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“I had a meeting with them (Canucks) at the (draft) combine and it never seemed like they were that interested,” said the 19-year-old Tkachuk. “I knew once (Pierre-Luc) Dubois went third, that I was going to Calgary. I’m happy and grateful to be drafted by Calgary.

“If you ask them (Canucks), they’re probably pretty happy with their pick. And they should be. I played with him in London. You saw what he did for our team last year in the Memorial Cup and world juniors.”

The Canucks are convinced the Finnish defenceman will eventually be a playmaking anchor that you can’t trade for or get via free agency. However, for a club that continues to have trouble scoring — and isn’t quite sure what it has in winger Jake Virtanen — passing on the 6-foot-1, 195 pound Tkachuk is one of those multi-dimensional debates.

The Canucks haven’t drafted a defenceman in the first round since the late Luc Bourdon in 2005. They really don’t have a bonafide prospect in Utica — maybe Jordan Subban some day — and they’re still gauging the long-term potential of Nikita Tryamkin and Andrey Pedan and whether Troy Stecher can endure the rigours of a full season.

If Juolevi takes a long road to pro maturation, that draft scrutiny isn’t going to go away. Especially if Tkachuk turns into what the Canucks hope Virtanen may be some day.

Photo by Jeff McIntosh / THE CANADIAN PRESS

As for the Flames, there was no argument at the draft table or in setting the roster when it came to Tkachuk.

Like any junior, bad habits were noticeable at the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton. The son of former NHL centre Keith Tkachuk was accustomed to long Ontario Hockey League shifts, had gaps in his defensive game and struggled to maintain consistency. When they were pointed out, they were quickly corrected.