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Blackfish: Canucks Army Weekly Prospect Report – October 29th, 2015
Josh W
By Josh W
Oct 29, 2015, 21:30 UTC
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Source: BCEagles.com
Blackfish is the name of a semi-famous documentary. Released in 2013, the film followed one of the captive killer whales in the world famous Sea World, and touched on the horrific conditions the whales have to live in and the constant stresses they are under. Blackfish can be compared metaphorically to the prospects in the Canucks system, in the sense that they are kept captive, constantly abused, and only the strongest are able to emerge, be happy and become a full-time NHLer. With that considered, let’s look at this week’s update of baby killer whales in the system.

Canadian Hockey League

NamePosDOBAgeTeamGPGAPPPG+/-PIMNHLeSSh%S/G
Carl Neill
D
96-07-06
19
Carl Neill
13
2
10
12
0.92
4
20
20
29
6.90%
2.23
Tate Olson
D
97-03-21
18
Prince George
10
0
8
8
0.80
2
11
18
x
x
x
Dmitry Zhukenov
C
97-03-24
18
Chicoutimi
12
2
7
9
0.75
-4
10
17
21
9.52%
1.75
Kyle Pettit
C
96-01-18
19
Erie
12
2
2
4
0.33
6
2
9
28
7.14%
2.33
Guillaume Brisebois
D
97-07-21
18
Acadie-Bathurst
14
1
2
3
0.21
-13
4
5
27
3.70%
1.93
  • Carl Neill continues to be heavily involved, he skated in two games this week and picked up assists, earned six penalty minutes, was a +6 and took five shots on net.
  • Tate Olson is currently injured and listed with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. He did play one game this past week, where he took a penalty and was a +1.
  • Dmitry Zhukenov skated in three games this week earning an assist, a +2 rating, and taking four shots on goal.
  • Kyle Pettit skated in three games and earned zeros across the board. In positive news, he had eight shots on goal!
  • Guillaume Brisebois had a less than exciting week. He picked up an assist, a penalty, three shots on goal, and was a -3.

NCAA

NamePosDOBAgeTeamGPGAPPPG+/-SS/GSh%PIM
Brock Boeser
RW
97-02-25
18
North Dakota
6
4
2
6
1.00
6
25
4.17
16.00%
2
Adam Gaudette
C
96-10-03
19
Northeastern
5
0
1
1
0.20
-4
12
2.40
0.00%
2
Mike Williamson
D
93-09-05
22
Penn State
3
0
0
0
0
-3
7
2.33
0.00%
4
Matthew Beattie
W/C
92-12-14
22
Yale
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
  • This past week the top rated NCAA team, the University of North Dakota, faced Vermont twice winning 2-0 and 5-2.  In these two games, Brock Boeser scored a goal, had two assists, took nine shots on net and was a +2.  It’s still early in the season, but if he can sustain this rate (which is definitely possible) then the Canucks need to heavily consider signing him this summer. Tiny Drancer wrote about Brock Boeser this week, saying everything I have been in this series.
  • Northeastern played two games this past week losing 4-0 and 4-3 to Minnesota.  In this pair of games, Adam Gaudette earned his first NCAA point (an assist), took four shots on goal, took a penalty and was a -2.
  • Penn State won their pair of games this weekend with scores of 8-3 and 5-3 vs American International. Mike Williamson did not play in either game.
  • Yale will play their first game of the year on Friday vs. Princeton.
NamePosDOBAGETeamGPMinsGASA SVSv%GAARecordSO
Thatcher Demko
G
95-12-08
19
Boston College
5
298:35
3
117
114
0.974
0.6
4-1-0
3
“It was a frustrating summer after surgery, but I’m feeling better than I did last year.  I’m stronger mentally, I’m more mature in net after doing some exercises and reading some books this summer…I just have to focus on this season. If I focus elsewhere, my play will suffer.  I take pride in being the one of the best goalies in the country. It helps to be on a great team.”

Europe

NamePosDOBAGETeamGPGAPPPG+/-SS/GSh%PIMTOI
Nikita Tryamkin
D
94-08-04
21
KHL / Avtomobilist
24
1
3
4
0.17
-5
38
1.58
2.63%
8
17:11
Lucas Jasek
F
97-08-28
18
Czech / Trinec
9
0
1
1
0.11
-1
3
0.33
0.00%
6
7:27
  • Only two games this week for Nikita Tryamkin> He was a -1, had two shots on goal, and averaged about fifteen and a half minutes per game.
  • Lukas Jasek had no games this week, in any league in the Czech system.

