Revisiting the Canucks’ 2023 Draft Class

This season, Willander continued with BU and took on a larger role on the blue line with Lane Hutson graduating to the NHL. He averaged over 20 minutes most nights and impressed everyone with his skating, poise, and two-way play, prompting BU’s play-by-play voice Bernie Corbett to say this to Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal in a recent episode of Donnie and Dhali:

“I think he’s going to be a core guy for your club…I think he’ll be a top four guy, no question. He’s got the all-around game. He’s certainly not one-dimensional. He’s a guy who might run a power play. He’s a guy that defends well, plays well. He doesn’t get turned. If a guy goes wide, he’s very good at extending and keeping up and making up ground and ending plays. He’s real good at that. And a good shot blocker too.”

Willander also starred for Team Sweden again at the World Juniors, posting two goals and five points in seven games. He didn’t get a medal this time, but was a major part of the defence, with only two games under 24 minutes of ice time. He also starred on the power play with a Quinn Hughes-esque player in Axel Sandin-Pellikka and showcased what he could possibly do in Vancouver with Hughes by his side. Sandin-Pellikka was impressed with his teammate throughout the tournament, which bodes well for his future in the NHL, hopefully as Hughes’ Devon Toews one day.

“It’s fun — he’s a real skilled player,” Sandin-Pellikka said. “He hides the passes really well so he can tee me up sometimes. I need to get the pucks above the ice sometimes, but he’s real skilled so I’m happy to have him there.”

Canucks fans will get to see Willander in a Canucks jersey (either in Vancouver or Abbotsford) next season, as he finally signed his entry-level contract after a month of negotiations with the Canucks front office. He might not start with Hughes right away, but he has all the tools to become a core piece of the blue line in the very near future.

3rd Round, 75th Overall – Hunter Brzustewicz, Right Defence

The Canucks didn’t have a pick in the second round, so fans had to wait until the third round to see their team add another prospect to the system. When they were next on the clock, they went with another defenceman in Hunter Brzustewicz. Right away in his draft-plus-one-year, he bolted out of the gates with the Kitchener Rangers, eventually finishing with an impressive 13 goals and 92 points in 67 games. It appeared the Canucks had a steal on their hands, but unfortunately, Allvin took advantage of that and traded him to the Calgary Flames in a package that brought back Elias Lindholm – who eventually bolted in free agency to the Boston Bruins.

Brzustewicz turned pro with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season and finished with five goals and 32 points in 70 games. He also made his NHL debut with the Flames on April 17, where he logged 18:23 of ice time and finished with two shots on goal.

3rd Round, 89th Overall – Sawyer Mynio, Left Defence

A few picks later, the Canucks kept the run on defence going with Sawyer Mynio. Initially thought of as a defensive defenceman in the vein of Chris Tanev and Jaccob Slavin, he has changed the narrative over the last couple of seasons and is now considered more of a two-way defenceman. It started in his D+1 year with the Seattle Thunderbirds when he exploded for a career-high 16 goals and 53 points in 63 games, shattering his previous high of 31 points set in his draft year. Then, this season, he proved that type of production wasn’t a one-off, as he recorded another 14 goals and 45 points split between the Thunderbirds and Calgary Hitmen. He also put up six assists in the playoffs, where the Hitmen made it to the second round and got eliminated by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in seven games.

Mynio is tracking to become another steal in the third round, following the likes of Elias Pettersson, who has all but established himself as an NHL defender with his play this season in Vancouver. With a solid defensive game, great first pass, and emerging offensive abilities, his ceiling is a lot more exciting now than it was when I was writing his prospect profile ahead of the 2023 Draft.

4th Round, 105th Overall – Ty Mueller, Centre

For the next three picks, the Canucks shifted to the forward group. They started with Ty Mueller out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He didn’t get a lot of fanfare and attention when he was drafted, but two years later, he has vaulted into the realm of a future NHLer. In fact, he already has two NHL games under his belt, thanks to a call-up at the end of the season that saw him make his debut against the Minnesota Wild on April 12.

Mueller earned that call-up with a surprising rookie season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Abbotsford Canucks. After three seasons in the NCAA, he quickly made the transition to pro hockey and established himself as a solid two-way player and penalty killer, finishing with 12 goals and 39 points in 64 games. He also became one of new head coach Manny Malhotra’s most trusted and versatile players, capable of being plugged into multiple situations and lines (whether it be center or wing) and not missing a beat.

