We’re getting a look at the potential future face of the Vancouver Canucks with the team selecting six players at the 2018 NHL Draft.
On Friday night, the team looked to patch a hole in its defence by picking the highly-touted Quintin “Quinn” Hughes seventh overall with its first round pick.
The left-handed 18-year-old from Orlando, Fla. has earned high praise as an aggressive, scoring blueliner.
Hughes had five goals and 29 points in 37 games with the University of Michigan in 2017-2018 and was named to the Big 10 all-rookie team.
On Saturday, the Canucks fleshed out their prospect pool with five additional acquisitions, including more depth at the back end.
Going 37th overall was Winnipeg native Jett Woo, who played 44 regular season games with the WHL Moose Jaw Warriors this season, putting up 25 points, along with three points in 14 playoff games.
Standing six-foot tall and weighing in at 201 lbs, the hefty D-man is expected to add some grit to the team’s blueline, and has earned praise as a smart playmaker.
Woo is named after Chinese action movie star Jet Li. Woo’s father says his family had looked into trying to help the actor emigrate to Canada.
With its third round pick, at 68th overall, the team snagged 2017/2018 USHL All-Rookie Second Team centre Tyler Madden.
Madden put up 34 points in 50 games, and was named Team East’s most valuable player. He is the son of former NHLer John Madden.
At 130th overall, the Canucks selected another defenceman, Toni Utunen, who put up 12 points over 39 games with Finnish squads Leki and Tappara in 2017/2018.
Utunen, who stands five-foot-10 and weighs in at 169 lbs., won gold with Finland’s under-18 world junior championships squad last year.
The Canucks drafted Russian right winger Artyom Manukyan 186th overall. He had two points in 24 games with Avangard Omsk and 12 points in 12 games with Omskie Yasterby, this season.
And rounding out its draft, the team acquired a prospect goalie, Matthew Thiessen, 192nd overall.
Thiessen posted a record of 28-3-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average in 34 games with the Manitoba Junior Hockey Leage (MJHL) Steinach Pistons this season, and was named to the MJHL All-Rookie Team. Thiessen is committed to the University of Maine.
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