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Chapter 1: What options do the Canucks have at the 3rd overall pick?
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It's Sat and Bic here on Canuck Central. And let's go to the Able Auctions hotline and welcome in our next guest. It is Chris Peters, content manager for Flow Hockey, Covers Prospects, and the NHL Draft. Chris, always a pleasure chatting with you, man. How you doing?
I'm doing well, guys. Thanks for having me. Always good to be with you this time of year.
Yeah, no kidding. And, I mean, the draft is approaching really, really quickly here. I mean, is it... are you kind of counting down the days? Is it catching you off guard? Like, is it all a blur? Like where are you at with the draft only being a month away?
Oh, I'm definitely counting down the days. You know, I think that as you get to this stage, you've kind of done all the work and really there's, there's still been a little bit of extra work this year with some of the players at the world championship. And certainly those that are participating in the Memorial cup and other things like that.
But, you know, you just kind of start getting closer to the combines, you know, less than a week, about a week away. And then, You know, you just kind of start getting into the routine of, of, of the last few mock drafts and other things like that.
But yeah, this is kind of crunch time and there's a lot of other things going on, you know, in the prospect world that you kind of have to keep tabs on too. So, I'll be ready when that final pick is to not think about this for a little while.
I can imagine that. You mentioned the work's been done, the evaluation is done. When you've done all those things and you've already put together your list and you have your rankings, how hard is it to not nitpick yourself and overthink everything you've gone through already?
It is hard, especially in a class like this where there is such a tight group at the top of this draft. I mean, You know, I think it's always easier when we have a Macklin Celebrini where we can just, you know, be like, all right, well, that part's done.
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Chapter 2: How does Chris Peters evaluate draft prospects this year?
Now I can focus on two, three, four, five. This year it just feels like who knows where it's going to go even from the very beginning. And while we can assume that McKenna is probably going to be the top pick, that's certainly not an across-the-board opinion by anybody.
And so when you have that, it does make things a little bit more challenging and you try to think of, you know, okay, well, what is the process I'm going through to make some of these decisions.
And in a lot of the cases, it comes down to these little tiebreakers that maybe are just from your own personal preference, whether it's positionality or, you know, right shot versus left shot or, you know, just a certain statistical profile that you prefer or even size or anything like that. You know, you just kind of have to stick to what you feel is right in terms of how you build a team.
But, you know, thinking back to even, you know, the Shane Wright draft and there was a lot of late movement in that draft, This year, it's different because a lot of people still feel like McKenna's the best player, but nobody feels great about it. That's kind of a weird place to be where you're just not feeling supremely confident.
about the group that you have to choose from, particularly at number one.
Well, we were just having that conversation a little bit. We're going to have a full talk about it later in the week, but the Canucks are picking at three.
Unless it's Stenberg or McKenna, is there a guy that you... They'll obviously get a good player, but if you have to stick and pick, is there a guy that you feel great about because it feels akin to what you're talking about with number one there?
Yeah, I don't really know that you can feel super comfortable picking I mean, I do think that the defensemen in this class as a whole are real high-quality players. I don't know that anyone's one that I feel great about, you know, as a potential number one pick. But I do think that they're really talented players.
They're guys that I think are going to play, you know, a long time in the league and likely play in pretty prominent roles in their team. But it does feel like this is a class where there's a lot of opportunity for, you know, either mistakes or, you know,
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Chapter 3: What makes Wyatt Cullen a rising star in the draft?
Caleb Malhotra is having a dominant postseason in the OHL. You know, it ends up ending sooner than anybody in Brantford wanted it to. But he was a driver on one of the best junior hockey teams in Canada. And so. you know, he's doing that. And now all of a sudden you're like, okay, well he's six, two, he's the center. He's got great, you know, NHL bloodlines. He's got all these things.
So these, these new arguments started cropping up and that tightens the group. And now you're adding another player into the mix and you're adding the defenseman into the mix. So, you know, I think that the tightness of the six to seven guys that are at the top is, is really something where I wouldn't,
scream at any team for picking any one of those guys because it's it's it's all going to come down to how strongly you feel about that player um because this is not necessarily the time of year the kind of group where you can say i can fully put a full stamp of approval on this player i'm sure there's a lot of debates in those draft rooms in those scout meetings um about how they build the very top of their board and there's going to be a lot of varying opinions even within
you know, single staff. So that's, that's a pretty, it's a, it's a pretty odd place to be at this stage.
So here we are at the end of May, as you're compiling your ranks, is there a name you look at and you think, Oh, if I look back from September, I can't believe this guy is here now.
I have a few like that. I, I look kind of further down the list. And I, I look at, you know, there, there's a player that I feel has that potential to just make us all look stupid down the road. And that's Wyatt Cullen. I think that he's a player that's one of the real wild cards of this draft.
