After picking three forwards in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks turned their attention to the blueline.
With their second of two picks in the sixth round, the Canucks selected Parker Alcos, a local boy from Port Moody even if he's played his junior hockey far from home with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL.
Alcos is a 6'3", right-shot defenceman with a smooth skating stride, who ate up big minutes for the Oil Kings. He plays the type of mobile shutdown defence that should, in theory, translate to the NHL.
"Mobility forms the basis of his detailed defensive game," reads his profile from Elite Prospects. "He wins races on retrievals, controls contact, checks over both shoulders, and leaves pucks into space for a teammate."
With his skating, Alcos is excellent at shutting down the rush, closing on opposing forwards with both big, smooth strides and quick crossovers. He's also not shy about stepping into opponents for either big hits or just closing out players on the boards to separate them from the puck.
There's a lot to like about Alcos but the big question mark is the offensive side of his game.
Alcos had just one goal and 15 points in 67 games. While his defensive game is clearly his strength, one of the concerns about a defenceman who doesn't produce in junior is whether he has the puck skills to play at the NHL level.
"At times, Alcos’ hands fail him," says Elite Prospects. "He gets locked into plays and lacks deception outside his more advanced retrieval game."
But there's one thing to keep in mind: Alcos is very young. He's still just 17 and doesn't turn 18 until July 20, making him one of the youngest prospects in the draft. That leaves a lot of runway available for development and makes it even more impressive how many minutes he played for the Oil Kings.
With his age in mind, there are hints that Alcos has more to give offensively and could break out in the near future.
"Alcos has both high-level breakout and offence flashes too, even if a bit too infrequent at this stage," says Elite Prospects. "On the breakout, he draws and evades pressure, finding weak side targets and using give-and-goes. From the point, he’s always creeping into space on the weak side, usually to shoot but sometimes to pass back across the slot for an even better look."
Alcos is clearly a project but any prospect drafted in the sixth round will be. For the Canucks, Alcos represents a bet on upside, just like all of their picks have been at this year's draft. If Alcos improves his puckhandling and takes the steps offensively that scouts believe he can, he has legitimate NHL potential.
