LATEST | Craig Button identifies the prospect the Canucks must draft with their first rounder

PUBLICATION

Felip Gosselin
May 8, 2023 (8:40 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The lottery finally took place and the Canucks' fate regarding the 2023 draft is now sealed. With the 11th pick, TSN analyst Craig Button identified THE prospect the Canucks must aim for.

The analyst is well-known for his prospect rankings and he's identified a Swede defender that's been drawing Rasmus Dhalin comparisons since the beginning of the year. Per his reports, the Canucks should be setting their eyes on the right-handed defenceman, Axel Sandin Pellikka.

Standing at 5'11'' and 181 pounds, he is the very definition of a modern two-way defenseman. If he were Dahlin's size (6'03'', 202 pounds), he'd definitely be higher on this list. Sandin Pellikka played at the SHL level this year and managed 5 points in 22 games with limited opportunities, at the junior level he was outstanding collecting 36 points in 31 games.

Must read on CanucksDaily

Former Canucks assistant coach Mike Yeo officially hired

Patrik Allvin: Martin Necas would be traded before Saturday

The Swede is a smooth skater and the scouts have noticed:

«Sandin Pellikka's skating is a thing of beauty. His stride is technically sound. His straight-line speed is excellent. When it comes to his first few steps, or acceleration, he is explosive. As for his edges, he generates a lot of speed through his crossovers, can stop on a dime, and transitions from forwards to backward skating near-flawlessly. His four-way mobility is evident and at a high level''

- Kyle Pereira LWOS

The great news about Sandin Pellikka is that his biggest weakness is his strength. With proper support and a training plan, he could definitely bulk up and fix this issue which could potentially make him a top-end defenceman at the game's highest level.

Here's Button first 16 picks mock draft:

1. Chicago Blackhawks � Connor Bedard2. Anaheim Ducks � Adam Fantilli 3. Columbus Blue Jackets � Leo Carlsson4. San Jose Sharks � Will Smith5. Montreal Canadiens � Dalibor Dvorsky6. Arizona Coyotes � Matvei Michkov7. Philadelphia Flyers � Ryan Leonard8. Washington Capitals � David Reinbacher9. Detroit Red Wings � Colby Barlow10. St. Louis Blues � Matthew Wood11. Vancouver Canucks � Axel Sandin-Pellikka12. Arizona Coyotes (via OTT) � Zach Benson13. Buffalo Sabres � Oliver Moore14. Pittsburgh Penguins � Brayden Yager15. Nashville Predators � Gabe Perreault16. Calgary Flames � Nate Danielson

Previously on CanucksDaily

MAJOR | New evidence suggests that the NHL Draft Lottery is rigged

BREAKING | Lottery results are in and good news for the Canucks

BREAKING | Former Canucks head coach, long-time NHLer passes away at 93

POLL
8 MAI \| 247 ANSWERS LATEST \| Craig Button identifies the prospect the Canucks must draft with their first rounder Should the Canucks that a serious look at Sandin Pellikka?
Yes	159	64.4 %
No	58	23.5 %
Draft a forward	30	12.1 %
List of polls