ECHL

NamePosDOBAgeGPGAPPPG+/-PIMSSh%S/G
Ludwig Blomstrand
F
92-03-08
23
4
0
2
2
0.50
-5
4
2
0.00%
0.50
Dane Fox
F
93-10-13
22
4
0
1
1
0.25
-3
6
7
0.00%
1.75
Anton Cederholm
D
95-02-21
20
2
0
1
1
0.50
-1
0
2
0.00%
1.00
Evan McEneny
D
95-05-22
20
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
  • Ludwig Blomstrand still leads the Canucks prospects in scoring in the ECHL. In two games this week he had an assist, was a -2, and took a penalty. It’s early, but I suspect he won’t be re-signed after this year.
  • Dane Fox skated in two games this week earning his first ECHL point on the year, along with picking up two shots on net and earning six penalty minutes.
  • Anton Cederholm played his first pair of ECHL games, and picked up an assist, along with two shots on goal and a -1 rating..
  • Evan McEneny was assigned to Kalamazoo.  This move does not surprise me as I figured between Sautner, Cederholm and McEneny that Sauter would be the “best” of the three to remain in Utica.

Weekly schedule

Courtesy of OneCanuck.com

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CANUCKS ARMY GDT# 10 – CANUCKS @ STARS
Always90four
Oct 29, 2015, 19:43 UTC
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Living in the glory of Tuesday, the Canucks will put that big win behind them and head on over to the confines of the American Airlines Arena to face the Stars. Everything’s bigger in Texas and another win would sure be monumental for the Canucks. Injuries to Brandon Prust and Dan Hamhuis have triggered call-ups to Brendan Gaunce and Alex Biega; the young guys just keep on coming. Let’s hope the wins do too!

BROADCAST INFO

TV: SPORTSNET VAN
RADIO: TSN 1040
PUCK DROP: 5:30 PM

LINEUPS

The injury bug has crept its way into the Canucks locker room with Hamhuis and Prust staying home as Gaunce and Biega get the phone call. Jared McCann turned a few heads in his last outing making it tough to keep him out of the lineup. Jake Virtanen was no slouch and we’ll continue to see looks. Adam Cracknell sure wants to slot back in, but Gaunce has done well on the farm, so he’ll get his NHL debut.
Richard Bachman (Turner Overdrive) may get his first start of the year. Don’t mess it up Richy!
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
The Stars hope to continue their dominance of the Canucks with a star heavy lineup of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp and Valeri Nichuskin. Dallas came back to further embarrass the Ducks on Tuesday being down 3-0 and winning 4-3. This team is for real. Hey even Ales Hemsky is there, totally forgot! Kari Lehtonen should get the start.
Dallas Stars lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:

REASONS TO WATCH THIS GAME

  • Might we see TWO 60 minute efforts in a row? Oh yes my friends, yes we will. Its giant-killing season right now for the Canucks and beating the Canadiens AND the Stars would be all kinds of awesome. I think you should watch for that reason.
  • Has Jared McCann’s 2 goal performance given him the final boost in Willie’s confidence to put him in a permanent Canucks locker stall after game number nine? There’s a good chance it has. He looked great and I could stop there but my goodness he’s diversifying his portfolio by doing it at both ends of the rink. Did I just make an investment reference? I think I did and you should not take stock tips from me. We can talk about that later. 
  • If Richard Bachman does indeed get the start this evening, how will the team perform in front of him? Do we know enough about him to feel “confident” in his talents? He had a shutout with Dallas once? Maybe this is a spite start. It isn’t really fair to Ryan Miller to play him in both games of the back to back. If they did for some reason, why in the heck are they bothering to keep the warm bodied Bachman? He is a subpar backup, possibly even par. A below par effort in front of him would be welcome. 
  • I think I got that wrong, it should be.. you know what, nevermind.
  • Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin is probably gonna do a number on the Canucks but there is an off chance we get to see a 2010-11 Canucks/Stars matchup and we steal a barn burner. That is a reason to watch this game. Cory Schneider is not in net though sooooooo….and I think Mike Smith is not the same Mike Smith anymore, and he also does not play for the Stars either. This could be a real mess and I can’t wait!
  • Chris Tanev looked pretty pissed off against Montreal when he didn’t score on his set up. That has to have put the Tan Man in a Hulk-like rage and now we’ll find out a whole other side of the calm, cool, collect Tanev. He’s ready to score a boat load of goals and you know what’s better than that? NOTHING! Well if Ben Hutton did the same thing we’d be pretty jacked I’m guessing.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING


MY TAKE

If I predict they lose, they win; predict win, they lose. I’m torn. I want to believe in blue. I mean, we are all Canucks am I right? I know they play for this so I’m going with the Canucks lose in OT. We aren’t the 3 on 3 team I thought but at the same time it’s pretty close. Canucks lose in OT, Virtanen continues his murder count and yes my friends, Jared McCann scores a real kind of goal tonight. I dunno, I could be wrong.

