Vancouver Canucks: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
Even with most of their best prospects graduating, the Vancouver Canucks have an impressive pool of prospects.
What a season it has been for the Vancouver Canucks. Before the 2019-20 season began, many saw them as a team who were on the rise but were still not good enough to compete for the postseason.
However, thanks to the fantastic play of players such as J.T. Miller, Elias Petterssen, and rookie sensation Quinn Hughes, they not only made the playoffs, but are currently competing in the second round versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
While no one knows whether or not they will win their current series, their season can be looked at as a massive success regardless. They have a very good core group of young talent who will only continue to get better and better as the years go on.
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What is also exciting is that they have a very good prospect pool, with a few players on the list likely to make an NHL impact sooner than later. Given their current roster, along with these prospects, it seems likely the Canucks will soon again be contenders as they were nearly a decade ago.
As listed on the other top 8 prospects articles, anyone who has played more NHL games in a season than any other league, regardless of the season, will not be included on the list. With that said, here are the Canucks top 8 prospects.
8. Brogan Rafferty
Of all the top 8 prospects articles done to this point, Brogan Rafferty is the oldest player to make the list. The 25-year-old wasn’t on anyone’s radar at all prior to the 2019-20 season, and was seen as a player who was signed to help out the Utica Comets of the AHL.
After all, he had just finished up his third season with Quinnipiac University where he had posted fairly pedestrian numbers with four goals and 24 points in 38 games.
His rookie season with the Comets ended up going much better than anyone had anticipated, as the undrafted defenceman posted seven goals and 45 points in 57 games. His outstanding play also earned him an NHL call up, where he appeared in two games with the Canucks.
Due to his age, this upcoming season is likely a make it or break it year, but he has certainly turned some heads.
7. Kole Lind
The 2019-20 season was a sigh of relief for forward Kole Lind and the Canucks organization. The 2017 33rd overall pick had a rough rookie season for the Comets with just 17 points in 51 games. As a result, many began to question whether the Canucks whiffed on their 2nd round pick.
Thankfully, Lind was able to bounce back in a big way this year. Despite having a rough ending to the season scoring wise, he was still able to produce a much more impressive 14 goals and 44 points in 61 games with the Comets. At just 21-years-old, he may still be given some time to develop his offence in the AHL, but the former Kelowna Rocket will likely get at least some NHL games during the 2020-21 season.