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First off, nice move by the Canucks to have long time head scout Ron Delorme make the selection and acknowledge the ongoing Residential School situation. Delorme’s mother was a residential school survivor, and it was great to see them do this pick in honour of the children whose lives were taken away at these schools.
With the 41st overall selection in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Vancouver #Canucks have selected Danila Klimovich from Minsk Zubry.#CanucksDraft | @ToyotaPacific
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) July 24, 2021
So... who the hell is Danila Klimovich?
This is a bit of a bump given his ranking among various scouting organizations, but a testament to the power of having a strong showing at big international tournaments, as we saw with Klimovich in the IIHF World Under 18’s, where he scored four goals in his first two games, including a hat trick against Switzerland.
Danila Klimovich might have the best puck skill in the draft. Interior-driven attacker who showed some some plus-level instincts and problem solving. Skating needs to improve, and too much runs through his hands. I really like his pure upside, but needs a lot of development. https://t.co/tfbZOyo8T7
— Rhys Jessop (@Thats_Offside) July 24, 2021
This seems like a pretty positive assessment. A work in progress, but a good skill base to start with. A guy who flew under the radar on a lot of scouts, but could be someone who becomes a decent AHL prospect.
Here's the Danila Klimovich section in the @EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide. Eat your heart out, #Canucks fans.
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) July 24, 2021
And if you haven't bought the draft guide yet, go ahead and fix that by following this link: https://t.co/lCWeRCZyd7 pic.twitter.com/DGDdZBUwCg
Here’s what I wrote about Danila Klimovich back in June for @CanucksArmy. pic.twitter.com/kpiNTRRQoO
— Faber (@ChrisFaber39) July 24, 2021
Klimovich is property of the QMJHL’s Royun-Noranda Huskies, and it’s likely that’s how we get our first good look at him in the upcoming season. If they can help work out his issues with skating, this is a good depth pick for the Abbotsford Canucks. Making the NHL is a long shot for him, but if he continues to show the level of determination he had in the Under 18’s, he could surprise us all.