He had a great finish and not, I shouldn't say a great finish because he had his ups and his downs at the under 18 world championship where team USA, you know, got bounced in the quarterfinals, but this is a player that has such tremendous skill. He's got a, had a huge growth spurt. I think the reason that you're looking at a player like him and saying, man, we might have something here.
is you know he he basically grew about six inches in the last two years um and you know because of that rapid growth he dealt with injuries this year there were other things it's like okay well once that stabilizes then that becomes less of an issue and yet even though he got bigger he kept this dynamic skill that he has and tremendous hockey sense and all these different things that you think he can do and so it's a bit more of a projection but it's like hey could this guy really be like
the next big thing, like, could he kind of come in and swoop in and, and, and steal all the thunder from some of these guys that, you know, the McKenna's and the, the others. Cause like, you know, you look at this group, there aren't a ton of guys that I could say that guy's going to look great in an NHL lineup next season.
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Chapter 4: How do injuries impact a player's draft stock?
It's like, did I know that Beckett Seneca was going to be that good this soon? No, I did not. I did not think that at all. And so, I think the opportunity exists for players like Cullen, like Malhotra, for that matter, to go very high in this draft when we maybe didn't see that early on.
So I, I'm always fascinated too. I asked you about the, like the risers. So the course of the season, but like from this point on, from the end of the draft cycle, like we've seen guys like Coke, Kanyemi, Hayton, like this late push from the combine and interviews onwards, the guys make a run. Is there someone you're looking at that right now?
Like the, the hype machine might get a bit out of control.
Boy. Yeah. It's, It's hard. It's hard to say. Cause like, it feels like nobody's really got a hype machine behind them. Maybe calling a little bit to a certain extent, but like, but really, you know, I feel like that one's kind of warranted because it's not from a place of, Oh, he's just a center. Like, you know, in Coke Kenny, Coke Kenny Emmy's case, he had a great under 18 world.
He was a center and that was the big selling point, you know, and Barry Hayton, he was a center and that was a big selling point. You know, I think that there, you look at, you look at the guys now you're, you're, what's like Seneca, the big selling point was that he was scoring in bunches. He was just unstoppable towards the end of the season. And he was also six foot four.
So, you know, or six, three or whatever. So, you know, that, that's, that, that's the kind of push. And I don't think we're necessarily going to see that one. One guy I am kind of interested in, in terms of, you know, could he go even higher is, is, is Albert Smith. Is he a guy that sneaks into that? top four. I think there are some people that might say he's the best defenseman in the draft.
I don't think you can get consensus on who the best defenseman in the draft is. But Smith has a mature profile. He's played pro all year. He's played excellent at the World Championships for Latvia, who made the quarterfinals, actually beat the U.S. He's played significant minutes over there.
Great athlete, moves pucks well, maybe doesn't have the high-end offense of some of the other guys in the class, but he looks like an NHL player. And so that's where I could see teams like maybe saying, hey, like this guy just looks the part more than anybody else. Let's take him really early. I think we could hear some, especially coming out of the combine, considering how much I know.
I guess he probably won't be at the combine because of the world championship, but we'll see if he does make it. But anybody that interviews him is going to be very fascinated by that.
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Chapter 5: What are the differences between top draft prospects like McKenna and Stenberg?
I watched him live that year. I saw a player that was dominant, that had the puck all the time, that could really drive play. And the USHL is difficult for anybody, but it's really difficult for 16-year-olds. And I got to see Adam Fantilli do the same thing, basically, that Lawrence did.
at the same age at the at the Card Cup playoffs and and so that resonates with me a bit but what I will say is yes his projection for me has slipped and a lot of it has to do with what I saw from him in college and it wasn't that you know he didn't produce that didn't concern me as much because that didn't necessarily surprise me what does concern me a little bit more is I saw indecisiveness.
I saw an inability to kind of make plays, the inability to process the game at pace. And then when he went to the under-18 Worlds, I was expecting dominance, and we did not get that from him. We didn't get that really from any of the Canadian players at the under-18 World Championship where, you know, they faltered and disappointed.
And so he slipped a bit, but I think the thing is that, you know, having seen him for the last two years and seen where he's at, I'm not as concerned about some of the things I saw in college because he also was injured for a portion of the season. So do I think he's going to slip?
I do, but I don't think he's going to slip terribly far just because he has a great skater, very good skill, has two-way capabilities, plays a pretty well-rounded game for his age. And I think that he's a guy that we'll probably look at and he's producing at a very high level in college next year. and we'll be back on track.
But, yeah, for me with him, it's much more about the body of work than the here and now. But, yeah, you're also projecting a little bit off of that too, which can be dangerous.
We're talking to Chris Peters, content manager of Flow Hockey, evaluating NHL draft prospects for the 2026 draft. Make sure to follow him at ChrisMPeters on Twitter.