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Brendan Gaunce to Make NHL Debut
J.D. Burke
Oct 29, 2015, 16:57 UTC
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While there’s little to celebrate with concerns to the ankle injury Brandon Prust sustained in Tuesday night’s victory over the Montreal Canadiens, there is the faintest of silver linings. According to The Province’s, Jason Botchford, the Canucks will be kicking the youth movement into second-gear, with the insertion of Brendan Gaunce into their lineup for tonight’s tilt with the Dallas Stars.
Conventional wisdom might suggest that the Canucks dig back into the Adam Cracknell well; especially given this would be an opportunity to play him at his natural position as a winger. Instead the Canucks have opted for Gaunce, who will presumably slot in on the Canucks fourth line.
For a transitioning franchise like the Vancouver Canucks, being able to ice a lineup which includes four rookies is a positive no matter how it’s framed. The inclusion of Gaunce in a prescribed fourth line roll especially makes sense, given his strong two-way chops and ability to process the game at a high level. It also provides the Canucks with a strong secondary face-off option on the fourth line – Gaunce is a natural center, after all.
It’s been suggested that the return of Chris Higgins from injury could happen as soon as Friday, so getting a look at Gaunce in the interim is a worthwhile venture.
From the players, all the way to management, Vancouver became enamoured with Gaunce last summer. He was one of the final cuts in training camp and has since been a highly effective member of the Utica Comets top-six.
I can’t foresee any set of circumstances wherein Gaunce forces his way onto the lineup beyond the time allotted by the absence of Higgins and/or Prust, but a good showing against Dallas could go a long way towards securing future call-ups. 

