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7 players Vancouver Canucks could draft if they lose the lottery

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Mar 20 2026, 8:06 pm
7 players Vancouver Canucks could draft if they lose the lottery
Could the Canucks consider drafting Caleb Malhotra at third overall? (@OHLhockey/X)

Dreaming about winning the draft lottery is therapeutic.

Unfortunately, those draft lottery dreams have never turned into a reality for Vancouver Canucks fans.

While it’s enticing to daydream about the choice between Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg, the cold, hard reality for Canucks fans is that picking in the top two isn’t the most likely outcome.

The Canucks have a 43.7 per cent chance of landing one of the top two selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, meaning the most likely outcome is that they’ll draft third overall, with 56.3 per cent odds of doing so.

So, what should the Canucks do if they slide to third overall?

There isn’t a clear-cut choice for the Canucks, but here are seven players who are worthy of consideration.

1. Keaton Verhoeff

Position: Right defence
Size: 6-foot-4, 212 pounds
Team: North Dakota (NCAA)
2025-26 stats: 33 GP, 6 G, 14 A, 20 PTS

Keaton Verhoeff has been the consensus No. 3 overall choice for most of the year. However, he’s begun to slide down draft rankings, with the 6-foot-3 defender ranking as low as sixth overall, according to some scouts.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Verhoeff has been a productive defenceman in the NCAA, even though the 6-foot-4, 210-pound defender is one of the youngest players eligible in the 2026 Draft (June 19, 2008). Some have compared his game to Aaron Ekblad.

2. Chase Reid

Position: Right defence
Size: 6-foot-2, 187 pounds
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2025-26 stats: 43 GP, 18 G, 30 A, 48 PTS

Multiple scouting outlets have now ranked Chase Reid ahead of Verhoeff, with The Athletic’s Corey Pronman going as far as saying he’s the best player available in the 2026 draft.

The 6-foot-2 defender is being lauded as having a very strong transition game, along with decent offensive instincts.

Whether it’s Verhoeff or Reid, the Canucks could be set on the right side for years to come with the combination of Tom Willander and either of the two highly touted defencemen.

3. Albert Smits

Position: Left defence
Size: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
Team: Jukurit (Liiga)
2025-26 stats: 38 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 PTS

Only 30 Latvians have ever played in the NHL, and six of those have either played or been drafted by the Canucks.

Could Albert Smits be the next?

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenceman has authored an impressive season, shining for Latvia at the World Juniors before representing them at the Olympics.

He also had similar production to Miro Heiskanen in Finland’s Liiga at the same age, although his skating isn’t on that level. Some scouts are drawing comparisons to Jakob Chychrun.

Smits also has some confidence, and rightly so.

With Jukerit’s season over in Finland’s Liiga, Smits is currently on loan to EHC München for the DEL playoffs in Germany.

4. Carson Carels

Position: Left defence
Size: 6-foot-2, 194 pounds
Team: Prince George Cougars (WHL)
2025-26 stats: 57 GP, 20 G, 53 A, 73 PTS

Much like the choice between Verhoeff and Reid could solidify Vancouver’s right side for years to come, there’s a similar argument for a potential decision between Smits and Carson Carels.

The Cypress River, Manitoba native is another late birthday in this draft class (June 23, 2008), who’s already 6-foot-2 and plays a physical brand of defence. He’s also been productive with 73 points in 57 games for the Prince George Cougars this season.

5. Tynan Lawrence

Position: Centre (left-shot)
Size: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Team: Boston University (NCAA)
2025-26 stats: 18 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 7 PTS

The bar was high for centre Tynan Lawrence entering the season, as the youngster was named playoff MVP in the USHL last season. He scored at over a point-per-game clip and played in all situations.

Before leaving for Boston University, Lawrence continued to shred the USHL with 10 goals and 17 points in 13 games.

Hype around Lawrence dropped this season as he transitioned to the NCAA mid-year, where he had a pedestrian seven points in 18 games. However, five of those points came in his last six games, suggesting perhaps that one of the youngest players in the draft (born Aug. 8, 2008) was beginning to figure it out at the college level.

6. Caleb Malhotra

Position: Centre (left-shot)
Size: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds
Team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
2025-26 stats: 65 GP, 29 G, 52 A, 81 PTS

The son of current Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra is seen as one of the top centres available in this year’s draft.

He’s a sturdy, all-around player, much like his dad. However, many scouts tend to question how much offence he’ll truly have at the NHL level.

Malhotra seems like an overly safe reach at third overall, although his connection to the Canucks, and the fact that Vancouver desperately needs more centres in the organization, can’t be ignored.

Ironically, he’s also headed to Boston University next season to play on the same team as Lawrence.

7. Viggo Björck

Position: Centre (right-shot), right wing
Size: 5-foot-10, 172 pounds
Team: Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2025-26 stats: 42 GP, 6 G, 9 A, 15 PTS

Could the Canucks be on the verge of drafting another set of Swedish brothers?

Last year, the Canucks drafted Wilson Björck in the fifth round. However, his younger brother Viggo is the more impressive of the two players.

Family relations aside, there’s a strong argument for the Canucks to take Björck if they slip to third overall.

Björck’s role in the SHL has skyrocketed this year, and he’s now playing as the number-one centre for his team in the postseason. In his first playoff game for Djurgårdens IF, he had a goal and two assists.

He kills penalties, he’s good in the faceoff dot, and he ranked second on Sweden’s gold medal-winning team at the World Juniors in points by draft-eligible players, with one less point than Ivar Stenberg.

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