And, you know, one question that we get a lot is about the Ruck Twins, Chris, and especially in this market because the Canucks, back in 1999, drafted Henrik and Daniel Sedin second and third overall, and there's an affinity for Twins if you can draft both of them. When it comes to the Ruck Twins, how do you view those guys as prospects? And
And what do you think of the possibility of some team drafting both of those guys?
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Chapter 6: What challenges do teams face when drafting players this year?
But you could have those conversations all throughout and then you build that out and suddenly between 3 and 14, you could get a cluster that looks very similar. And yeah, that's what makes this draft very exciting.
We'll talk more about the draft coming up at 5.30 when we talk to Wyatt Cullen. Guests on Sportsnet 650 call in on the Able Auctions hotline. Email sales at ableauctions.ca to get your business assets sold and your building cleared. Next on Canuck Central. final segment of the show. It's Sat and Bic on Canuck Central. And this hour of the show is brought to you by BC Liquor.
Until May 30th, save $5 at Empress 1908 Gin, known for its vivid color and smooth botanical flavor. Visit your nearest BC Liquor today, 19 plus. Enjoy responsibly as we broadcast live from the Kintec studio. And as always, get your thoughts in to our Dunbar Lumber text inbox, 650-650, trusted by contractors and DIY champions across Metro Vancouver, four generations.
Find them at three convenient locations or visit Dunbar Lumber online today. We have producers Josh and Arash on the job here tonight.
And we'll get to more of your thoughts on the text inbox after we talk to Wyatt Cullen, who's coming up in a moment, one of the top prospects in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, a forward prospect that has some center ability, can play some wing, has a lot of talent, and I'm looking forward to chatting with him.
And after we talk to him, we'll talk a bit about what the Canucks' options may be at 24th overall. And we had a good chat with... Chris Peters, in the previous hour, you can check it out on the podcast, talking about this year's draft. And he named, checked Wyatt Cullen as one of his favorite players in the draft. Also one of the guys that have been rising. And he mentioned Nikita Klepov as well.
So I am really intrigued by both those players and looking forward to our chat with Wyatt right now.
Yeah, he's a super fun player. Yeah, he really is. Someone that we haven't spent a lot of time talking about because we've been so focused on number three, but someone that should be part of the conversation at number 24, if he's even still available at that stage.
Yeah, and let's go to the Able Auctions hotline and welcome in Wyatt Cullen, member of the U.S. National Developmental Team and 2026 draft eligible prospect. Wyatt, thanks for making some time for us here today. And obviously, it must be an exciting time. What's it been like being your draft year and the draft only being about a month away?
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Chapter 7: How does Wyatt Cullen view his skill set compared to other prospects?
I just love him. I love him as my coach, obviously.
Hey, Wyatt, listen, man, thanks so much for making some time for us. It was great catching up with you and getting to know you a little bit. Who knows? The Canucks have a ton of draft picks this year, so we'd love to maybe talk to you again when we get to the June draft.
Yeah, for sure. Thank you guys so much.
That's Wyatt Cullen. Some good insight into who he is as a player and obviously the lineage is planning on going to play in the University of Minnesota next year with his brother Brooks who's also going to go to that same program.
A couple years older Brooks but not drafted in the NHL but he's going to be starting his college journey as well next year and they'll both be on the same team at least for one year and we'll see how it goes but Wyatt has a lot of talent. We watch the tape on him. He watches games. It really stands out. His overall playmaking ability, his ability to score.
And it's not like he does all these like super flashy moves all the time, but he's very functional with how he uses his skill to get through players, drive through contact. Like every time I watch them play, I'm very impressed with Wyatt Cullen.
I just think you see the oozing with creativity, right? I'll just compare him to a player like Ty Lawrence, where there's a lot of directness into Lawrence's game. And you can just see more of the creativity in Cullen's game. And that's why I asked him about the passing, because, man, he just feels like he can open up opportunities for so many different players with his creativity. It is...
He's a fun player to watch. Yeah, he really is. And, you know, when looking at what the Canucks, what options they have, they are number 24. And the more we get into this draft process and the more we go through players and the more we kind of evaluate guys, I feel really good about a really talented player being available there at number 24.
And when we spoke to Chris, he brought up a guy, Nikita Klepov, who... I love his game too. And I do have some concerns about taking him too high, but he has a lot of dynamic talent. At the very least, he'll be a guy who would be very good on the power play, good one-timer, has a lot of skill and creativity. Can he be a five-on-five score?
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Chapter 8: What insights can we gain from the Ruck Twins as draft prospects?
Can he succeed for us? We're not going to miss out on the next one. Yeah, exactly. All right. That brings us to the end of the show. Thank you all for listening, participating, being part of it. It's always a lot of fun. It's Sat and Bic. Thanks to Josh and our Astro producers, all of you for listening and participating. We got to get out because...
Game number four, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights. That's next on Sportsnet 650.