“This league is all about developing and evolving your game and Ty is one of those guys who has adapted well and done well with the minutes that he has been given,” said Malhotra. “He’s already grown a lot. He’s taking on more minutes, he does both special teams, and he has an ability to just fit in and plug his game in with any two wingers. I give him credit; he’s done a really good job with his ability to adapt to the pro game.”

While the sample size in the NHL is very small, Mueller didn’t look out of place and could eventually become a player like his head coach – a well-rounded, trusted center who can win draws, isn’t afraid to throw his body in harm’s way, play all over the lineup, and anchor a primary penalty killing unit.

4th Round, 107th Overall – Vilmer Alriksson, Left Wing

The Canucks headed back to Sweden for their second fourth-round pick and chose 6-foot-6 forward Vilmer Alriksson. Like Willander, he came over to North America right away, joining the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the 2023-24 season. He had a pretty good showing in his rookie campaign, recording 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists). This season, he started with the Storm again, but was traded before the deadline to the Brampton Steelheads. Unfortunately, he was injured in February and last played on Feb. 12 against the Sudbury Wolves. He had two goals in that game, and while he is healthy now and joined the Abbotsford Canucks on April 10 for their playoff run, he hasn’t seen any time with them yet. He probably won’t, either, as the Canucks have plenty of bodies to insert as they try to navigate their way past the Colorado Eagles in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Even though Alriksson isn’t playing right now in the AHL, he is still gaining valuable experience practicing with NHL and AHL veterans. Not to mention, feedback from a head coach who has 991 NHL games under his belt, and guidance from fellow Swedes and development coaches Henrik and Daniel Sedin. He has one more year of junior eligibility in the OHL, but he will likely start in the AHL or ECHL next season rather than return to Brampton as an overager. At worst, he will follow the same path as Josh Bloom: struggle in the AHL to start, return to a strong team in the OHL to finish his junior career, and then graduate to pro full-time.

4th Round, 119th Overall – Matthew Perkins, Centre

One of two prospects from this draft class currently unsigned, Matthew Perkins has spent his last two seasons in the NCAA with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. After a productive draft year in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with 15 goals and 44 points in 60 games, he has struggled to translate that offence to the college level. In his first two years, he has only seven goals and 20 points in 64 games, prompting a transfer to Northeastern University for the 2025-26 season. The Canucks are pretty familiar with that program, having had Adam Gaudette, Aidan McDonough, and Tyler Madden as alumni, but have not seen it bear fruit for the NHL team, as all three of them are not in the organization anymore.

6th Round, 171st Overall – Aiden Celebrini, Right Defence

The Canucks didn’t have a fifth-round pick in this draft, so we jump to the sixth round for their final selection, Aiden Celebrini. He also hasn’t been signed to an ELC and will remain in the NCAA with Boston University for his junior year. His first two years in the NCAA haven’t been impressive when it comes to the statsheet (three goals and 14 points in 67 games), but that’s not really his game. His strengths lie in the defensive zone, with mobility and physicality often described as two of his attributes. Having said that, he is committed to adding more to his toolbox to give himself the best chance of making it to the NHL. BU assistant coach Kim Brandvold was impressed all season with his work ethic and commitment to improving his game, highlighting his compete level and consistency in an interview with Canucks’ reporter Lindsey Horsting.

“Aiden loves to play and compete; he’s one of our most competitive players. Whatever environment he’s in, he thrives in terms of wanting to play and compete and help the team win,” Brandvold said. “No moment is too big for him; he brings the same kind of effort and enthusiasm to the game no matter what.”

While it remains to be seen if Celebrini can make it to the NHL like his younger brother Macklin, his level of commitment and strong work ethic should give him a good chance of doing it. This quote from Brandvold says it all: “He’s one of those guys that you know that he always wants to try to push to get better. He’s always taking your feedback and applying it and running with it and then also looking for more. Once he gets past whatever hurdles you’ve set or things you’re learning, he’s always looking for the next thing.” If he continues doing that, he should have a good chance of at least making it to the AHL.

2023 Draft Continues Run of Potential Steals

Similar to the 2022 Draft with Elias Pettersson and Kirill Kudryavtsev, the Canucks appear to have unearthed some gems in Mynio, Mueller, and Vilmer Alriksson in the later rounds. They all have exceeded expectations since they were drafted, and in the case of Mueller, he has already made his NHL debut. While Alriksson and Mueller will likely top out as bottom-six forwards, and Mynio a fringe top-four defenceman, that’s still pretty good for beyond the second round, where the probability of finding NHLers goes way down. All in all, it will be exciting to follow the progress of this trio next season as they all should be in the AHL or ECHL.