The Canucks have a serious need for a future first-line centre and could potentially select one with the fifth overall pick this year. But here’s the thing: when you’re as bad as the Canucks have been, you tend to have a lot of needs.
In net and on the wing, the Canucks have high-end prospects on the way. Thatcher Demko projects as a number one goaltender, while Brock Boeser, Jonathan Dahlen, and Nikolay Goldobin give the Canucks some hope on the wing. They are looking a little more shallow at the two most important positions: centre and defence.
Adam Gaudette is the Canucks’ top prospect at centre but, despite two excellent seasons in the NCAA, he doesn’t project as a first-line centre. Meanwhile, Olli Juolevi has potential to be a top-pairing defenceman, but their prospect depth on defence is woeful behind him, unless you’re very optimistic about Jordan Subban and Guillaume Brisebois. With Tate Olson and Carl Neill going unsigned, that just further highlights their need for more prospects on defence.
Benning has made it clear that he and his scouting staff are focused on centres and defencemen with the fifth overall pick as they head to the draft, specifically “power play defencemen.” Cale Makar and Timothy Liljegren are the two defencemen likely to get picked in the top 10 that best fit that profile.
There is a growing consensus, however, that neither Makar nor Liljegren is the best defenceman available in the draft. Instead, Miro Heiskanen has shot up the draft rankings in the last few months. Bob Mckenzie had him at fourth overall in his most recent ranking, which comes from a survey of 10 NHL scouts.
What’s particularly intriguing for Canucks fans is that Heiskanen has played with Juolevi before. They were on a pairing together for Finland at the 2017 World Juniors. It’s not hard to look at the two of them and see a future top pairing for the Canucks.
Heiskanen doesn’t have the offensive upside of Makar or Liljegren, but is a more well-rounded player with a more refined defensive game. He’s an excellent skater, quickly closing gaps and creating space in transition, and can also move the puck up ice effectively with his passing. That’s something the Canucks have struggled with over the past few seasons.
What most stands out about Heiskanen is the level he already plays at. Unlike Makar, who is one of the oldest first-time eligible players in this years draft and plays against lesser competition in the AJHL, Heiskanen is one of the youngest and has already been playing against men in the Finnish Elite League.
Heiskanen regularly played 20 minutes per game for HIFK, a rarity for a 17-year-old, particularly one who won’t turn 18 until mid-July. From scouting reports, he wasn’t sheltered in any way and more than held his own.
Team's 5v5 Corsi is 49.3% without him on the ice, 52.9% with him on ice & he's not sheltered. Tough to find direct comparisons to Heiskanen.
— Zac Urback (@Zac_Urback) April 27, 2017
Simply put, 17-year-olds don’t do what he did in the Finnish Elite League. His 5 goals and 10 points in 37 games may not seem like much, but that's outstanding production for someone his age. The only other teenaged defenceman who had more points than he was Robin Salo with 16 points, and he’s nearly a year older, played 17 more games than Heiskanen, and had just one goal.
Side note: if he’s available in the third round, the Canucks might want to pick up Robin Salo and introduce him to Bo Horvat’s skating coach. Just a thought.
What really caught people’s attention, however, was a breakout performance at the World Under-18 Championship, where he was named the tournament’s best defenceman. He was dominant, putting up 12 points in 7 games to finish second in tournament scoring. He had twice as many points as the next best defenceman.
Benning tends to pay particularly close attention to international performance and Heiskanen quarterbacked the effective Finnish power play in that tournament. Perhaps, if Benning is looking for a power play defenceman, Heiskanen is on his radar.
Scouts are universal in their praise of Heiskanen and struggle to find negatives in his game besides his size, which is less of a concern as he has plenty of time to grow into his 6'0" frame. Marco Bambino, a scout with Mckeen's Hockey, describes Heiskanen as an "excellent skater with impressive lateral agility and backwards skating" and says he "excels at moving the puck," has good defensive awareness and "terrific vision," and has "everything you want in a top defenceman." Craig Button says he has "top pairing potential" and suggested he could go as high as third overall in the draft. Future Considerations praised every element of his game, highlighting him as a "poised, mobile, puck-moving defenceman."
Picking Heiskanen might lack the excitement of picking a high-scoring centre, but it might actually be the best option for providing stability to the Canucks’ blueline for years to come.
