With the 41st pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks have selected Danila Klimovich from Minskie Zubry of the Belarus Vysshaya
About Danila Klimovich
Klimovich was more or less an unknown going into his draft year. That was until the 2021 U18 World Championship got underway. His speed, shot and overall offensive game were on display as he accumulated six goals in three games. Praised by director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr as a player who has NHL size and speed, he got onto the radar of many scouts as a potential top-50 pick. His skills may be raw, but his potential is off the charts.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Before the 2021 U18 World Championship, Danila Klimovich was not on many draft lists. In fact, scouts and draft pundits were scrambling to find out more about the 18-year-old Belarussian after his first two games saw him score four goals, which included a hat trick in just over 29 minutes of play. He ended up finishing the tournament with six goals in five games and more importantly, his name etched on every scout’s notepads.
Related: THW 2021 NHL Draft Guide
“Unranked by everyone but NHL Central Scouting and Elite Prospects, Klimovich wowed everyone with his speed, shot, and overall skill on his way to being named one of Team Belarus’ best players of the tournament and now, one to watch in the first few rounds of the upcoming draft. No longer an unknown prospect, he could even find his way into the first round, especially if Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen caught wind of his play. As we all know, he’s no stranger to off-the-board picks after selecting Yegor Chinakhov in 2020. Although, with his team set to potentially choose in the top-five, that probably won’t happen this time.
“Klimovich is a highly creative goal scoring forward with an NHL caliber shot and a compete level that is off the charts. He also knows how to finish his chances, which is something that can elude a lot of players striving to be consistent offensive producers. All in all, he has all the skills of a top line forward, which makes it hard to believe that we are just discovering him a couple of months away from the draft. I guess if he was playing in a more prominent league like the KHL or MHL, we probably would have known about him sooner.
“All in all, Klimovich’s name is one to keep an eye on, as he could become a steal in the first few rounds. North America could be seeing more of him in the coming seasons too, as he was drafted in the 2020 CHL Import Draft by the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda. If he does ultimately come over from Belarus, I’m sure he will quickly become a household name, that is, if he isn’t already.”
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects Canucks’ Plans
With Klimovich the Canucks get a high potential winger that could eventually turn into an absolute steal. He’s uber skilled and creative with the puck and could turn into a perennial 20 goal scorer in the NHL. After losing Kole Lind to the Seattle Kraken, they get a very adequate replacement. He’s still a relative unknown, but if the excitement and scoring transfer from the U18s to the next level, Canucks Nation will be very happy with getting him here in the second round.