For a team that has only made the playoffs once in the last decade, you'd hope the Vancouver Canucks would appear much later on this list. However, the pipeline of talent has improved compared to their spot at No. 28 a year ago.

In Vancouver, even small steps in the right direction should be celebrated.

The addition of Tom Willander and Aatu Räty, the development of Arturs Silovs and Elias Pettersson (not the more famous one), and some savvy NCAA free agent acquisitions have managed to lift the club out of the bottom third of the league.

Regarding positional strengths and weaknesses, the wings are in good shape. They have several options that could transition into NHL roles. The blue line group is slowly but steadily improving thanks to targeted efforts. Adding Räty has provided the club with one viable center prospect in the pipeline, but it's clear that this remains the weak point in the system and requires further attention in future drafts.

It's worth noting that although Nils Höglander is ineligible for this list, he remains a prospect with tangible top-nine potential, adding an extra layer of value to the organization that is not reflected here.