Anthony Romani Has The Chance To Become The Canucks' Next Late Round Draft Steal

Finding talent in the later rounds of the NHL draft is difficult. But late-round steals are what can be what helps change a team's future, and with the current position the Vancouver Canucks are in right now, they need every bit of that. The Canucks have found talent in the sixth round before in Pavel Bure, and right now they are hoping that they've done it again with Anthony Romani. 

So far in his sophomore season at Michigan State University, Romani leads his team in points with 12 and goals with seven. He was also named the Big Ten's Second Star of the Week at the beginning of November. As of writing, Romani's seven goals rank seventh in the NCAA and put him halfway to his total of 14 from last year. 

Romani can absolutely rip the puck. His shot is the biggest asset in his game and makes him a huge threat to opponents. Romani credits his trainers, Josh Wrobel and Rob Dubeau, for helping him work on his shot, as well as his continued work on it throughout the season.

"I think the shot is always something that I'm working on," said Romani in an interview with The Hockey News. "Whether that's before or after practice, I love shooting pucks. I think also just getting stronger helps your shot get a little harder."

"My trainers back home that I train with, Josh Wrobel, he's really good with shooting techniques and where to shoot the puck and when to and I think he's been a key part. Also my other trainer Rob Dubeau that I've always trained with, he's always been great to me and he taught me how to shoot a puck since I was five years old. So those shooting mechanics and stuff I think it's always something that I'm working on whether that's after practice, before practice, just little drills to keep working on it."

What makes Romani's shot so impactful is his release. He's able to fire the puck off his blade so quickly while slightly changing the angle of his shot to beat the goalie. Romani says working on his release is something he has put a lot of emphasis on.

"I think release is definitely one of the most important things when you're trying to score goals. So I think that's something I focus on. I think accuracy is probably number one, and then the quick release would be number two. But I think that's something that I'm always working on. It's trying to get the puck off quick, (and) catch the goalie off guard."

Putting the puck in the back of the net has always been what Romani was known for. With the North Bay Battalion in the OHL in 2023-24, he recorded 58 goals and 53 assists for 111 points in 58 games. However, the biggest flaw in his game was his skating, mainly his straight-line speed.

So far, through eight games, Romani's improvement has been very noticeable. He's beating defenders down the wing with his speed, getting to loose pucks faster, and backchecking faster. Romani said working on his skating was a priority for him over the summer.

"That was kind of one of my key focuses in the summer was to get more powerful and kind of more explosive on the ice. In the gym, making sure I'm really focused on those things. I think Will Morlock and Dan Noble, both my trainers, did a really good job setting me up with good exercises and good systems, to make sure that I'm doing that. I think last year as well, just even throughout the year, we were constantly working on my speed. I think it's just kind of carried over into this year. And then on the ice, I think just making sure that I'm doing three hard strides in and out of drills. I also before practice I do some speed drills with some more skill coaches, I think that's kind of been a key part for feeling faster on the ice."

In Romani's freshman season with MSU, he had 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 37 games. He's looking to surpass those numbers this year, and based on his start, he very well could. Romani added that he focused on strength training, which is one of the biggest things that have translated to his success so far this season.

"I think the biggest thing I've grown is just my strength. I feel a lot faster and more powerful out there. I think that was kind of one of my big things to win the off-season that I wanted to work on. I feel this year on the ice, I feel a little stronger out there in battles, and a little more explosive and powerful speed-wise to separate myself from defenders on other teams."

The thing about Romani as a scorer, and what makes him so good, is that he can beat you from anywhere. He isn’t the type of goal scorer who only scores one or two ways. Romani is a threat from everywhere on the ice. Whether it’s off the rush, in front of the net, or using his one-timer, he is always continuing to add to his goal-scoring arsenal.

"You don't want to be a one-trick pony where, if something doesn't work, you can't score. So I think I'm always trying to figure out different ways to score in practice, and just trying different shots, different angles."

Romani added, "I think just making sure that I'm always finding those soft spots in the (offensive zone) or getting shots off quick. That's one of my strengths. So I think that's something I'm always trying to do." 

The transition from the OHL to the NCAA was slow but steady for Romani, as you would expect. Going from playing against teenagers to playing against grown men is quite the jump. The points started coming in the second half of the year, as Romani put up 10 points in his last 13 games as a freshman.

This season, he's playing on a line with Ethan Belchez, the Utah Mammoth's 17th overall pick in 2026, and Cullen Puller, the Calgary Flames' 32nd overall pick in 2025, or Eric Nilsen, the Anaheim Ducks' 45th overall pick in 2025. Ultimately, it is safe to say that Romani is surrounded by talented players.

By far the biggest area of growth that has separated Romani from the rest of the pack is his two-way game. He has earned both power play and penalty kill time this season. It's something he's happy to have earned, as it shows that he has gained his coaches' trust while also giving him the opportunity to continue developing as a complete player.

"I think it's awesome that I got to play both this year. I always want to be a guy that the coaches can trust, and I think it's great that they trust me. And I just gotta keep building their trust. So obviously, I'm working on it each day to be better on the (penalty kill) and on the power play."

While in Vancouver for development camp, Romani built a strong connection with Canucks development coaches Mike Komisarek and Mikael Samuelsson. Komisarek and Samuelsson have a combined 1,250 NHL games under their belts, and both have been great mentors for Romani.

"Both of them are awesome. They're constantly talking to me. I think Komisarek has already been to three of my games already, so we're always talking about what stuff I need to work on. Or honestly, just like he loves talking to me just as a person as well. He's very personable. I mean, he's been through it all, so I'm always trying to pick his brain and get advice from him. So he's great to talk to and work with."

With Vancouver in a rebuild, it’s expected that they’ll be picking near the top of the draft order for the next few years and will be stockpiling prospects. If the Canucks want to have a successful rebuild, and one that doesn’t take ages, they are going to need to hit on draft picks outside of the first two rounds, and Romani has the potential to be one of them.

There’s no guarantee that he’ll be a top-six forward, but he could definitely provide value to the team if he continues on this upward trajectory. His defensive game should help him carve out bottom-six responsibilities, along with his goal-scoring prowess. It’s still early, but Romani is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. 

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