Developing prospects drafted after the first round can be complicated at times. Unlike top picks, those selected in the second or later rounds statistically have a smaller chance of becoming impactful at the NHL level. That being said, teams are able to find late-round steals almost every year, which is why the 2020 and 2021 drafts remain a dark cloud over the Vancouver Canucks organization. During the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the Canucks had a total of 11 picks. Of those 11 picks, zero have played NHL games, with only three having some form of connection to the organization. While there is a chance that one or two of these players could still play in the NHL, overall, these two drafts could go down among the worst in franchise history. Starting in 2020, Vancouver made five selections. Of those five, only Jackson Kunz remains with the organization as he is signed to an AHL deal. Here are the five draft picks: 82nd- Joni Jurmo 113th- Jackson Kunz 144th- Jacob Truscott 175th- Dmitri Zlodeyev 191st- Viktor Persson As for players that Canucks could have had, here are some players who have played NHL games drafted just after these selections: 83rd- Alex Laferriere 114th- Mikael Pyyhtiä 150th- Matt Kessel 181st- Cole Reinhardt 205th- Ilya Solovyov Moving to the 2021 draft, Vancouver made six selections. Of the six, only Danila Klimovich and Aku Koskenvuo. Here are the six draft picks: 41st- Danila Klimovich 137th- Aku Koskenvuo 140th- Jonathan Myrenberg 169th- Hugo Gabrielson 178th- Connor Lockhart 201st- Lucas Forsell And here is a look at players who have played NHL games the Canucks could have drafted instead: 47th- Logan Stankoven 144th- Jaroslav Chmelar 150th- Joshua Roy 193rd- Tyson Kozak 203rd- Zakhar Bardakov In the end, the inability to produce at least one NHLer from these two drafts is currently causing Vancouver issues. There is also a case to be made that Jim Benning's constant trading away of picks, even middle-round ones, has impacted the organization this season. As mentioned, while there is still a chance someone from this draft makes the NHL one day, the odds are that both classes will continue to remain bare. Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/835c57fd-f919-443c-8b60-aea724713071.jpeg] Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwr-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] 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 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks]. Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/]: Multiple Canucks Prospects Featured In 2025-26 OHL Coaches Poll [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/multiple-canucks-prospects-featured-in-2025-26-ohl-coaches-poll] Canucks Could Set Home Loss Franchise Record This Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/canucks-could-set-home-loss-franchise-record-this-season] NHL Announces Details For 2028 World Cup Of Hockey [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/nhl-announces-details-for-2028-world-cup-of-hockey] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*if85lf*_ga*MjAzNzYwNzU2Ny4xNzczNDI1NzEw*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NzM0MjU3MDkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzM0MzA3MDIkajYwJGwwJGgw]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. The Hockey News [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c68de79e-799d-479f-ab13-f9cac2de3121.jpeg] The Hockey News
