General Manager Ryan Johnson met with the media on Thursday morning ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He discussed the Canucks’ draft outlook, his options to move picks, and gave an update on a few roster players.
Here’s what Johnson said in his meeting with the media.
He began by discussing how the organization feels going into the draft with the third overall pick.
“It's been a great week having the amateur group here, some of the directors, and a lot of great conversation. It's been a lot of time and effort put into the year and getting ready for this weekend, so it's been great with a lot of administrative stuff happening over the last three, four weeks, and stuff that has to take place, but to sit and talk hockey and talk about this great group of young players, we're excited to get going tomorrow,” said Johnson.
He doesn’t have a feeling on how the first two picks of the draft will go, and added that ‘anything could happen’ and it’s important for the group to be prepared for any type of scenario that could transpire before they make their selection at third overall.
Johnson also addressed the potential to trade some of his picks to move up or down in the draft.
“There's been a lot of movement, and a lot of teams are looking to move up, or some teams that don't have second and third round picks are looking to move back. So, it's conversations that I've had. I think it would take a lot for me to move out of three. We love being there. We love the player that we're going to get there,” he said.
“As far as some of the later opportunities, through the group, if there's an opportunity to move back that benefits us, or to move the other way that we think will benefit us, it's always something that we're going to consider.”
Johnson was asked about his NHL roster and how he would try to balance veteran and young players in the lineup.
“Yes, are we in a rebuild, but it's not sell off, get as young as you can, get your teeth kicked in, and think that things are just going to naturally happen. You want to insulate players with not just good players, but with great people. I've been very clear that the people that will walk into these doors are great people that have the engine, that have the professionalism, and the room awareness that we're looking for,” said Johnson.
“So, it's not just about stripping it down as fast as you can, and it'll automatically grow on its own. That's not the approach here, but it's something that is under consideration of everything we do when you're subtracting. What are you truly subtracting? Just beside the hockey player.”
The General Manager spoke to the fanbase about what to expect from the organization over the next week, as the club will have the draft and free agency to navigate.
“They'll be able to see everything that was talked about since day one, the vision, and that hasn't wavered, and we're exhausting avenues every day to walk through that vision and deliver it. It is not going to happen overnight. We know that, and I stress the patience and the ability to sometimes take a step back,” said Johnson.
“Sometimes, the best moves you make are the ones that you don't, and I'm discussing that with our group. We can't knee-jerk react. We've got to make sure, in the long term, that what we're doing is staying to see this through, not to just be good, but sustainably good for a period of time. And I think that's what our fans deserve, and what we want to put forth to them.”
Night one of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the first round, begins at 4:00 p.m. PT. You can grab free tickets to our watch party at Rogers Arena HERE.
Day two features rounds 2-7 and starts at 8:00 a.m. PT. You can watch it on Sportsnet or stay up to date by following our social media channels.
