The Vancouver Canucks are not losing games randomly. As of this week, the Canucks sit last in the Pacific Division, with a 13-17-3 record, and they have not been able to defend their net consistently. Their goals against are too high, the penalty kill is near the bottom of the league, and the goaltending numbers reflect a workload of facing high-danger shots.
Then came the shift that changed how fans should think about the next draft. In a blockbuster deal, Vancouver traded their captain, Quinn Hughes, to the Minnesota Wild for, among other things, a second 2026 first-round pick. In the press release, management didn’t imply they were rebuilding; they stated it outright. NHL.com reinforced the idea, pointing to futures-driven assets and a clear pivot toward the next window.
Related: Canucks Got a Great Haul in Quinn Hughes Trade
If they are rebuilding and suddenly have two first-round swings, one of the smartest bets they can make is on a right-shot defenseman with a credible pro track. That brings us to Tappara’s Juho Piiparinen.
Canucks’ Drag Points Start In Its Own End
The Canucks have many issues, and they all stem from their inability to defend effectively. ESPN’s breakdown has Vancouver at 3.39 goals against per game and a 73.4 percent penalty kill, ranked 29th. The goaltending picture is also telling, with a .890 team save percentage and 3.39 team GAA, numbers that rarely belong to teams that are balanced and consistent.
Trading Hughes effectively removed the primary transition engine from the back end, but it also gave Vancouver the draft capital to build a new spine without rushing the timeline. With an extra first-round pick, management can think long-term and not just select the “best player available and hope.”
Who Is Juho Piiparinen?
Piiparinen is a right-shot defenseman in Tappara’s program, listed at 190 cm and 92 kg (about 6-3, 203 pounds), born in August 2008. Through Dec. 17, Tappara credits him with 26 Liiga games, three assists, a plus-8 rating, and eight penalty minutes. That is not a stat line that says power-play quarterback upside. It is a usage line that signals trust, because Tappara does not hand teenagers 26 games by accident.
Scouts have already taken notice. NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary “Players to Watch” list gave Piiparinen an “A” rating. Finnish coverage has echoed that he is viewed as a premium defensive prospect, and MTV Uutiset referenced Craig Button’s early view, describing Piiparinen as big, physical, smooth, and not flashy.
Why Piiparinen Fits Vancouver’s Rebuild Timeline
For the Canucks, the most important part of Piiparinen’s profile is not points. It is the foundation: size, handedness, and a game that projects toward the minutes that keep teams alive. A rebuild needs defenders who can eventually take matchups, kill penalties, and make the game easier for everyone behind them. Vancouver needs exactly that.
Piiparinen also fits the timeline of a team that has admitted it is rebuilding. The Canucks can afford patience. They can let a teenage defender continue to develop in Liiga, then bring him over when he is ready for the next level, rather than forcing him into NHL minutes too early. That is the best way to handle a defence-first right shot, especially if his long-term value is tied to being a reliable top-four blueliner rather than a high-event scorer.
The Real Question: How Much Offence Can Piiparinen Contribute?
If Piiparinen is projected to be a top-half of the first-round option, the biggest debate will be his offensive ceiling. Three assists in 26 Liiga games keep the “puck-moving upside” conversation theoretical. That does not mean he cannot move pucks. It does mean the evaluation needs more details: retrievals under pressure, first-pass quality, and whether he can hold the offensive blue line and make the next play rather than defaulting to the safe one every time.
For the Canucks, that is still a defensible first-round bet. Teams that rebuild properly don’t just draft for points. They draft roles that are hard to acquire later. A right-shot defender who can survive hard minutes is one of the hardest roles to find on the open market.
World Juniors Context Helps The Case
Leijonat.fi listed him among the defensemen invited to join Team Finland and the U20 World Junior Championships later this month, and Tappara confirmed his inclusion days later. That is not a guarantee, but it is a meaningful indicator that Finland views him as an immediate asset, not just a long-term name.
Related: 2026 World Junior Championship Team Finland Final Roster
This will be the cleanest time to take a look at Piiparien. A rebuilding Canucks team with two first-round picks can justify spending one on a right-shot defender whose evaluation will sharpen in a high-tempo international environment, while they have the runway to wait on the payoff.
Vancouver’s next competitive core will need defenders who can close plays, manage chaos, and hold structure when the game tilts against them. Piiparinen’s profile is built around those minutes, and that is why he belongs in the Canucks’ first-round conversation now, not after everyone else has already circled his name.
