The Vancouver Canucks almost had it all. They had the 194th draft pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and they were looking to get a steal. There were many players available, including the son of former NHLer Cliff Ronning, Ty. With their draft pick, the Vancouver Canucks selected, from the OHL's North Bay Battalion, Brett McKenzie.
If you thought Buffalo was surprised by the Canucks drafting Juolevi over Tkachuk, then they should have been even more surprised if they knew that (Ty) Ronning was still available in the draft. Ronning, 18, finished the season with 31 goals and 59 points with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
The Canucks missed out on a 60 point scorer. If we also mention he accomplished this in only 67 points, you might be wondering why the Canucks fanned out on him like that. Ronning could definitely have been drafted higher, and it makes you wonder why he was such a late pick.
(Brett) McKenzie, 19, finished with 26 goals and 53 points, 6 less then Ronning. It may have been the +/- difference. McKenzie had a +1, while Ronning was a -7. Still, this was not a huge difference, and would have surely been irrelevant of the decision.
Benning is not a poor drafter. He did draft players like Virtanen, Boeser and Demko, as well as this year's first rounder, Juolevi. He does make the occasional bluff. It is his decisions as a manager that ruin his managing career. He can make the occasional mistake, and sometimes, those mistakes may come from drafting. Tonight was one of them.
Ronning was drafted 201st overall by the New York Rangers. If, in the end, McKenzie becomes an irrelevant player who spends the majority of his career in the AHL as a first liner or a NHL fourth liner, while Ronning is posting 40 point seasons annually and has become one of the best second line wingers in the NHL, then you know who to blame.
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