Vancouver Canucks' Director Of Amateur Scouting Todd Harvey Speaks On 2026 NHL Entry Draft

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is complete, with nine new prospects joining the Vancouver Canucks’ organization. The common theme for this draft appeared to be size, as only two of the nine prospects are listed at 6’0″ or shorter. Vancouver also added five prospects listed at 200 lbs or heavier, indicating a desire to build a stronger, heavier prospect pool.

This draft was the first under Ryan Johnson as GM. While there was a regime change, the scouting staff remained the same, including Todd Harvey, the Canucks’ Director of Amateur Scouting. After the draft, Harvey spoke to the media and highlighted Vancouver’s plan for the 2026 draft.

“Well, obviously we’ve got direction, and things have changed here, obviously,” said Harvey. “And you know, our direction was we wanted to get quicker. We wanted to get bigger and harder to play against. We kind of went down, sat, we talked through the list. You guys don’t want to know how many times we’ve gone through that list. We’ve done it over and over again. And we got it to where we thought everything aligned, and you never know what the draft, how it kind of plays out. But to get the guys we got and kind of targeted really fit the mould here.”

The Canucks newest draft class also had an international feel as eight different countries were represented. Of the eight, the only country that featured multiple prospects was Canada, with players from Belarus, Czechia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the US also hearing their names called. For Harvey and his staff, the main focus of the draft is picking the best prospect, regardless of nationality.

“It’s kind of funny now. Everybody’s coming over. You have (Niklas Aaram-Olsen) going to BU. It’s all about their development path. And, you know, I don’t think we look at it that way. There were players that were from the West that were on our board, and there was players from Quebec that were on our board. So we just kind of felt that in the late round, we had some size and some speed, and he’s coming over here, and I thought that was a good way we should go.”

Vancouver’s new draft class also features a handful of players who have already committed to the NCAA for either this season or the 2027-28 campaign. This includes third overall pick Caleb Malhotra as well as Brooks Rogowski, who was selected 33rd overall. As Harvey explained, he and his staff want to have an idea of a prospect’s timeline before potentially selecting them.

“We talk about it when we’re sitting in our meetings. That’s a big thing. Where’s he going? What’s his plan? You really like when, especially when you’re in the interview process with the kids, you like to know that they have a plan and kind of know the path that they’re on. It does make a bit of a difference. I think this whole new way of things has changed a lot of things. And I think it’s good for the players, because a lot of them sometimes aren’t ready physically, and this is another path that they can go on.”

Vancouver Canucks 2026 NHL Entry Draft Selection Tracker

Vancouver Canucks 2026 NHL Entry Draft Selection Tracker A list with articles on all prospects the Vancouver Canucks select at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, updated throughout the draft.

Harvey was asked about the contract status of Ian Clark, who is listed on the team site under Scout and Goalie Development. Clark has helped shape the Canucks’ goaltending group for nearly a decade and is considered one of the best goalie coaches in the NHL. Harvey was unable to provide an update, but did say that the organization has been in contact with Clark.

Lastly, Harvey revealed that eight of the nine prospects drafted are expected to attend development camp this year. The only exception is Russian goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko. Development camp will take place in Abbotsford this year, with on-ice sessions open to the public.

Canucks 2026 NHL Draft Selections:

3rd Overall: Center Caleb Malhotra

24th Overall: Left Winger Adam Novotný

33rd Overall: Center Brooks Rogowski

41st Overall: Left Winger Niklas Aaram-Olsen

78th Overall: Goaltender Dmitri Ivchenko

97th Overall: Left Winger Yaroslav Bryzgalov

129th Overall: Right Winger Connor Davis

176th Overall: Right Winger Lucian Bernat

184th Overall: Defenceman Samuel Eriksson

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Caleb Malhotra reacts with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the third pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Select Samuel Eriksson 184th Overall At The 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Canucks Select Forward Lucian Bernat 176th-Overall At The 2026 NHL Entry Draft

Ryan Johnson Completes First Trade As Canucks GM

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.