

Screencap via NHL.com

The Vancouver Canucks selected hard-nosed scoring forward Brock Boeser from the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL with the 23rd overall pick at the NHL Entry Draft.

Boeser will head to the University of North Dakota next season, but he was extremely impressive in his age 17 season in the USHL, scoring 35 goals in 57 games and tallying 68 total points. He also lit up the Ivan Hlinka tournament with six goals in eight games.

At six-foot-one and 191 pounds, Boeser isn’t a behemoth, but he’s thick and possesses a versatile offensive tool kit. Over 40 percent of the 17-year-olds who were a similar build and scored at a similar rate in the USHL managed to play over 200 games in the NHL, and forwards Kyle Okposo and Justin Abdelkader are included among his comparables.

In his scouting report on Boeser, TSN’s Craig Button focused on his determination and touch:

Brock is a multiple force offensive player. He can score in multiple ways and gets himself into prime scoring positions. Creates opportunities off the cycle and from below the goal line. Nice touch around net but can score from 30 feet. Sets his hands exceptionally well to score with an excellent release and makes it difficult for goalies to get a read on his shot. Determined, driven player.

Button had Boeser ranked 9th on his draft list, but the industry consensus on the American-born forward was somewhere in the high-20s to mid-30s. There were probably a few higher upside options on the board like Oliver Kylington, Nick Merkley and Travis Konecny, but this wasn’t a huge reach.

In his recent profile of Boeser, Rhys Jessop argued that he’s the sort of player who may have some first-line upside and has the complete game to be useful and contribute even if he never hits his offensive ceiling:

At the USHL level at least, Boeser is the full package offensively and can beat you in multiple ways. His shot is hard and accurate and he can locate it exceptionally well, but he also has the creativity to make plays out of nothing and manufacture offense independent of his teammates. He won’t shy away from contact either, as he’ll drive to the net effectively to jump on any loose pucks. He’s not as flashy an offensive creator as some of the other players in this draft, but he’s industrious and effective. Craig Button compares Boeser to New York Islanders winger Kyle Okposo in terms of style of play, and Okposo seems to be a good fit statistically too. That said, many of Boeser’s USHL, USDP, and USHS offensive comparables the past two seasons never really translated their games to the next level. Trent Klatt is a pretty close comparable too, as are Chad LaRose, Justin Abdelkader and Charlie Coyle. It can be argued that Boeser has as high a skill base as any of those guys though, putting his ceiling closer to Okposo’s.

As with all late first-round selections we’ll have to see how this one pans out, but it looks like Jim Benning and the Canucks made a decent bet on the draft floor.

The Canucks have helped solidify their future down the wing with Boeser. These are exciting times. In the Virtual League of Hockey thousands of teams draft new players every two weeks. With over 40,000 matches each day, the Virtual League of Hockey lets you create your own team, develop players and challenge a community of hockey fans from around the world. Each season is only two weeks long giving you a ton of chances to lead your team to glory. Show the world that Canucks fans know best. Join for free now!

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