The Canucks have three prospects heading into a pivotal season, with each one playing for the chance to land an entry-level contract before their rights expire next offseason. Two forwards and one defenceman fit that bill, all drafted in 2022 or 2023, and all with something to prove over the next year.
Daimon Gardner is the highest pick of the group and the one with the biggest frame. The Ontario-born centreman was taken in the fourth round, 112th overall in 2022, after a strong draft-plus-one year in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm. At 6’4” and 205 pounds, Gardner looked like an intriguing bet on size and upside after he posted 42 points in 46 games.
His college career, though, has not taken off the way the Canucks would have hoped. Gardner’s freshman season at Clarkson produced just six points in 29 games.
He then spent the next two seasons at St. Cloud State University, where his best year came in 2023-24 with 14 points in 32 games.
Now he’s moving on to Minnesota State University for what will be his fourth season in college hockey and his third school in the NCAA.
The tools are still there, but the consistency hasn’t followed. Gardner has the size to project as a pro, yet the offensive output and the all-around details have not been steady enough. He’ll need a stronger, more complete season to give Vancouver a reason to sign him, though the most realistic path still points toward him becoming an AHL forward.
Matthew Perkins is in a similar spot, just one year later in the draft and with a different type of game. Vancouver grabbed him in the fourth round, 119th overall in 2023, and he’s heading into his senior year in the NCAA and his second season at Northeastern University.
Perkins is listed at 5’11” and 174 pounds, and he can line up both at center and on the wing. His draft-plus-one season at the University of Minnesota looked encouraging, as he put up 15 points in 35 games.
Since then, the production has dipped and the role has shrunk. Last season at Northeastern, he managed seven points in 29 games.
What still stands out is his two-way game. He plays responsibly, and he can help in multiple spots up front.
But the size, the skating, and the scoring numbers make him a tough player to project as much more than organizational depth right now. The Canucks could still decide to bring him into the AHL or ECHL after this season, but he’ll need to show there’s more upside left if he wants to earn a contract.
Aiden Celebrini might be the most intriguing name of the three, and he’s the only defenceman on the list. Drafted in the sixth round, 171st overall in 2023, the Vancouver native came out of the AJHL with the Brooks Bandits. He’s also the older brother of Macklin Celebrini.
Celebrini is headed into his fourth year at Boston University, and his college production has been limited. That was never really the point. He was drafted as a defensive defenceman with shutdown traits, not someone expected to pile up points.
Boston University has used him mostly in a third-pairing role, with some time on the second pair over his first three seasons. Given his work ethic, his defensive game, and his past connection with Abbotsford Canucks head coach Ryan Papaioannou from their time with the Brooks Bandits, he looks like the best bet of the three to get an opportunity in the AHL. It would not be a surprise to see Vancouver give him that chance at the end of this season and into next year.
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