NHL draft: Why Canucks should snag winger Casey Mutryn in second round

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Size matters.

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So does skill, will, physicality, leadership and being acknowledged by your peers as a team leader.

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All those elements would resonate with Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson. It’s why big right-winger Casey Mutryn of the U.S. National Team Development Program should be on his radar with the No. 33 selection in the 2026 NHL draft.

Of course, the Canucks have two pivotal Round 1 priorities on June 26 at Buffalo to shape their future.

Depending on how dominoes fall, they could land left winger Ivar Stenberg, defenceman Chase Reid or centre Caleb Malhotra. And if they pick or pass on the son of Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, there could be big centres available at No. 24 in Maddox Dagenais and Ilia Morozov to keep building down the middle.

However, in the second round the Canucks need to wing it early because Mutryn could be off the board when they choose again at No. 41.

The Canucks lack a budding power forward presence and the 6-foot-3, 206 pound Mutryn is projected as a strong, responsible and smart winger, who can also play the middle, and does the dirty work that often gets overlooked by the pursuit of points.

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His motor runs hot, he gets on the forecheck and into hard areas, is a net-front menace and perfectly suited for the roster rebuild because of defensive awareness. It’s why he was unanimously voted by teammates as captain this season.

All that suggests third-liner at the NHL level and untapped top-six offensive potential. Improved stickhandling will allow release of a rocket of a shot and he brings a comparison to Josh Anderson of the Montreal Canadiens. Mutryn is ranked the third-best right-winger for this draft.

“What comes with a power forward is being able to play in any style,” Mutryn told nhl.com. “If the game is open and it’s not as physical and there’s lots of plays to be made, I can thrive in that. But also, you watch playoff-type hockey, where it’s kind of played in the trenches and there’s not a ton of room out there, I think I can thrive in that as well.”

Mutryn, who turns 18 on July 5, managed 46 points (18-28) in 62 games this season, which included 10 power-play goals that teased of talent. He added 16 points (7-9) and five power-play goals in 25 games against USHL teams and 11 points (2-9) in 18 outings against NCAA competition.

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His five points (2-3) in five games as captain for the U.S. at the world Under-18 championship added to that promise. Mutryn is heading to Boston College this fall where he’ll join older brother, Teddy, who was drafted third round in 2025 by the San Jose Sharks.

“He (Casey) plays a type of game that will translate well to pro because his compete level is very consistent,” said NHL Central Scouting associate director David Gregory. “I’ve seen him stick up for teammates and do all the right things that will make him attractive.”

With the Canucks losing right wingers Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland to trades, uncertainty of how Jonathan Lekkerimaki with respond following February torn labrum and rotator-cuff shoulder procedures, and no prospect about to make a big NHL impact on the right side, it stands to reason that Mutryn would be a prudent play for the long term because of what’s also at play.

Left wingers who can play the right side are Jake DeBrusk and Nils Hoglander who are trade bait. Evander Kane is bound for free agency.

The Canucks drafted six right wingers the last six years and hope that sixth-rounders in gritty Gabriel Chiarot (2025), productive Anthony Romani (2024) and undersized Connor Lockhart (2021) might beat odds to make ‘The Show’, is tempered by the disappointment in trading Vasily Podkolzin and what to really make of Danila Klimovich.

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Podkolzin was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers last summer for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and responded to more ice time with marquee players to pot a career high 19 goals land 37 points this season.

The inability for big right-winger Klimovich to gain traction after being selected in the second round (No. 41 overall) l in 2021 — five AHL seasons in Abbotsford and yet to play an NHL game — the Canucks find themselves at a crossroads. At age 23, the hulking Belarus native can still be considered a prospect, but the clock is ticking and he’s a restricted free agent without a contact in a franchise rebuild.

It’s not that Klimovich hasn’t had his moments, just not enough of them.

He had 25 goals in 65 regular-season games in Abbotsford’s march to the Calder Cup, and after sitting out four-straight games in the post-season, he scored a double-overtime stunner to give Abbotsford a 3-1 championship series lead. He also stuck in the clincher.

However, there were also missteps and bolting to the KHL might be an optional to rejuvenate his career. The Canucks would retain his rights with a qualifying offer, but his agent has stated that’s not the plan at this time.

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As for those project wingers, there’s always hope amid the long and rocky road of NHL roster reality.

The 5-foot-11, 191 pound Chiarot had 36 points (20-16) in 62 OHL games this season split between Brampton and Memorial Cup champion Kitchener. He added 11 playoff points (5-6) in 18 games. The 6-foot-1, 195 pound Romani had 28 NCAA points (14-14) with Michigan State, while the 5-foot-9, 164 pound Lockhart put up 55 ECHL points (21-34) in 70 games.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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