A deep dive into Muskegon Lumberjacks center Rūdolfs Bērzkalns.
The Vancouver Canucks enter the 2026 NHL Entry Draft with 10 picks. Leading up to the draft, we at The Hockey News will profile a different prospect who the Canucks could take with each of their picks. Today's prospect is Muskegon Lumberjacks center Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, who Vancouver could select 78th overall.
The Canucks need to add some size to their prospect pool, which is why they should take a long look at Bērzkalns. Listed at 6'3", 204 lbs, the Latvian center saw massive improvements during his second USHL season. Not only did his point total jump from eight to 25, but he helped the Lumberjacks qualify for a second straight Clark Cup Final.
In addition to playing in the USHL, Bērzkalns has represented Latvia at the last two World Juniors. The 18-year-old picked up his first point at the 2026 tournament, when he scored against Canada in the round-robin. Over his career, Bērzkalns has played in 10 games at the World Juniors and has already represented Latvia at the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival, where he recorded three assists in three games.
The defensive zone is where Bērzkalns is at his best. Thanks to his size, he has no issues getting into both passing and shooting lanes. Bērzkalns' size also comes in handy for creating turnovers, as he can win physical battles along the wall while pushing pucks away from defenders and towards his teammates.
As for the offensive zone, Bērzkalns can consistently find open ice. He does this by constantly skating and changing up his position based on where the defender is. When around the net, Bērzkalns has shown he can find loose pucks and create scoring chances from in tight.
Another positive when it comes to Bērzkalns is his desire to always improve. His skating became better throughout the season, which saw him rise from 49th on NHL Central Scouting's North American Skaters Mid-Term Rankings to 30th by the end of the campaign. Bērzkalns' comfort level on the ice appeared to improve throughout the year, which resulted in a strong performance during the playoffs.
Bērzkalns will be leaving the USHL as he has already committed to the NCAA for the 2026-27 season. He will be playing for Boston College, which is building a strong recruiting class for next year. Playing against stronger competition should help Bērzkalns improve not only his two-way game but also his physicality.
Adding Bērzkalns would be a smart move by Vancouver's management team. He has good size and shows a willingness to continually work on his game. If Bērzkalns is available in the third round, the Canucks should seriously consider adding him to their prospect pool.
Rūdolfs Bērzkalns of the Muskegon Lumberjacks (Photo Credit: Muskegon Lumberjacks)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.
2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profiles:
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