Daniel Gee: Canucks invite intriguing Vancouver Giants player to Prospect Showcase

Image courtesy of Eliteprospects.com

Obobaifo’s dynamic skill

Obobafio is a hard player to dislike. He’s engaged, never backs down, and operates with a relentless motor, helping him play bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame. From there, he’s a lightning bolt. He may not drive play consistently, but across his draft-minus-one season and draft year, Obobafio racked up dynamic, game-breaking moments, showing the flash and skill that usually lead to a scoring profile that projects to higher levels of hockey.

His game is built on pace, something he uses to play fast and deceptive hockey. By slowing down and speeding up the game, Obobafio consistently put defenders on their heels, broke free on breaks, and connected plays with his above-average tools.

Able to connect plays through tight seams off the cycle and place pucks with precision off the pass, he’s versatile, blending feints and fakes, making him an intelligent, dual-threat attacker.

What separates Obobafio even more is his puck handling. He strings together highlight-reel worthy handles, attacking defenders’ weaksides, pulling pucks across his body in an attempt to create advantages. Not all his attempts work, but his ability to maneuver through large ice, whether he’s chipping and chasing around a gapped-up defender or rolling off the outside lane to protect the puck at his hip, makes him a relentless attacker off the rush.

Nevertheless, the cons of Obobafio’s profile are relatively straightforward. Mechanically, he isn’t the cleanest skater, lacking depth and relying on foot speed and activity rate to create speed; he can break down as fatigue builds. Despite his playstyle, his size is a detriment to his long-term projection. He loses battles against larger opponents on the perimeter of the ice and can fade as games become rougher and space becomes more limited. His injury and time missed are a concern as well — it’s never a good thing to miss so much of a season, especially early in your WHL career.

Still, Obobafio is a no-brainer in terms of an invitee to a prospect showcase. You tap into a team in your local area, and he’s someone who could potentially break out offensively this upcoming season. And if you are like the Canucks, who regularly look for value in overaged players — ones who are older than the current draft year – this small period of time could be valuable for learning more about the player, if it hasn’t already been done in the draft process.

Why Obobafio fits the overager profile Vancouver targets

While this isn’t necessarily broken down scientifically, in the past seasons, the Canucks have added players such as Wilson Bjorck, Anthony Romani, Ty Mueller, and Matthew Perkins, creating a subtle throughline when comparing profiles.

These players typically operate with a high work rate; the catalyst for much of their game is their high effort levels. This falls in line with the theme of competitiveness — something almost every drafted Canuck boasts. They are also behind the curve developmentally — late bloomers who may have found scoring or projectable niche roles later in their careers — all while boasting skills that should translate to the professional game if they get to that stage.

While these traits could ultimately be coincidences — it’s hard to be sure outside looking in — Obobafio brings all of that to the table, matching the value profile the team seemingly looks for in later rounds. With a return to the Giants for the 2025-2026 season, the Canucks will have a front-seat view of his progress — whether that leads to an eventual draft selection or not — that will be up to Obobafio’s play, which starts this weekend in Seattle.