Is the Canucks' Brooks Rogowski Already as Good as He Looks?

The Vancouver Canucks may have found an intriguing prospect with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Brooks Rogowski is 6-foot-7, weighs roughly 235 pounds and plays centre. But it was his performance at the World Junior Summer Showcase that really got people talking. Rogowski scored three goals and added an assist in four games for Team USA, with one evaluator describing the massive forward as an “absolute force” whenever he was on the ice.

Rogowski is showing himself to be an all-around player.

What makes that performance particularly encouraging for Vancouver is that Rogowski wasn't simply scoring goals. Canucks director of player personnel and development Daren Hermiston, who was at the showcase, praised his ability to play his natural centre position, win faceoffs, contribute on both special teams and use his size and physicality effectively. Perhaps most encouraging was his skating. For a player listed at 6-foot-7, Rogowski reportedly moved better than expected and was able to impact the game in several different ways. That gives Vancouver something to work with beyond simply hoping his offensive game develops.

There is obviously a long way to go. Rogowski had 15 goals and 42 points in 46 games with Oshawa last season and remains a raw offensive prospect. But the combination of size, skating, defensive responsibility and centre versatility gives him an interesting ceiling. If his offensive consistency continues to improve, Vancouver could eventually have a middle-six centre or power forward who brings something the organization doesn't have a lot of. He doesn't have to become a 30-goal scorer to make the pick worthwhile, either. If he can become a reliable, physical centre who can handle difficult minutes, win battles and contribute enough offensively, that would be a pretty valuable player to have.

Fortunately, the Canucks are in no rush to see Rogowski end up on the NHL roster.

For now, though, this is about patience. Rogowski doesn't need to rush into the NHL, and the Canucks don't need to decide what he will become after one summer showcase. The important thing is that he has given them another reason to be interested. For a player selected 33rd overall, that's a pretty encouraging first step.

Still, for someone they got as late as they did in the NHL entry draft, he stepped up to show his value, even at this early stage of his development with the organization. It looks like the Canucks might have a good one.