When Brendan Gaunce was drafted in the first round at 26th overall of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, he was instantly one of the top prospects of a then-competitive Vancouver Canucks organization, who didn’t have many talented prospects in their system at the time.
Gaunce scored 28 goals and picked up 68 points total in as many games in his draft year, and his draft plus one year, he scored 33 goals and finished with 60 points in 60 games with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League. He looked like a promising young talent who could score goals — exactly what the Canucks needed going forward.