The Vancouver Canucks just had a "very positive" meeting with a record-chasing teen
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Daniel Lucente
Jan 25, 2026 (10:41)
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Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Keaton Verhoeff's 17 points have Vancouver Canucks scouts circling, and the 2026 NHL Draft race just got loud.
He's sitting at 6-11-17 in 22 games for North Dakota, and he's doing it as a U18 blueliner.
That's a 0.77 points-per-game clip, from the blue line, against grown men.
On pure pace, he's tracking toward the most productive U18 season by an NCAA defenseman in at least 50 years, if he holds the line for a full schedule.
That's why the "face time" part matters, especially for teams hunting a franchise pillar on the back end.
The above post claims Vancouver had a very positive meeting with Verhoeff this week, and the timing checks out with scouting season ramping.
The Canucks need good news anywhere they can find it, because they're 17-29-5 and stuck at the bottom of the NHL table.
Keaton Verhoeff has Vancouver Canucks dreaming again
You can feel the fanbase clinging to any real blue line hope, because this season has been a grind on the ice.
Verhoeff is a right-shot defender who plays like he expects to run your power play one day.
He opens his hips, walks the line, and gets pucks through, which is half the battle on the man advantage.
He's 17, eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Victoria Royals took him fourth overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, first round.
For Vancouver, this is also cap math, because an entry-level deal is the cheapest way to add real skill.
The other layer is fit, because their pipeline badly needs a true top-pair ceiling behind the current core.
If the Canucks keep sliding, draft lottery talk turns from dread to opportunity, fast.
Either way, keep watching that 6-11-17 line, because it's already pulling NHL decision-makers into the room.
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Leon Draisaitl breaks his silence for the first time since returning from unexpected leave of absence
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 25|142 ANSWERS The Vancouver Canucks just had a "very positive" meeting with a record-chasing teen Should the Vancouver Canucks prioritize Keaton Verhoeff in the 2026 NHL Draft? | ||
| Yes | 74 | 52.1 % |
| No | 68 | 47.9 % |
| List of polls | ||