Long before the summer draft of 2016, Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning set his sights on London Knights defender Olli Juolevi.
At the time, Vancouver’s depth on defence was slim, and Benning made a choice not to draft the best player available, rather choosing to select the player he thought was most suited to fill the team’s needs.
Fast forward three seasons, and Juolevi still hasn’t filled the role he was drafted for, and injuries have been the biggest factor.
Juolevi stood out as a great candidate who could fit the shoe so to speak, after he put up 42 points in 57 games in the OHL.