Jim Benning Draft Review

Part Four: 2017

Alex Rickman

February 9th, 2023

In his first 3 drafts, Benning struggled to find talent, especially in the later rounds. With only 2 long-term NHL players being selected in Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser, both of whom were taken in the early rounds, it’s clear that Benning’s early drafts don’t necessarily match his reputation for being an excellent drafter. So, in his 4th draft at the helm, did Benning manage to turn it around and finally select a few guys who could be impact players in Vancouver, or was it more of the same from his first few drafts? Let’s take a look.

Round 1, Pick 5 - Elias Pettersson

In what could be the best pick Jim Benning made as Canucks GM, Benning shocked the world when he turned down the opportunity to take Cody Glass to pick the young Swedish centre. While at the time this was a surprising choice, in time it proved to be the correct decision, with Pettersson having blossomed into a core piece for the Canucks, while Glass has only just locked down a full-time role in the NHL. So, with this draft class off to a good start for Benning, how did the rest of the draft go?

Round 2, pick 33 - Kole Lind

Grabbing Lind with a 2nd round pick initially seemed like a steal, with most mock drafts having him as a 1st-round pick, but unfortunately, Lind never managed to develop into the player the Canucks hoped he would become. Lind, who the Canucks lost to Seattle in the expansion draft, is yet to lock down a full-time NHL role with the Kraken. While carving out a niche for himself on the 4th line is still possible, it seems like Lind is destined for a career in the minor leagues.

Round 2, pick 55 - Jonah Gadjovich

With this pick, the team looked to add a gritty power forward for the future, but Gadjovich never got his chance to be that in Vancouver. Playing only 1 NHL game as a Canuck, Gadjovich showed some promise in the 2021 preseason, but, to the surprise of most Canucks fans, was put on waivers at the end of the preseason and snatched up by the Sharks. A player like Gadjovich if he had been developed properly would be a nice piece for this Canucks team to have, but sadly, like so many others, they just couldn’t get his development right.

Round 3, pick 64 - Michael DiPietro

DiPietro showed some promise at different points during his time in the Canucks organization, but due to a variety of factors, most notably his lack of game time during the 2021 season, he ultimately saw his development stagnate. Now with the Bruins organization, DiPietro is a longshot to ever become an NHL regular and is fighting an uphill battle in Boston to even land a job in the AHL. It’s interesting to imagine what DiPietro could’ve become had he been given game time rather than staying on the taxi squad during the 2021 season, but unfortunately for the Canucks and DiPietro, you can’t change the past.

Round 4, pick 95 - Jack Rathbone

A talented young defenceman, this pick is one of the most interesting of the Benning tenure to grade. While Rathbone has shown that he possesses the talent necessary to succeed in the NHL, as of late he has struggled for game time, and his future with the Canucks has come into question. If Rathbone finds a way to become a regular for the Canucks, this pick will have to be scored as a win for Benning, but if, like so many before him, he just can’t manage to stick in Vancouver, this one is up for debate.

Round 5, pick 135 - Kristoffer Gunnarsson

Drafted for his abilities as a safe, stay-at-home defenceman, Benning and the Canucks figured Gunnarsson could potentially play a role similar to that of a player like Luke Schenn or Kyle Burroughs on the Canucks current blue line. However, Gunnarsson, currently playing for Mora IK of the Allsvenskan, was never offered an ELC and is yet to play a professional game in North America. While a player of his profile would look nice on the Canucks back end right about now, the Canucks simply couldn’t develop Gunnarsson the right way.

Round 6, pick 181 - Petrus Palmu

With a similar profile to a Conor Garland, the feisty but undersized Palmu only played 12 games with the Canucks then-affiliate Utica Comets before returning to Europe. Drafted from the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, Palmu had shown some very good offensive ability on North American ice, scoring 98 points in 62 games during his draft year. Palmu never developed to the point where he was seriously considered by the Canucks for a roster spot, and is now playing with the SHL’s Örebro HK.

Round 7, pick 188 - Matt Brassard

Now teammates with another Jim Benning draft pick, Cole Candella, at the University of PEI, Brassard was drafted as a potentially gifted 2-way defenceman. Putting up 51 points in 67 games with the Oshawa Generals in his draft year, Brassard only played 14 pro hockey games, split between the Fort Wayne Komets and Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.

This may be the best Benning draft class we’ve reviewed so far, but whether or not it can be called a successful draft is up for debate. Pettersson was an excellent pick, and apart from Demko possibly the best Benning made with the Canucks. However, after Petey, the rest of the draft class looks like a standard Benning draft, with only 1 potential NHL regular, Jack Rathbone, still being with the Canucks. Many of the players in this draft class had the potential to become NHL regulars, with guys like Lind and DiPietro maybe even having the ability to become important contributors on a solid team. Still, due to the incompetence of the Benning era development staff, none of them are ever likely to be anything more than depth pieces or injury replacements in the NHL.

Next, we’ll go over the 2018 draft, where the Canucks added a franchise-level defenceman, but with another pick managed to be one off of a player who would be a key contributor on this current Canucks roster.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse