Canucks draft 7 players on second day under new GM Ryan Johnson
Vancouver made trades and selections across six rounds, highlighting bigger-bodied prospects with upside in the secondary rounds.
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The Vancouver Canucks completed their first draft under new general manager Ryan Johnson, making seven selections on the second day after opening with two first-round picks.
Johnson made his first trade as Canucks GM, dealing the 161st overall pick (sixth round) to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2027 fifth-rounder. Among the seven players selected, the Canucks showed a clear preference for size and potential: Brooks Rogowski (6-foot-7, 235 pounds) went 33rd overall in the second round, while Samuel Eriksson, a 6-foot-5, 212-pound defenceman, was the final pick at 184th overall in the sixth round.
Other selections included Norwegian winger Niklas Aaram-Olsen (41st overall, second round), known for explosive skating and a lethal shot; Russian goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko (78th overall, third round), a 17-year-old who posted a .922 save percentage in Russia's top junior league; and overager Yaroslav Bryzgalov (97th overall, fourth round), a Medicine Hat Tigers teammate of the Ruck twins who posted 13 goals and 55 points in 64 games.
Connor Davis, a 6-foot winger with an "insane motor" who ended his USHL season with 24 points in 13 games, was selected 129th overall in the fifth round. Slovakian winger Lucian Bernat (176th overall, sixth round) stands 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and will play for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL next season.