The Vancouver Canucks selected center Braeden Cootes with the 15th overall pick in Friday's NHL draft.

Cootes tallied 26 goals and 63 points in 60 games this season with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.

He captained the Thunderbirds as well as Canada's Under-18 roster this year.

Cootes led the Canadians with six goals and 12 points at the event, solidifying his status as a mid-round pick. His numbers aren't as flashy as some other WHLers in this class, but he still led Seattle in scoring and posted strong defensive metrics.

The Alberta native plays hard and fast. The energetic, right-handed pivot likely won't be a high-impact offensive player at the next level but is well-rounded and does enough to project as a useful top-nine option. If his offense takes a step forward, there's top-six upside.

It's the Canucks' first pick in the opening round since taking Tom Willander 11th overall in 2023.