The Vancouver Canucks continue to slide down the NHL standings, and although it may feel like it's too early to look at the 2026 NHL draft, Tynan Lawrence appears to be a perfect fit.
For many teams, it may feel too early to be thinking about the 2026 NHL draft class. For Jim Rutherford and the Vancouver Canucks, getting younger seems to be the top priority.
When asked this week, the President of Hockey Operations for the Canucks was very transparent about the direction he wanted to take the franchise in.
“We have to make this team younger.” Rutherford said in an interview with Postmedia. “Whether it’s somewhat of a rebuild, not a full-blown rebuild, but a rebuild/retool, whatever. It’s the position we’ve been in since the J.T. Miller trade.”
“Whether it’s a younger player or a draft pick, that’s really the direction we need to go in.”
The Canucks haven’t dug themselves into a hole that would suggest they should be making any drastic decisions just yet, but a 10-13-2 record in a Pacific division that has seen early-season surges from the Anaheim Ducks and the Seattle Kraken may force them to make changes sooner than anticipated.
If things don’t improve, Canucks fans should know that the 2026 draft class is worth betting on. While there is a ton of high-end talent projected to be selected in the first round and stocks continuously rising, there’s one player in particular who stands out as a target to help the Canucks’ future.
Why Should The Canucks Draft Tynan Lawrence?
Tynan Lawrence plays a type of game that would impact the Canucks immediately. He’s a committed defensive forward capable of making an impact in all on-ice situations, being deployed on the penalty kill and on the power play with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL.
More importantly, with Lawrence being the top draft-eligible center and possessing standout traits as a master of chance creation off the rush and in transition, he fits pretty much all areas the Canucks desperately need improvement in.
According to All Three Zones, the 2024-25 Canucks ranked 31st in rush offense and 31st in zone entries with chances, two areas that the team failed to address in the off-season, which has impacted their ability to put opposing defenders in uncomfortable positions.
The acquisition of Filip Chytil in the J.T. Miller trade was set to improve those facets of the Canucks’ offense. The underlying numbers tracked by All Three Zones even suggest that there were few forwards better than Chytil across the NHL at generating rush offense on a per-60 basis in his 15 games with the Canucks to close out the 2024-25 season.
However, Chytil’s concussion issues have left the Canucks with a huge hole up the middle with few play-driving forwards to make up for his absence. Considering the Canucks’ weak prospect pipeline up front, Lawrence is the ideal candidate to help improve this aspect of their game.
Lawrence was put on a lot of people’s radars after he recorded 56 points in 54 games as a 16-year-old rookie with the Lumberjacks of the USHL in 2024-25. He also played an integral role during the team’s championship run, putting up 18 points in 14 games to earn the Clark Cup MVP award.
Lawrence then had an impressive showing at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament earlier this year while representing Canada, putting up six points in five games. He quickly became the team’s backbone when it came to developing play through the neutral zone, causing fits for opponents with his tenacious backchecking to create counterattacks and by showing off his best trait — his speed — to navigate through the middle of the ice effortlessly.
Watch Out For NHL Draft-Eligible Canadian Tynan Lawrence When The Stakes Are Highest
As Canada shoots for a fourth-straight gold medal at the U-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the national team will have plenty of firepower.
He’s got pro-level habits without the puck as well. Lawrence has such a good feel for where he needs to be to either support his defensemen below the goal line or fill an area of the offensive zone while on the cycle.
Coaching and offensive systems will ultimately play a large role in whether or not this fit translates, but Lawrence is far and away the best fit for what the Canucks need to unlock their offense.
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