One obvious benefit to picking David Reinbacher is his frame. Standing at 6’2 and weighing in just shy of 190 lbs, Reinbacher’s size appears to make an excellent foil for the small stature of Quinn Hughes. The Austrian blueliner also puts this size to good use, being known for his physical play without overcommitting to hits and putting himself out of position. Reinbacher is probably the best pure defensive defenceman available in this draft class, which would pair brilliantly with the offensive talent of Quinn Hughes on a top pair, or potentially another more defensively astute left-handed partner to create a shutdown pair for the future. 

While Reinbacher isn’t an elite skater like Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar,  he is an above-average skater who should have no problems keeping up with his opponents at the NHL level, and his defensive instincts and positioning can make up for some of his lack of speed. Reinbacher may not be the most gifted player offensively, but he is still known to have a pretty good shot, which he likes to utilize to create rebounds. Reinbacher is one of the safest bets in this draft to become a top 4 defenceman, and with some development could definitely make a successful top-pairing player and a good partner for a player like Quinn Hughes. 

What ASP lacks in size, he makes up for in his offensive game. Sandin-Pellikka is the premier offensive defenceman in the 2023 draft and can do almost anything you would want or expect from a top power play quarterback. From puckhandling to passing to shooting, Sandin-Pellikka can really do it all, but what really gives him the potential to be a special player is his skating. In addition to great straight-line speed, ASP has great edgework and a knack for making smooth transitions from moving forward to backward, much like the skating of Quinn Hughes. 

Sandin-Pellikka also excels on the powerplay, and while the Canucks top unit is in good hands with Quinn Hughes as the quarterback, the second unit is still in need of some work, and would benefit from having someone like ASP running the show. Joe Maciag of Recruit Scouting also puts some of Sandin-Pellikka’s excellent power play performances down to his ability to play a variety of roles on the power play, including moving up to playing on the wing and putting his excellent wrist shot to work. This ability may even allow him to get minutes on the top unit, with Hughes quarterbacking and setting up plays while Sandin-Pellikka sets up in the circle ready to fire wrist shots on net. 

While it’s near impossible to find a hole in Reinbacher’s defensive game, his offensive game at times does leave something to be desired. While he isn’t bad with the puck on his stick, he certainly isn’t anything special, often opting for simple passes and shots. This won’t destroy Reinbacher’s ability to succeed at the highest level but may restrict his ability to get top 4 or top-pair minutes, as you would hope that a top-pairing player can provide something in the offensive game. If Reinbacher’s offensive game can become a little more diverse, then the sky's the limit for his potential. However, if it doesn’t come along, while he will still make a good player, he may not turn into the top pair player many hope he could be.

Sandin-Pellikka as it stands does have a fatal flaw that should be concerning to the Canucks; his defensive play. As it stands ASP is something of a defensive liability, and playing effective defence will only get harder as he moves to the NHL. While it is sometimes the case for young defencemen to have their defensive game mature later on and develop into solid defenders, this isn’t always the case, so picking Sandin-Pellikka would certainly come with added risk if his defensive game doesn’t improve soon. Additionally, ASP’s lack of size is somewhat concerning given the current state of the Canucks blueline and roster as a whole. The Canucks have one of the smallest rosters in the league, and as we’ve been seeing this postseason especially, to compete for a Stanley Cup your team needs to play with some bite. Unless the Canucks can get bigger and meaner, it’s hard to see them legitimately contending any time soon, and at 5’11 and 180 lbs, Sandin-Pellikka doesn’t help fill that void. 

While both players do project to make solid players at the NHL, there is a clear better pick out of the pair for Patrik Allvin. As talented as Axel Sandin-Pellikka may be, he just doesn’t suit the needs of the Vancouver Canucks defence. Between Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek already in the show and with young defenders Akito Hirose and, at least for now, Jack Rathbone in the system, the Canucks just don’t have room for another offensive defenceman on the team. Adding in Sandin-Pellikka’s poor defensive play and lack of size, David Reinbacher is the clear better pick for the Canucks. Although Reinbacher may not be the most exciting player in the world, a safe, sturdy, defence-first type player is exactly what they need, and no one fits the bill for that better than he does. Even if his offensive game never comes along, Reinbacher’s defensive game still has him projected to become a top 4 defenceman, and that alone would make him a welcome addition to the Canucks D. If it does come along, then Reinbacher should turn out to be the best defenceman in this draft class and can be expected to make a formidable partner for Quinn Hughes for years to come.