Deep Dive: The New Guys

The Canucks reconvened at Rogers Arena for day two of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft Saturday after adding Russian power-forward Vasily Podkolzin with the 10th overall selection Friday night.

Podkolzin is relentless everywhere on the ice seeming to never run out of energy. Measuring in at 6'1" and 195 lbs, Podkolzin is particularly adept at protecting and maintaining control of the puck. He can have multiple opponents trying to engage and strip him of the puck, but he just seems to always come away with it.
Click here to read all about him.
The organization entered Saturday with eight picks and were looking to add more skill and speed to their prospect pool. After adding J.T. Miller via a trade with the Tampa Bay Lighting, in which they moved the 71st overall selection, the team made seven picks on the whirlwind day.
Here are the players that the Canucks added to the prospect pool.

Nils Hoglander (2nd round - 40th overall)

The Canucks first selection on the day was Swedish winger Nils Hoglander.
Despite measuring in at 5'9" and 185 lbs, Hoglander doesn't play like a small forward. He is a high energy player that has some of the best puck skills in this draft class. He is slippery when battling along the boards and isn't afraid to try to make plays.
Hoglander spent the entire past season in the SHL picking up seven goals and seven assists in 50 games and will play for Rogle again next season.
He is a fun and electrifying player that should represent Sweden at the World Juniors this upcoming winter.

Ethan Keppen (4th round - 122nd overall)

The organization started the round with the 102nd pick, but traded down to 122nd and picked up 175th overall for the trouble. They grabbed left-winger Ethan Keppen there.
The 6-foot-2 winger is a fantastic skater who compliments it with some great puck skills.
Like Hoglander and Podkolzin, he is also a tireless worker who wants to have the puck on his stick and when he doesn't, he is going to go get it.
Keppen finished third in scoring on the Flint Firebirds with 30 goals and 29 assists in 68 games.

C Carson Focht (5th round - 133rd overall)

Focht was passed over last season, but was snapped up by the Canucks with the 133rd overall selection this year.
The Regina born centre is a fast skating and skill offensive play that scored 26 goals and 38 assists in 68 games with the Calgary Hitmen this past season.
He started his junior career with the Tri-City Americans, but was traded in the middle of the 2017-18 season to Calgary and really took advantage of that situation.
Focht will play with fellow Canucks prospect Jett Woo in Calgary following the offseason trade that saw the Canucks 2018 2nd round pick move to the Hitmen.
He will attend the World Junior summer showcase this summer with hopes of earning a spot with Team Canada at the World Juniors.

G Arturs Silovs (6th round - 156th overall)

With their first pick in the 6th round, the Canucks snagged Latvian goaltender Arturs Silovs.
The 6'4" and 203 lbs netminder had a fantastic showing for Latvia at the World Juniors here in Vancouver. Although he ended the tournament with a 3.32 GAA and 0.918 SV%, he stood on his throughout the event.
He also appeared in seven MHL games, which is the second tier league in Russia, where he posted a 2.45 GAA and 0.920 SV%. Silovs also appeared in 20 games in the Latvian professional league.

F Karel Plasek (6th round - 175th overall)

Ranked as the 43rd best European skater prior to the draft, the Canucks took Karel Plasek with their second pick of the 6th round.
He is a speedy winger that pushes the pace of play who had a strong showing for the Czech Republic at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial to start the season. He also represented his home country at the World Juniors here in Vancouver.
He was able to appear in 29 Czech league games this season which is an impressive feat for any teenager.

F John (Jack) Malone (6th round - 180th overall)

The right-handed forward scored 19 goals and assisted on 40 more for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL.
As evidenced by his stateline, Malone is known more as a playmaker but does possess a good shot. He's particularly strong in and around the net.
He is committed to head to Cornell University next season and should be afforded a big role for them.

F Aidan McDonough (7th round - 195th overall)

The Canucks had two picks in the seventh round after trading their own 6th round pick to San Jose in the deal that brought back forward Francis Perron and the 215th overall pick.
With their own pick on the round they selected 19-year-old forward Aidan McDonough.
In his first season in the USHL, McDonough put up 21 goals and 21 assists in 50 games and got better as the season went along. Known to play a power forward game with some soft hands.
McDonough is committed to attend Northeastern University next season joining fellow Canucks prospect Tyler Madden there.

F Arvid Costmar (7th round - 215th overall)

With the pick acquired from San Jose, the Canucks snagged Swedish forward Arvid Coastmar.
The 5'11" and 181 lbs winger battled some injuries to close out the season, but is a high motor play that loves to make things happen.
He played 44 SuperElit games this season where he scored 13 goals and 25 assists. He appeared in four games at the SHL with Linkoping but didn't register a point.
He represented Sweden at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial and the U18 World Juniors.