Name: Guillaume Brisbois
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’2, 175 lbs
Born: July 21, 1997, Longueuil, QC
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”B“/ 30th NA / 41st NA
Summary: Rangy and fluid puck mover who has a lot more going for him on the right side of the puck than the opposite. Brisbois was one of the Q’s top minute munchers from the blueline, and his reward for playing so much on a horrid team was a league-worst -40. We see potential for improvement because his positioning and gap control are actually pretty solid. Brisbois has a pretty extensive international resume, including an abysmal showing at the U18’s for Team Canada where he and fellow 2015 draftee Jeremy Roy were terrorized by Team USA’s speed and strength. His projection is pretty simple: a top-4 with PPQB capabilities with limited trust in defensive zone situations.

Name: Dmitry Zhukenov
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’11, 169 lbs
Born: March 24, 1997, Omsk, Russia
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”B“/ 43rd Eur/ 61st Eur
Summary: The Chicoutimi-bound Zhukenov is the kind of one-dimensional skilled forward who generally fall out of favor in a hurry because the only time effort is displayed is when things are going the way he wants. While we won’t deny his excellent stickhandling and keen vision, he needs to be called out on a couch potato-like compete level. If a odd man rush is heading the other way, you can bank on Zhukenov being the last guy in the picture. Of course, we’d like to think the Canucks already knew this and will expend all efforts to get him to try a little harder. But in all likelihood, we see a kid who will continue the trend of inactivity in the QMJHL. The skill is there, but certainly not enough of it to give him carte blanche to skirt other aspects of the game.

Name: Carl Neill
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’1, 215 lbs
Born: July 6, 1996, Boisbriand, QC
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ NR/ NR
Summary: Vancouver went a little off the board to take the overage Neill, who went undrafted a year ago but improved his overall game and was one of the Q’s better (albeit older) two-way blueliners. Neill is a shooter, blessed with a very hard, accurate shot. He spent the bulk of the last two seasons on Sherbrooke’s top power play unit, and he makes himself a viable option by constantly moving his feet and darting towards openings. Neill certainly has a knack for getting into a good shooter’s position, but last season we saw an improvement in preparing himself to defend against an immediate counterattack. His age and experience likely played a role in his improvement, but isn’t that what you want from your lower round picks?

Name: Adam Gaudette
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’1, 170 lbs
Born: October 3, 1996, Braintree, MA
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”C“/ 187th NA/ 108th NA
Summary: Drafting a blue chipper like Boeser out of the USHL was a bit of an against-the-grain pick in terms of philosophy, as the Canucks tend to load their drafts with CHL’ers. Taking a second player from the USHL was more surprising, but that isn’t a knock on Gaudette as much as it is a shift in Vancouver’s scouting tendencies. A fearless center who can play the wing, the future Northeastern Husky dominated the Massachussets prep school circuit while at Thayer but took a lesser role at Cedar Rapids. Gaudette has some pro upside in that he can make or complete slick plays at either high speeds or during chest-to-chest combat, but in all likelihood he’s a three of four year collegiate.

Name: Lukas Jasek
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’11, 165 lbs
Born: August 28, 1997, Trinec, Czech Republic
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): ”A“/ 20th Eur/ 23rd Eur
Summary:  One of the many talented draft-eligible Czech forwards who for whatever reason are only consistent at being inconsistent. Once considered an “A” prospect by CSB (likely from a strong ’14 Hlinka), Jasek vanished at the U18’s and did not display his powerful shot, underrated vision and strong skating as he had in Czech League play. He’s a BPA type who could be a hidden gem if he ever strings together half a season of effort and desire to become a better player.

Name: Tate Olson
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’2, 174 lbs
Born: March 21, 1997, Saskatoon, SK
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ 106th NA/ 146th NA
Summary: A night-and-day season of two halves cost the Prince George defender some big time draft positioning, as he went from being a legit top-pairing prospect in the first half to a struggling gamble the next. He can skate really well and plays physical, but he needs to work on making and receiving passes. The Canucks have done well drafting lanky guys who bulk up into tough defenders, so you have to like this pick from a low-risk/high-reward standpoint.