Playing in his draft-eligible year, Shinkaruk was ranked the sixth-best prospect among skaters playing in North America. He was selected 24th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Following his draft, Shinkaruk attended his first NHL training camp with the Canucks and was among the team's final cuts. Despite being on the roster after the team's final preseason game, the subsequent acquisitions of Jeremy Welsh and Zac Dalpe resulted in him being returned to junior.