With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft complete, the Vancouver Canucks now have six new prospects in their organization. Vancouver selected Braeden Cootes, Aleksei Medvedev, Kieren Dervin, Wilson Björck, Gabriel Chiarot and Matthew Lansing, adding five forwards and one goaltender to their prospect pool. Overall, the Canucks have added some intriguing prospects who should be able to contribute to the NHL club in the future. 

After the draft was complete, Director of Amateur Scouting Todd Harvey met with the media to discuss the six new prospects. He started by speaking about Cootes, who was Vancouver's first-round selection this year. According to Harvey, Cootes left a strong impression on him and his staff when the organization took him to dinner during the combine.

"Well, I'd take him for dinner," said Harvey. "I guess everybody knew. Mothing's a secret, but great kid, leadership qualities. You know, he skates well, he drives play hard, he goes to the inside. He's got skill to put the puck in, makes plays. He plays the whole rink, just doesn't play one end of the rink. He's a 200-foot player and a real, real good person... We had a good dinner, and was good to chat with them. I talked to him today and said, looking forward to seeing you when you get up here. And he had a good night with his family and friends, and it's a big day for that."

Harvey then discussed the Canucks' second-round pick, Medvedev. Listed at 6'3", 178 lbs, the Russian goaltender played last season with the London Knights and was part of their Memorial Cup-winning team. As Harvey explained, this pick was heavily influenced by Ian Clark, who helps scout and develop goaltenders. 

"Well, he obviously plays in London. Calm kid, big kid, moves well in the net and never seems to get rattled. And he has that presence in there that makes, I think your team in front of you play a little calmer. But, you know, we thought he was our guy who kind of targeted that, and it was a good pick... Well, I mean, obviously Ian has a lot to say on that. And I think we look at the draft, and he wanted this pick, and we thought it was the right time. You know, Clark, he'll be in touch with the goalies obviously, and I think we have a real good staff here for development and bringing him along. He's going to have the net next year, and London probably, you never know. London, they always have a good team, so maybe they get back to the Memorial Cup."

After speaking about Medvedev, Harvey was asked about third-round pick Dervin. While the 18-year-old spent most of the season in a U18 league, he made the jump to the OHL at the end of the year, playing 21 regular-season and playoff games with the Kingston Frontenacs. A player headed to the NCAA in 2026-27, Dervin's competitive level played a significant role in his selection by Vancouver. 

General Manager Patrik Allvin Explains Why The Vancouver Canucks Drafted Braeden Cootes 15th Overall In The 2025 NHL Entry Draft The Vancouver Canucks added an intriguing prospect to their organization during the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, as they drafted center Braeden Cootes with the 15th overall pick. The Seattle Thunderbirds captain recorded 63 points in 60 games during the WHL season, before guiding Canada to a Gold Medal at the U18s. A two-way center who has what seems like a never-ending motor, Cootes became the first WHLer in over a decade to be drafted by the Canucks in the first round. 

"I watched him play near the end of the year a few times, and into the playoffs. And he's got good size, he skates pretty well, can make plays, and sees the ice well. And he's not afraid to play in traffic. And, you know, I thought I see something there, and our guy in Ontario really liked him, and I thought it was the pick for us."

Speaking of the NCAA, Harvey was asked if players' previous commitments impacted the organization's draft. Starting next season, CHL players can make the jump to the NCAA, meaning they can't sign entry-level contracts right away. As Harvey explained, the new NCAA rule did come up in conversation when evaluating this year's draft class. 

"We used to have two years with the CHL guys, and then you had four years with the European players and the USHL. So it makes it fair for everybody now. So it's kind of, yeah, it does change the way you look at things, and we're still trying to figure out how everything's going to work. But it's something that we talk about for sure." 

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Lastly, Harvey discussed the draft class as a whole and expressed his excitement about the picks the Canucks made. In the end, the Canucks were able to improve their forward group, while adding one of the top goaltending prospect available in this draft. Harvey also made sure to point out the strong character of Vancouver's newest prospect, as well as how each player has a high compete level. 

"Generally, I am happy with every pick we've made. We made it for a reason. And you know, I love the fact that we have competitive people. We have good people, and people that we want to be Vancouver Canucks. And I think that is the most important thing. You talk about Cootes, a quality human being. And I think all the players that we've selected. Our guys have done the work on them, and they're quality people, and that's important."

In the end, the Canucks did a good job of adding prospect who are difficult and annoying to play against. They also focused on improving their depth down the middle, as four of their six prospects are classified as centers. While we won't know exactly how this draft class turns out for a couple years, the early impressions are that Harvey and his team add some intriguing prospects to the organization. 

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