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Cameron Schmidt, Vancouver Giants (Photo Credit: Rob Wilton)

Canucks 2025 NHL Draft Target: Cameron Schmidt

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Lukas Bernasiewicz | Last updated May 18, 2025 9:05 AM ET

The Vancouver Canucks are now formulating their offseason plans. They just hired Adam Foote as the team’s new head coach and are beginning to bring together their staff and players for next season. However, a big part of the offseason for Vancouver will be the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, where they have the chance to bring in a great player into their organization. The Canucks have a pick in every round of the draft this year, and I believe that one player they should look to draft is Cameron Schmidt.

He’s Exactly What the Canucks Need

Schmidt plays an amazing offensive game that reminds me a lot of prime Phil Kessel. With a right-handed shot, Schmidt has one of the best releases in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and can put the puck in the back of the net from many parts of the ice. Whether it’s a snipe off the rush or a standstill snapshot, Schmidt is always a threat to score goals. In 61 games for the Vancouver Giants this season, he scored 40 goals and 78 points. His goal totals were tied for first among first-year draft-eligible players with Carter Bear of the Everett Silvertips. He even showed major improvements in his overall point scoring from last season, as his 78 points in 2024-25 were 20 more than last season’s 58.

His attributes are exactly what the Canucks will need in the future. The team is most likely losing Brock Boeser to free agency as the two sides seem very distant on a contract extension and losing him will cost the Canucks goal scoring. But Schmidt brings a lot of the same aspects that Boeser does. Both players are right-handed shots, both players have amazing releases, and Schmidt has the ability to score important goals like Boeser did. With the raw skills that Schmidt has shown so far in his time in the WHL against players close to his age group, this is a player that you can potentially help mould into a dynamic scoring winger that can help you in the future. It will take at least two seasons before you even consider bringing him up to the NHL, but with those years of development, he will get stronger and more confident and could become a great scorer for the Canucks.

A Hometown Player

Although not from Vancouver originally, and raised in Edmonton, Schmidt’s last two seasons as a member of the Giants have made him an honorary member of the Vancouver community. Playing in the Canucks’ backyard during his prime developing years in the WHL has made Schmidt a beloved player amongst Vancouver residents. Many Canucks fans have paid very close attention to him during his draft year and through his draft process, and he may be available for the Canucks in either the first or second round.

The Canucks have sadly been unable to draft or sign many impactful players who come from the B.C. area. They passed on taking Kamloops’ own Logan Stankoven, and they were unable to offer North Vancouver’s own Sam Reinhart a contract last season, as he ended up re-signing with the Florida Panthers. This could be the chance for the Canucks to finally be able to draft one of their hometown products. Many Ontario players love to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs to live out a childhood dream; now is the time for that to start in Vancouver.

The Canucks have many options for this upcoming NHL Draft, and there are great players available this year. But selecting Schmidt will bring a player to the Canucks that can potentially become a 30-goal scorer and could be one of the main pieces of the future. He will also be a great hometown story for the city.