After his World Junior heroics lead Slovakia to the quarterfinal, where Connor Bedard ended their tournament in overtime, Gajan showed everyone why he deserves to be drafted after being passed over at the 2022 draft. Posting a .936 save percentage (SV%) in his 4 games at the tournament in Halifax, Gajan has also posted some impressive numbers with the NAHL’s Chippewa Steel, with a .917 SV% in 34 games played. Gajan may be skinnier than many goaltenders, only weighing in at 176lbs, but at 6’3 he still possesses the size many goalies need to succeed at the NHL level. Additionally, Gajan’s reflexes and athleticism for a guy of his size should pique the interest of Ian Clark, who has shown a willingness in the past to draft goalies based on athleticism and work with them to refine their game. 

While World Juniors performances don’t often translate to the NHL level, Gajan may still prove to be a worthwhile project should the Canucks be willing to take a chance on him with a later pick. Gajan is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for next season, where hopefully he can continue honing his skills. I wouldn’t want the Canucks taking Gajan in the first few rounds of the draft, but should he be available in the late stages of the draft, Gajan is a prospect I’d like to see the Canucks take a chance on.

Looking at Bjanarson’s numbers in isolation, you wouldn’t see why any NHL team would consider drafting him. With a .900 SV% in his 47 games for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings this past season, Bjanarson is a case of a prospect whose Elite Prospects page doesn’t tell the full tale of him as a player. The Wheat Kings simply were not a good team this season and played significantly better with Bjanarson in the net than they did without. Known as an excellent tracker of the puck, Bjanarson also has the big frame front offices will be looking for in a goaltender, among a series of other assets that make his toolkit worth consideration at the draft in spite of his poor statistical performance. 

For any team planning on drafting Bjanarson, along with any goaltender for that matter, it will be essential to his development to not rush him into the pros. Bjanarson is thought of as something of a project and will need some time in the WHL to work on his game before he’s ready for professional action. If Bjanarson slides to the middle or late rounds of the draft, he may be worth some consideration for Vancouver, as giving Ian Clark the opportunity to work with a player with his toolkit may turn into a very smart investment should he be given adequate time to develop.

Like Gajan, this won’t be Thomas Milic’s first year of draft eligibility, as he’s now been passed over in both the 2021 and 2022 drafts. However, off the backs of excellent performances at the World Juniors, where he backstopped Canada to a gold medal, and with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, Milic has an excellent chance to be selected at some point in the later stages of this year's draft. Milic is a very gifted athlete, with the ability to make big, sprawling saves, which he displayed well in representing his country this past winter. Additionally, Milic’s mentality will make him an appealing asset to many teams. He is an incredibly competitive player, willing to do whatever it takes to win, and known for having a great hockey IQ. However, the one thing working against Milic that is likely the cause of his slides in the past two drafts is his lack of size. Standing at 6’0 and weighing in at 170 lbs, Milic just doesn’t have the size many teams in the modern NHL look for, and this could certainly scare off some teams who may otherwise consider taking him. 

While it’s hard to ignore the lack of size, I do think that Milic would make a lot of sense should the Canucks be on the lookout for more goaltender depth. Milic’s athleticism and mental approach to the game would give Ian Clark a great piece to work with, and while his size may somewhat restrict his potential, the other elements of his game give Milic the potential to at least make a solid backup at the NHL level one day. Goalies like Ryan Miller and Antii Raanta have overcome being below-average size for the position and found success at the top level, so it’s not too bold to assume that the same could end up being true for Milic.

Milic’s tandem mate in Seattle, Ratzlaff’s profile is fairly similar to his partner. Despite being below-average size for a goaltender (6’1, 170 lbs), Ratzlaff finds success at the junior level because of the mental side of his game. Ratzlaff is known for being an incredibly calm player and thrives in high-pressure situations, and his positioning and rebound control show the impressive intelligence he has for a player of his age. However, like any young goalie, Ratzlaff isn’t without his flaws. He’s been known to get beat on his blocker side more easily than one would hope, and, as previously stated, he is smaller than most goalies in the modern league.

Ratzlaff is a hard one to gage, as some projections have him going as high as the second round, with some others having him go as low as the fifth or sixth. Taking a goalie in the third round or higher would be an incredibly confusing move for Vancouver, but Raztlaff could be an option should he fall to the later rounds. While there may be other players who play with some more flash, Ratzlaff seems to be one of the safer picks to become a consistent goaltender should he develop right, although goalies are incredibly unpredictable.