The Vancouver Canucks management team have had as good a couple of weeks as anyone could reasonably ask for. They started by locking Troy Stecher up to an entry-level contract in NCAA Free Agency and followed that up with team property, Thatcher Demko.

Though they’ve plucked the low lying fruit to great success, there’s no reason they can’t climb to the top of the orchard for another coveted piece. One such player is North Dakota’s Drake Caggiula – teammate of Canucks prospects Stetcher and Brock Boeser. The 21-year-old winger, who just finished his senior season, is highly coveted in the NHL, following a prodigious campaign with 51 points in 39 games en route to the NCAA title.

TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported last week that the Canucks are very much in the hunt. The problem being that Buffalo, Philadelphia, Chicago, Edmonton and Ottawa are too. Caggiula is playing the role of rock star, touring these towns before coming to a decision – the left handed winger was spotted at the Flyers and Capitals game last week.

Also of note was the revelation that in the event that North Dakota lost in the Frozen Four Semi-Finals, Caggiula was going to join his new team immediately to burn a year of his entry-level contract. Teams can no longer dangle that carrot, so musing on it at this point is strictly academic. That said, I can’t help but wonder if the Canucks made that offer, given that they extended that to Stecher, you would have to assume that they made the same pitch to Caggiula.

Let’s take a deep look into Caggiula, here’s a scouting report from Elite Prospects:

A smart, skilled, and gritty buzzsaw of a winger that gets up and down the ice with focused drive. His mobility is elite, and his first three steps propel him to top speed quickly. Defensively, he is very active and can contain the opposition by limiting their chances in the slot. Offensively, he can be uncontainable, consistently displaying excellent vision and individual puck skills; can act as both the passer or the shooter in any given situation. An all-around game, rooted in his strong will to win and his ability to make the players around him better, is what he brings each and every night. Character is something built through tough situational battles and having to step up at key moments as a leader. Caggiula has the capacity to be that leader on and off the ice.

Caggiula plays much larger than his 5’10, 185-pound frame would suggest. He’s a high-energy player who battles, hits and contributes in all three zones.

NHL UFA Drake Caggiula obliterates Michigan’s Justin Selman #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/DDGzicnyjZ — Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) March 26, 2016

These are just some of the many traits that make Caggiula an enticing free agent option. He can impact the game without necessarily appearing on the scoresheet. That isn’t to say the Pickering, Ontario native isn’t adept at burying his chances, though. If Caggiula has an opportunity, odds are he’ll bury it. Here’s a goal from the Frozen Four.

#Canucks prospect Brock Boeser with the nice saucer pass to Caggiula – @UNDmhockey up 1-0 pic.twitter.com/z88ppgXqGh — Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) April 8, 2016

Caggiula finished his senior season tied for 11th in points per game in the NCAA, though he was eighth in total points with 51. It’s fair to wonder how much of this production was percentage driven, though, as Caggiula converted on 20.6% (!!!) of his shots. He also led the NCAA with a +46 rating – a likely byproduct of playing on a dominant North Dakota side.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Which bring us to the million dollar question: should the Canucks sign him?

To which I say, yes.

For starters, a striking 18.9% of statistical and stature based comparable players went on to become NHL regulars. Those odds may seem small, but you’re not getting a better-weighted dice roll anywhere else in the NCAA UFA market – about a similar success rate to an average second-round pick. Caggiula represents an excellent low-cost bet for the Canucks to bolster their prospect pool.

There’s also the matter of chemistry, which Caggiula has plenty of with Canucks first-round pick, Brock Boeser, having played on a line together at North Dakota. The possibility of that chemistry translating at the NHL level is certainly enticing.

Caggiula, 21, turns 22 in June, so next season would likely be his rookie season in the AHL – a fairly young age compared to other NCAA players. There certainly isn’t any rush for him to make the NHL.

Advertisement - Continue Commenting Below

It’s entirely possible that Caggiula could reach his potential and develop into a top-six player at the NHL level. Just as likely he won’t, though. That’s okay. If the Canucks get a third line player out of Caggiula, that’s a win. Canucks general manager Jim Benning has mentioned on several occasions that he wants the Canucks to get faster. Plugging players like Caggiula into your bottom-six goes a long way in furthering that goal.

Hopefully, Caggiula is enamoured with Vancouver when he tours the city this week. His addition would represent a massive boon to Vancouver’s prospect pool.





