The 2025 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 27, and the Vancouver Canucks currently have one pick in each round. Barring any trades, the Canucks will be selecting 15th in the first round, with many suggestions for players to pick already being pitched. In preparation for this year’s draft, we’re taking a look at the past five NHL Entry Drafts that the Canucks have taken part in, as well as where each of their picks have ended up. Last week, we took a look at the Canucks 2021 Draft picks. This week, let’s look back at the 2022 NHL Draft.
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The 2022 NHL Draft was a strong one for the Canucks. Three of the players picked in this draft made their NHL debuts this season, while one other has suited up for the Abbotsford Canucks. This was the first time that Vancouver selected a player with their first-round pick since 2019. In this draft, they had one pick in every round except for the second. Their 2022 second-round pick went to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland trade that also cost Vancouver their 2021 first-round selection. With the rest of their picks, Vancouver selected Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson (D), Daimon Gardner, Ty Young, Jackson Dorrington, and Kirill Kudryavstev.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki, F
When the Canucks selected Lekkerimäki 15th overall in 2022, he automatically became Vancouver’s highest-touted prospect. While he was known to be offensively talented as a whole, the thing that stuck out most was his shot. To this day, Lekkerimäki’s shooting skills have earned him accolades such as MVP of the 2024 World Junior Championship with seven goals in seven games. He spent the season after being drafted with Djurgårdens IF as well as Team Sweden in the 2023 World Juniors. His time with Örebro HK the season after was where he went on a tear, scoring 19 goals and 12 assists in 46 games in his first SHL season. After his time with Örebro, Lekkerimäki joined Abbotsford for their playoff run, beginning the 2024–25 season with them as well. He played in his first NHL game on November 12, 2024 against the Calgary Flames, and scored his first career NHL goal the game after. In his rookie season with the AHL Canucks, he scored 19 goals and nine assists in 36 games.
Elias Pettersson, D
Pettersson is a great player in his own right, but when Vancouver drafted him 80th overall in 2022, he mainly only garnered attention due to his name. Since then, Pettersson has made a name for himself. He spent two seasons with Örebro HK and two stints with Sweden’s U20 team in the 2023 and 2024 World Juniors. Pettersson also played 34 games for Västerås IK in 2023–24, putting up three goals and 11 assists in this span. He also spent eight regular season games and one playoff game with Abbotsford. Pettersson took massive strides in his first full AHL season this year, earning himself a call-up and a virtually permanent spot in Vancouver’s lineup. He made his NHL debut on January 25 and stayed with the team for nearly the rest of the season. As it stands, he is expected to start the 2025–26 season in the NHL.
Daimon Gardner, F
Gardner was picked 112th overall in 2022, going to Vancouver in the fourth round of the draft. The 6’4 centre split time with the Omaha Lancers, Warroad High, and Tri-City Storm of the USHL in his draft year. He stuck with the Storm the season after, putting up 12 goals and 30 assists in 46 games. In 2023–24, Gardner embarked on his NCAA career, spending the season with Clarkson University and tallying six points in 29 games. This season, he joined St. Cloud State University for 32 games, nabbing five goals and nine assists. As of today, Gardner remains unsigned by Vancouver.
Ty Young, G
Vancouver’s fifth-round pick of the 2022 NHL Draft was Ty Young, who they selected 144th overall. While he was picked by Vancouver, this wasn’t the first Canuck organization he’d been a part of. He played for the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL in his draft year, also spending time with the Prince George Cougars of the WHL. Young continued his run with the Cougars for another two years, with the 2023–24 season being his most fruitful. Before the season even began, he signed his entry-level contract with the Canucks, keeping him within the organization for at least three years. He started 37 games and registered a GAA of 2.79. This season was his first with Abbotsford, though he ended up splitting his time with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL as well. With the Wings, Young reached a new professional career low in GAA with 2.53.
Jackson Dorrington, D
Dorrington was Vancouver’s sixth-round selection in the 2022 Draft, being picked 176th overall. After being drafted, he spent three seasons in the NCAA with Northeastern University, putting up eight goals and 25 assists in the 105 games he played in. Partway through his third season with Northeastern, he was traded by the Canucks to the New York Rangers as part of the J.T. Miller deal. Now a prospect for the Rangers, Dorrington looks to continue his time in the AHL. He played in nine games for New York’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, near the end of the 2024–25 season. During this time, he had a goal and an assist.
Kirill Kudryavstev, D
Quite possibly the biggest steal of this draft for Vancouver, Kudryavstev was the team’s final pick of the 2022 Draft, going 208th overall. His draft year was the first of his three-season stint with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. In 202 games, Kudryavstev registered 18 goals and 118 assists, putting up point totals of 45 or higher in each season except his first. Vancouver signed Kudryavstev to his entry-level contract in March of 2023 — as a result, he joined the AHL Canucks for the 2024–25 season. His steady play throughout Abbotsford’s season earned him his first NHL call-up. Kudryavstev made his NHL debut on April 14 against the San Jose Sharks.
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