Vancouver has added one of the top scorers from the Quebec League, inking Yan-Pavel Laplante to a three-year, entry-level deal.
Laplante, 21, was originally selected by Arizona in the third round of he 2013 draft, but went unsigned and re-entered the draft two years later.
He wasn’t picked in his second go-round.
That paved the way for him to play a final QMJHL season as an overager with Gatineau, and he fared well: 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games, finishing tied for 17th in the league in goals.
The Canucks may have been drawn to Laplante’s aggressive, physical game -- he fought four times this year -- as well as his pedigree as a former touted prospect. In ’13, Laplante shot up the pre-draft rankings while dealing with a serious shoulder injury.