Vancouver Canucks reportedly plan big time scouting trip to watch top 2026 NHL Draft prospect
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The Vancouver Canucks’ front office has reportedly planned a scouting trip in Europe that would see them watch one of the top prospects available for the 2026 Draft.
“#NHLDraft Lottery odds, at the Olympic break:
1. #Canucks – 25.1% at No. 1 overall
2. #stlblues – 13.6%
3. #NYR – 11.6%
4. #Flames – 9.5%
5. #GoJetsGo – 8.5%
6. #Blackhawks – 7.5%
7. #njdevils – 6.5%
8. #Smashville – 6.0%
9. #TheFutureIsTeal – 5%
10. #TimeToHunt (T10 protected) – 3.5%
11. #GoKingsGo – 3.0%
12. #LetsGoFlyers – 0%, max any one team can move up is 10 spots.” Seravalli shared on X.
If the Canucks do land that elusive first overall pick, General Manager Patrik Allvin is going to have a very difficult decision to make as he’ll have two elite prospects to choose from – Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg.
Vancouver Canucks reportedly plan scouting trip to watch top prospect for 2026 Draft
During an appearance on Halford and Brough on Friday, National Hockey League insider Rick Dhaliwal shared that Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin will be heading over to Sweden in the near future to watch projected top-two pick Ivar Stenberg.
“Dhaliwal mentioned someone told him Allvin is going to Sweden at some point to watch Stenberg.” @Taj1944 said on X.
Stenberg, 18, has been really impressive from an offensive standpoint in the Swedish Hockey League this season, registering 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 32 games for Frolunda HC.
“The growing consensus around scouts is that Stenberg will be the first player taken off the board. While most scouts would agree that McKenna has more pure skill, Stenberg has the ability to impact the game in more ways away from the puck. The incredible numbers playing against men don’t hurt, either. It wouldn’t be surprising if they bet high on McKenna’s skill, but they need someone who can make a true difference all over the ice and Stenberg is just ahead of the game right now.” Ellis said about Stenberg.
Whether it ends up being Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna, the Vancouver Canucks are going to have a really nice piece to build around for the future and it could even accelerate their rebuild plans slightly.
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Vancouver Canucks reportedly plan big time scouting trip to watch top 2026 NHL Draft prospect
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