need.
Benning didn’t discount the possibility of selecting a defenseman, and will surely still look to go with the “best player available” method in the draft. But with such a tight grouping of players after the top two or three, there will be much debate who that best player is. At that point, going with a player who fits into your scheme can be the deciding factor. Looking at the options that will be there for Vancouver, a couple of names standout when considering these comments.
Gabe Vilardi, the Memorial Cup-winning 17-year old out of Windsor, has elite puck protection skills and the ability to find teammates in traffic. Though he lined up at times on the wing for the incredibly deep Spitfires team, many believe that if he can improve his skating ability—which currently sits below average in speed and acceleration, but not power—he’ll eventually land in the middle of an NHL line. While not exactly a powerplay quarterback, his five-on-five playmaking ability should be among the best in the draft.
Casey Mittelstadt, the highlight-reel high school player from Minnesota turned more and more heads as the season went on. His brand of physical power-hockey mixed with incredible hands and skill will allow him to put up points at every level. While his two-way game is still a work in progress, he never forces a pass and instead creates tap-ins for his teammates by beating defenders one-on-one first. At the higher levels that may not be possible, but his ability to create offense shouldn’t flounder.
Cody Glass, a sometimes-overlooked contender for a top-5 pick is one of the best two-way players in the draft and has another level of playmaking ability in him. Playing on a Portland Winterhawks team without the type of skill Vilardi was surrounded by, Glass put up 94 points and was among the WHL scoring leaders. The Winnipeg native already has an excellent defensive presence, and an incredibly accurate passing arsenal. He’ll rarely make you think “how did he do that?” but instead efficiently distribute the puck or attack the net creating scoring chance after scoring chance.
Vilardi will be returning to the Spitfires next season in search of another Memorial Cup run, and should play a much bigger role on the team. With several stars heading off to professional hockey, he’ll be relied on as the top option. Mittelstadt is committed to the University of Minnesota where he’ll try to make an impact as a freshman. It would be hard to see him making it past his sophomore season with the school, when the professional ranks come calling. Glass will go back to Portland where he’ll be getting a new talented power forward, and should compete for the WHL scoring title. Any of these players could go in the couple of picks before Vancouver, but at least one of them will surely be there when they stride up to the podium. Whether they take one of the center prospects, or just can’t pass on another defenseman is still to be seen. Either way it will be an exciting day for Canucks fans who dream of a rebuilt club competing for the Stanley Cup once again.
