I can see all this discussion moot as Vancouver may be more open to moving down than we are. Which isn't a bad thing as it may result in Tkachuk or Dubois falling to us.
There are at least three forwards and three defencemen who could command interest when the Vancouver Canucks select fifth in the National Hockey League draft on June 24 in Buffalo.
There could be just as many trade offers to consider because the phone is ringing, and general manager Jim Benning and his staff are preparing for what is expected to be an active period before Auston Matthews is picked first overall.
The Canucks know they can land a foundation player — centre/winger Pierre-Luc Dubois, left winger Matthew Tkachuk or puck-moving defenceman Olli Juolevi, depending on what the Edmonton Oilers do with the fourth pick — but they could also make their club better now and in the future by moving the selection and getting a proven and young top-six player.
That’s plenty to ponder.
“Teams have been calling and enquiring about the fifth pick,” Benning said Thursday from the Canucks’ amateur scouting meetings in Whistler.
“We want to be prepared for any scenario that could come up at the draft. But depending on who’s there when we pick, we know we’re getting a good player. We’re not looking to move the pick, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if teams call and make offers for the pick and we didn’t consider the offers.
“We’re doing our due diligence. If we can move down and get a top-six player and a second-round pick, we have to keep our options open. I’m not saying we’re going to do anything, but we need to be prepared for any situation that may come up. But at the end of the day, if we go in and pick at No. 5, I’m real confident that we’re getting a piece that will help us win and be part of our future for a long time.”
http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=11975690