VANCOUVER B次元官网网址� The Vancouver Canucks picked Russian forward Vasily Podkolzin 10th overall at the NHL draft on Friday.
The 17-year-old played part of last season for St. Petersburg of the KHL and was the No. 2 European skater on the NHL Central Scouting prospect list.
Podkolzin, six-foot-one 196 pounds, captained Russia at the under-18 world championships. He had one goal and four points in seven games to help his country win silver.
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B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
The selection was announced at Rogers Arena where the Canucks are hosting this yearB次元官网网址檚 draft.
Some of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 recent first-round draft picks have quickly become key to the clubB次元官网网址檚 rebuilding process.
Last year, the Canucks scooped up defenceman Quinn Hughes seventh overall. The 19-year-old made his NHL debut in March and tallied three assists before the end of the season.
Hughes was in the crowd at Rogers Arena on Friday, cheering for his younger brother, Jack Hughes, who was picked No. 1 by the New Jersey Devils.
Elias Pettersson, taken fifth overall by the Canucks in 2017, won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year at the NHLB次元官网网址檚 annual awards ceremony on Wednesday.
The Swedish centre led Vancouver in scoring last season, posting 28 goals and 38 assists over 71 games.
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Despite PetterssonB次元官网网址檚 success, the Canucks missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, finishing the regular season fifth in the Pacific Division with a 35-36-11 record.
The lacklustre performance brought mounting pressure for the teamB次元官网网址檚 general manager, Jim Benning.
Everything you need to know about Vasily Podkolzin, who the selected 10th overall at the Friday night.
B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Vancouver has made the playoffs just once since Benning took the reigns in 2014, and the GM has repeatedly come under fire for signing under-performing forwards like Loui Eriksson, Sam Gagner, Tim Schaller and Jay Beagle.
While the former scout has collected some talented young athletes for the Canucks, question marks remain over some of his other selections.
Defenceman Olli Juolevi, taken fifth overall in 2016, has yet to play his first NHL game after suffering a number of injuries, including knee surgery last winter.
Benning will have an opportunity to add to VancouverB次元官网网址檚 prospect pool when the draft continues on Saturday. The Canucks have eight more picks, starting with the 40th selection.
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B次元官网网址� Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
Bowen Byram of the Western Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver Giants went fourth overall to the Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado added Alex Newhook of the B.C. Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 Victoria Grizzlies with the 16th overall pick.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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