Right now is the time of year where NHL teams hold their development camps to introduce the young prospects that they have drafted to the team and to get an idea as to what development is needed for the young players. It is also a chance for the young players to show their skills to coaches and management and let them see how much they have developed over the last year.
In Vancouver there are not a lot of roster positions left for young players to fill so the battle is going to be intense when it comes time to try and make the NHL club.
Currently I believe there are 18 occupied roster positions for the Canucks, leaving just a handful of open spaces for the up and coming prospects.
With salary cap issues (being tight to the cap ceiling) and not a lot of space left to sign one way deals to players, there are still options for the Canucks to turn to.
There are plenty of young and talented players in the pipeline that are just waiting for their chance to "get the call" and move up to the NHL and show that they belong with the Canucks full time.
The reason for this post is to look at some of the players that are just waiting, or have a decent shot at making the NHL club (at least for a 9 game stint in some cases).
Starting with the forwards there are many options at centre but on the wings the depth wears a little thin. It was worse at RW until this year when the Canucks drafted a couple more, but now the depth at LW could become the issue.
The RW's that would eventually crack the NHL line up will probably be Jake Virtanen and Nicklas Jensen. Then in a few years followed by Brock Boeser when he completes his college career.
Virtanen is a strong and speedy power forward who has and accurate shot and has the ability to either skate around you or go right through you if you are in his way. He may see a brief stint in the NHL to start this season (2015/16) but I wouldn't expect him to stay with the Canucks past his 9 game mark.
Jensen is a tall speedy forward who has an accurate NHL ready shot that tends to fool goalies. He is more of a sniper/scorer rather than a play making forward which is better for him. The only thing that is really holding Jensen back from making the NHL full time is his defensive zone play. He can be a little slow to his position in his own zone but he still knows where he has to be. This is something that if he is going to make the Canucks roster full time he is going to need to work on.
Brock Boeser is the Canucks 2015 first round draft pick and for the 2015/16 season he has already committed to the University of North Dakota. According to NHL central scouting Boeser has a hard accurate shot and shows lots of speed which can create offensive chances. Look for him to finish off his schooling and move into the AHL for some experience in a couple of years.
Sitting at the LW position there are a couple of prospects that have seen some pro action with the Utica Comets and show a skill set that can easily transfer over to the NHL game.
First off is Hunter Shinkaruk, who is a little on the smaller side of things but has great upside. He has a never quit attitude and isn't afraid to get into the dirty areas and battle for the puck. He is willing to pay the price to score or set up a play which can lead to injury, which is a downside to his play. He is a fast skater and has good ability to read the play and set up teammates for offensive chances.
Another LW to watch is Ronalds Kenins. He made a brief (30 game) run with the Canucks in 2014/15, and looks to build on that going into the new season. He uses his speed to be a good two way player who is able to set up teammates for chances in the offensive zone. He is another player who is willing to pay the price in front of the net and is well adapted to causing havoc for goaltenders. Look for him to add to his NHL game totals in the up coming season, and if he can't make the team at the start watch for him to hone his game in the AHL for a little bit before a call up.
Moving to the back end on the blue line the Canucks have some talent starting to stack up in their talent pool. With players like the recently signed Clendening and Corrado looking to make the jump to the NHL and others following behind such as Audrey Pedan and Jordan Subban, the Canucks have no shortage of young talent pushing each other to the next level.
Adam Clendening is a d man who is looking to make the full time jump to the NHL this season after spending last season split between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Canucks in the NHL and eventually the AHL to end the year. He is a strong puck moving offensive defenseman who can control the tempo of the play when he is on the ice. He reads plays extremely well and is able to be the "go to" man on the PP. He doesn't shy away from physical play in his own zone but he needs to keep his feet moving when he his there. When he stops moving the oppositions job gets way easier.
I would expect to see Clendening in the NHL this season filling out the bottom 4 on the blue line.
Frank Corrado has spent part of the last two seasons with the Canucks where he fills out the bottom pairing on the blue line. He is a fast skating d man who has the ability to read plays well. He is capable of making strong first passes out of the defensive zone and move the play up ice.
Look for him to be the call up/send down player the Canucks utilize when injuries happen on the blue line.
Audrey Pedan is a extremely physical player and he loves to play the game with an edge. He isn't afraid of anyone on the ice and battles well and hard in front of his own net. He is more than able to hold his own when push comes to shove and he is a defensively sound player in his own end. I don't imagine that you will see a lot of him in the NHL unless injuries really hamper the blue line, but he could be a solid call up if you want to inject some physical play into the roster.
Jordan Subban is another young d man who is coming up the ranks that just isn't quite ready to make the jump to the NHL. The younger brother of PK Subban (Montreal), he is a smaller version of his brother but with out some of the skill set. He is an offensively inclined defenseman who likes to join the rush but sometimes does so at the peril of the odd man rush. He has speed to get himself back into position when things don't go as planned but that sometimes happens to often when he is on the ice. He is a player that coaches can mold into a top 4 defenseman but for the time being is a little to raw for the NHL. In a couple years I would expect to see him in the blue and green.
Playing in the crease there are a couple options to turn to for the Canucks if something were to happen to Miller or Markstrom. The guys standing in the blue for the AHL team are Joacim Eriksson and Joe Cannata. Both of which are players who aren't totally ready to make the jump to the NHL yet but are not far off when it comes to how long until they are,
Joacim Eriksson is a 6'2" Swedish born butterfly goalie who uses his size well to cover the net. He follows the play well and is able to read plays before they develop. He has quick reflexes and strong mental ability, which you need in spades to be a goalie in Vancouver. He split to duties in Utica last season with Jacob Markstrom who is making the jump this season to back up Ryan Miller in the crease. Should either of those two go down with an injury don't be surprised to see Eriksson make an appearance. But for now, expect to see him in the AHL for another year.
Last but not least there is Joe Cannata. He is an athletic and technically sound goaltender who doesn't let too much shake his confidence (another good thing to have as a Canuck goalie). He follows the play well and has good lateral movement and covers his angles well. He could be a little more aggressive and challenge the opposition more when they break in. That is something that he can work on with coaches over the season in the AHL where he will most likely back up Eriksson. He has good hand-eye and is a solid back up in the AHL for the year. He could use a little more experience but his professional game is progressing well.
An honorable mention in the goal tending department has to go to Thatcher Demko. He is a young goalie (19) who is playing for Boston College in the NCAA. He is slated to return there again this season for one more year of play before possibly making the jump to the pros. He has had hip surgery on both sides of his hip this year (torn laburnums) but is looking to show his skills at the Canucks prospect classic in Penticton in September.
Well that is a quick look at some of the up and coming prospects in the Vancouver Canucks pipeline and it gives you a little bit of an idea of what to look for and who to look for.
If you have any input on these players or any other in the Canucks system please feel free to comment on this post.
Until next time.
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