The Vancouver Canucks have a troubling history of missing on second-round draft picks, creating a black hole that has hindered roster development. While there are exceptions like Nils Hoglander, Thatcher Demko, Mason Raymond, Curt Fraser, Ron Sedlbauer, and Bobby Lalonde, the list of players who failed to reach 200 NHL games is longer. Since the 2002 draft, notable misses include Danila Klimovich, Jett Woo, Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich, Alexandre Mallett, Anton Rodin, Yann Sauve, Taylor Ellington, Marc-Andre Bernier, Kirill Koltsov, and Denis Grot. Six of these players never played an NHL game.
Klimovich's Unfulfilled Promise
Danila Klimovich, selected 41st overall in 2021, did not receive a qualifying offer this week and will enter free agency. The 23-year-old winger never played an NHL game despite showing promise in the AHL, where he had a 25-goal season and won the Calder Cup in 2025. At the time of his selection, Canucks director of amateur scouting Todd Harvey said: "This guy is intriguing. With his size and determination, it really sold it for me. We zeroed in on him and really think we have a player here." However, Klimovich struggled with consistency, turnovers, and healthy scratches in the pro game.
Ellington's Cautionary Tale
Taylor Ellington, selected 33rd overall in 2007, is another cautionary tale. The Victoria native was a menace with Everett (WHL), piling up 130 penalty minutes and 32 points, but he was also a minus-20. Mobility proved a major concern, and he never played an NHL game. He logged more games in the ECHL than the AHL and eventually wound up in Denmark. In 2012, he was part of a desperate trade-deadline deal for Sammy Pahlsson, where the Canucks sent two fourth-round picks to Columbus. Pahlsson played 24 games and then left for the Swedish Hockey League.
Building Through the Second Round
Drafting is not an exact science, but rosters are built through the second round, where skill and will are readily available. The Canucks are coming off a widely acclaimed 2026 draft, where they made prudent first-round plays for centre Caleb Malhotra and winger Adam Novotny. Their second-round selections of towering centre Brooks Rogowski and sniper Niklas Aaram-Olsen will warrant close attention. The Canucks chose seven players who are at least 6-foot-1, a pair who are 6-foot-5, and one at 6-foot-7. In a game where size matters, the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes had 13 roster players of at least 6-foot-2, including four at 6-foot-4, one at 6-foot-5, and 14 who weighed at least 200 pounds.
Lessons from Hoglander's Departure
Nils Hoglander, a second-round pick in 2019, played 331 games before being traded to the Nashville Predators for a 2029 third-round pick. His departure highlights the team's shift toward a bigger, better, meaner philosophy. Hoglander had 24 goals and 36 points in 2023-24 but struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season. Harvey said: "We won't get pushed around."
