The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks picked one of the youngest prospects in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft when they selected goaltender Alexei Medvedev in the second round.
In the sixth round, the Canucks selected one of the oldest first-time draft-eligible prospects in Gabe Chiarot. With a September 17 birthday, if Chiarot were two days older, he would have been eligible for the 2024 draft.
That immediately raises questions about the pick, as Chiarot wasn't very productive last year, putting up just 10 points in 48 games for the Mississauga Steelheads in the OHL, and he was only slightly more productive this year, with 35 points in 66 games for the Brampton Steelheads.
That said, 21 of his 35 points were goals.
That's the intriguing element of Chiarot's game: he can put the puck in the net, especially in the greasy areas of the ice.
"After scoring just five goals in his draft-minus-one season, the 18-year-old winger exploded for 21 goals this year, largely due to his refined finishing touch in tight," reads his profile from Elite Prospects. "A crafty off-puck mover with a quick release – and a particularly nasty backhand – Chiarot was difficult to stop on the doorstep, ducking in and out of coverage, and outworking defenders to pucks."
Chiarot isn't the biggest player at 5'11", but he gets to the dirty areas of the ice to finish off plays. Along with that willingness to get to the net, Chiarot has a lot more skill than you might expect from his paltry point totals, with quick hands in traffic and a quick release on his shot, though his playmaking needs work.
Hot shot Chiarot! 🔥 |
— Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks (@Canucks)
Those flashes of high-end skill suggest there might be more offence to Chiarot than the numbers suggest. But that's not the real strength of Chiarot's game. Elite Prospects calls Chiarot "one of the OHL's most reliable checkers."
"He’s a fast mover and a heavy player at just 5-foot-11, establishing the forecheck, outworking players in battles, and attacks puck carriers, challenging them with heavy pressure and stick lifts," says Elite Prospects. "There’s value in Chiarot’s motor, physicality, and checking style."
Chiarot named Dustin Byfuglien as his favourite player growing up, citing his "ability to lay big hits, be hard on pucks, and still have touches in the offensive zone." As for a player who he compares himself to, he named Brady Tkachuk, describing him as someone who is "hard to play against in all three zones of the ice, a 200-foot player who gets gritty in the corners and knows how to put the puck in the net.
Chiarot continues a trend for the Canucks in this draft, as they took several forwards with high motors and strong two-way games, starting with their very first pick in the first round.
The question for Chiarot is whether he has enough skill to be able to bring that high-energy game to the NHL. The Canucks are betting he does.
