The Vancouver Canucks didn't have a lot of draft picks heading into the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, but they did have two picks in the sixth round, allowing them to make a couple of late-round bets.
The first was a big swing, taking the OHL's leading goalscorer, Anthony Romani, with the 162nd overall pick.
Romani had an outstanding season with the North Bay Battalion, scoring 58 goals in 68 games to finish six goals clear of the next best goalscorer. He also tallied 53 points, giving him 111 points, good for second in OHL scoring behind David Goyette, who is 20 years old and was a second-round pick of the Seattle Kraken two years ago.
Romani has fantastic all-around tools, with slick hands, a dangerous shot, and excellent vision. He causes defencemen nightmares when he attacks in transition.
"Most of Romani’s offence comes off the rush," reads his prospect from Elite Prospects. "He’s an ice-stretching playmaker, hitting teammates with long-bomb cross-ice passes. This season, he carried the puck more, creating offence with his weaving rushes and give-and-goes. Either way, he’s constantly shifting the defence around with his east-west movement, creating space for him or his linemates to slip away from the defence."
He was dynamite as a playmaker but let's remember that he led the OHL in goalscoring. His quick release and accuracy makes him a dangerous sniper, with the ability to beat a moving goaltender with a one-timer or a set goaltender with a perfectly-place wristshot.
Really, Romani profiles more like a first-round pick than a sixth-round pick but there's one major caveat: he's in his second year of draft eligibility.
Romani was passed over in the draft last year after 23 goals and 43 points in 66 games. That was middling production even if there were some indications in his underlying statistical profile that suggested there was more to his game.
"His transition passing and all-out defensive effort made him a likely breakout candidate," says Elite Prospects, "but we wanted to see him develop a clear-cut NHL offensive dimension."
There's no doubt that he added that offence, out-scoring first-round picks from last year like Quentin Musty, Easton Cowan, and Dalibor Dvorsky.
Let's also keep in mind that Romani was still just 18 years old this season. He doesn't turn 19 until July 12, so he was barely older than many of the first-time draft-eligible prospects taken in this draft. That makes Romani a smart swing for the Canucks, getting a player with top prospect upside late in the draft.
There are other weaknesses to Romani's game that will need to be addressed — Elite Prospects suggests he needs to develop his skating and physical game more — but this seems like a great pick for the Canucks.
