With the 95th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected defenceman Jack Rathbone of Dexter School in the USHS.
After picking three forwards and a goaltender with their first four picks, the Canucks opted for a defenceman in the fourth round. Rathbone is a smaller player, measuring just 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 170 pounds, but he was a continuous riser throughout the season.
An impressive skater with puck skills and smarts, Rathbone projects as a two-way defenceman whose strengths lie in the offensive zone and on the rush. If he pans out, Rathbone is exactly the kind of player teams want in today’s NHL.