Vancouver has a huge draft opportunity per Dreger and missing this would be a disaster
The Vancouver Canucks just got a clearer picture of what it would take to move up at the draft.
Darren Dreger reported on Barn Burner this week that San Jose is not willing to drop below 4th overall in any trade-up scenario.
That gives Vancouver a very specific path. The Canucks hold the No.3 overall pick. The Sharks hold the No.2. Swapping spots with San Jose works inside Dreger's reported framework. Dropping further does not.
Pierre LeBrun reported last week that the Sharks are genuinely listening on their pick. Bill Armstrong's group wants impact help to accelerate their next step. They aren't sitting on the pick out of stubbornness.
The math suddenly looks workable for the Canucks. Move up one spot. Stay in the top three. Pick the player Vancouver actually wants.
Gavin McKenna is expected to go first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chris Johnston has been reporting Leafs scouts have made trips up to Whitehorse. The No.1 pick is essentially decided.
Why Anton Stenberg becomes the real prize at No.2
Anton Stenberg has surged up draft boards after his strong IIHF World Championship run. The Swedish prospect closed the gap between himself and McKenna in the eyes of multiple scouts.
If Vancouver moves up to No.2, Stenberg is the player they're chasing. The Canucks finished dead last in the league at 25-49-8 with 58 points. The pipeline desperately needs a real franchise piece.
GM Ryan Johnson and the new Sedin-led front office have already signaled there are no untouchables on the roster. A bold draft trade-up fits that mindset exactly.
The cost would be real. San Jose isn't dropping one spot for nothing. The Canucks would likely need to add a roster piece or a future pick on top of the swap. The conversation isn't simple.
Honestly, this is exactly the kind of swing a new front office needs in its first off-season. The Sedins took over hockey operations two weeks ago. Manny Malhotra just got hired as head coach. The next big statement is at the draft floor.
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Vancouver also lost Judd Brackett to Toronto as the Maple Leafs' new AGM. That scouting voice would have been valuable in exactly this kind of decision. The judgment now falls on the people currently in the building.
The 2026 NHL Draft is June 26. The Sharks are listening. The Canucks have weeks to decide if Stenberg is worth the cost of getting up to him.
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JUNE 2, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | - | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||