The Vancouver Canucks used the 41st pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on Niklas Aaram-Olsen, and the bet here is obvious: size, speed and one loud offensive weapon.
At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, the 18-year-old Norwegian winger still has room to fill out physically and, just as importantly, room to sharpen the rest of his game. But the raw ingredients are there, and Vancouver clearly saw enough upside to make him its second second-round selection of the draft.
The first thing that jumps out with Aaram-Olsen is the shot. Scouts love it, and the tape backs that up.
He can hammer pucks from distance, but he’s not just a one-trick sniper with a heavy one-timer. He changes release points, shifts angles quickly and has a knack for getting the puck on goal.
For a Canucks organization that has spent too long chasing offense without enough success, that kind of finishing touch matters.
His production in the draft year was strong as well. With Örebro HK’s U20 team in the U20 Nationell, he scored 20 goals and added 20 assists in 29 games. That was just a shade more than 2022 first-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimäki posted with Djurgårdens IF’s U20 club in 2021-22, when he put up 20 goals and 15 assists in 26 games.
Aaram-Olsen also carried a heavy load for Norway. In this year’s U20 Division 1A World Junior Championships, he helped his country earn promotion to the top division. He tied for the tournament lead with six goals, led Norway in scoring, and finished with 10 points, which was good for a share of third in the event overall.
There’s more to like than just the shot, too. He skates well, moves with real athleticism and has enough hockey sense to find ways to stay involved.
He can fly up and down the ice, force turnovers and help spark plays for teammates. There’s agility there for the forecheck and backcheck, even if the consistency still comes and goes.
That said, the reason he was still there at 41 is pretty clear. His game away from that elite shot is still a work in progress.
The speed and agility are real, but his motor hasn’t fully matched them yet. He’ll also lean on long-range attempts that work against junior competition but won’t always survive against men.
His brief time in the SHL showed that gap. Örebro HK gave him looks with the big club, but he didn’t make much of an impression in Sweden’s top league.
In 16 games during his draft year, he finished without a point. By comparison, Lekkerimäki had nine points in 26 SHL games in his own draft year.
That kind of translation issue is exactly what pushed him into the second round. Aaram-Olsen isn’t lazy, and he’s not just hanging around the outside, either.
He competes, he works and he has enough tools to avoid becoming a one-dimensional player. But if he’s going to hit his ceiling, he’ll need to get into the dirty areas more often, drive the middle of the ice against men and show that his offense can hold up at a higher level.
That’s the real swing for Vancouver. If he rounds out into a true 200-foot winger, the Canucks may have found a steal. If not, he risks getting stuck in that awkward middle ground - too skilled for the bottom six, not complete enough for the top six.
For now, the path is set. Aaram-Olsen is headed to Boston University this fall, where he’ll make the jump to North American ice.
He’ll join Canucks third-overall pick Caleb Malholtra with the Terriers, and the two could start building chemistry right away. It should be a useful next step for Aaram-Olsen, especially with the smaller rink and the chance to adjust against NCAA competition.
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