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Why McCann and Virtanen Should Stick with the Canucks Past Their 9-Game Trials
Carol Schram
Oct 29, 2015, 14:36 UTC
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Photo Credit: Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports
Nine games into the new NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks’ young forwards don’t look out of place. 
Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen both continued to state their compelling cases for spending the season in the NHL, and were both standouts in the Canucks’ convincing 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
As the Canucks hit the road for back-to-back games against the Dallas Stars on Thursday and the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, the clock is ticking on the trial periods for both 19-year-olds.
Here’s a look at the finer points of the league’s policy regarding young players and where McCann and Virtanen stand.
What’s the fuss about the nine-game threshold?
A player can play up to nine games in the NHL without triggering the first year of his entry-level contract. When he suits up for Game 10, that starts the clock on the three-year rookie deal. The start date of that contract will determine when the player becomes a restricted free agent and, eventually, an unrestricted free agent—where the big paydays typically come (although they don’t accrue a year towards unrestricted free agency until they’ve been on the roster for 40 games).
As a rule, it’s in a team’s best interests to prolong a player’s entry-level period for as long as possible. It saves the club money in the short term, allows the player to further develop his game before jumping into the NHL and gives both sides a bigger body of work to analyze when it’s time to lock down that next contract. 
Also, if a player becomes a full-time NHL player at age 18 or 19, he’ll eventually hit unrestricted free agency a year or two earlier than he would otherwise—after his seventh NHL season instead of at age 27. If he was good enough to crack the league as a teen, he’s also probably good enough to earn a fat contract once the terms of negotiation finally tip in his favour.
The Canucks would benefit over the long term if they demote Virtanen and McCann, as they’d be more likely to retain an element of control over the player’s costs right up to age 27. It’s tough for NHL general managers to make decisions based on how situations will play out seven or eight years down the road though. Every GM knows that if his team isn’t successful in the here and now, he won’t be around when players like McCann and Virtanen become UFAs.
Why Would Virtanen and McCann Have to Go Back to Junior?
Because they’re still 19 and came up through major junior in the CHL, Virtanen and McCann are too young to be assigned to the Utica Comets in the AHL. If they don’t stay with the Canucks, they’ll have to be re-assigned to their junior clubs—the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL in Virtanen’s case and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL for McCann.
Canucks fans became familiar with this scenario last season, when Bo Horvat became the first teenager to crack the Vancouver roster since Ryan Kesler did it 11 years earlier.
A preseason shoulder injury extended Horvat’s development arc. The Canucks were able to send the 19-year-old to Utica for five games for a conditioning stint before he made his debut in a Vancouver uniform on November 4, 2014.
On November 25, just before his ninth game and two days after a dominant three-assist performance against the Chicago Blackhawks, Horvat was told that he had made the team for the year. If he had been sent down, he would have returned to the OHL’s London Knights.
For the record, Kesler came up through the U.S. National Development Team and one year of college hockey, so the junior hockey stipulation didn’t apply to him—just as it doesn’t apply this season to fellow Michigan native Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings.
Kesler was able to spend 33 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose during his first year as a pro, but still burned the first year of his entry-level contract as a 19-year-old. Year 2 of his deal was wiped out by the 2004-05 lockout, which set up the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet one year later during the summer of 2006. Kesler signed a one-year deal at $1.9 million with the Flyers as a 22-year-old who had scored just 23 points the previous season. In order to retain his rights, the Canucks were forced to match, overpaying a still-unproven player and raising his base salary at a time when the salary cap was a modest $44 million.
Can the Kids Contribute?
Horvat’s NHL breakthrough wasn’t based solely on that one good game against the Blackhawks last season, but it certainly helped the Canucks’ coaching staff commit to him at a hight point, where fans could easily get on board. He didn’t disappoint, which has set a good precedent for McCann and Virtanen. Both played arguably the best games of their young careers on Tuesday night against another tough opponent in the then-undefeated Canadiens.
McCann was named first star on Tuesday thanks to his two-goal first period, while Virtanen logged a team-high seven hits, played a career high 15:10 and picked up the first assist of his NHL career with a nifty feed to Derek Dorsett in the third period.
Heading into the two-game road trip, McCann leads the Canucks with four goals, which would be impressive for any fourth-liner, let alone a raw rookie. Still, Willie Desjardins remains uncertain about the durability of McCann’s 19-year-old body over the course of the long season.
For his part, Virtanen has demonstrated his robust playing style when he has had the chance. He leads the Canucks with 22 hits in just six games played. Like McCann, who’s plus-3 so far, Virtanen is also demonstrating that even with increased responsibility, he’s not a defensive liability. He’s plus-2.
In the early going, the 2015-16 Canucks are better with McCann and Virtanen in the lineup than they’d be without them.
What’s the Downside?
The Canucks organization has made it clear that the goal over the next few seasons is to rebuild on the fly—developing young players within a winning tradition.
It’s not an easy path to follow. The concern is that without high draft picks, a team will continue to hover in the middle third of the standings, never acquiring enough talent to take a real run at the Stanley Cup.
The Canucks have done well to defy that wisdom in the early going this season, getting solid contributions from 147th-overall pick Ben Hutton, who’s now 22 but has been a rock on the blue line, as well as a late first-rounder in McCann, chosen with the 24th pick that Vancouver acquired as part of the Ryan Kesler trade in 2014.
McCann, Virtanen and Hutton have all looked good, but Wyatt Arndt offers up some old-school hockey wisdom in Tuesday night’s edition of The Provies, courtesy of an unnamed NHL scout:
In McCann’s case, the scout believes the hardest position to break into in the NHL is centre, not defense. You have to play in a lot of open space offensively and defensively.
Wingers have a wall on one side, which makes things easier. You get stuck in open ice against even a 2nd line center in the NHL, and that’s a difficult situation for a young guy to play against consistently.
The scout does think McCann is going to be a good 2nd line center, but believes the Detroit model of taking your time with young prospects is the way to go.
“Remember Brule and Klesla? Columbus ruined them. Klelsa should still be playing in this league, but Columbus exposed him to the NHL too early.”
Klesla lasted 13 seasons and 658 games as an NHL defenceman after being selected fourth overall in 2000. He played eight games as a rookie, then played 75 as a 19-year-old. Centre Gilbert Brule was drafted sixth overall from the Vancouver Giants in 2005, played seven games as an 18-year-old, then jumped to the NHL full time at age 19. Now 28, Brule in his second season in the KHL.
For every Klesla or Brule, there’s a Sean Monahan, in his third full season at centre for the Calgary Flames at age 20 or an Aaron Ekblad, who continues to excel on the Florida Panthers’ blue line at 19. Every situation is different.
The Canucks model diverges from the 2000-2005 Blue Jackets because Vancouver currently boasts a core of veteran talent that can still carry a big load while the kids develop. In the early going, Willie Desjardins has shown his inclination to rely on veteran players when the game is on the line, but he seems to be getting the message that he may not need to be so cautious.
So far this season, both Virtanen and McCann have shown that they’re able to handle the responsibilities of their positions. Knowing how Horvat developed last year, it’s tough not to hope for this year’s kids to follow the same learning curve in an equally nurturing environment.
So far, McCann has played seven games while Virtanen has played six, so no decisions will need to be made on their status for this season until after the team returns from the current road trip. If the kids can keep doing what they’ve been doing, they should both be sticking with the team for the rest of the season.

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Are The Hitmen Preparing For Jake Virtanen’s Return?
Jeff Veillette
Oct 29, 2015, 00:31 UTC
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I’m not one to play the conspiracy theory game when it comes roster decisions, but sometimes something catches your eye and makes you think, even only a little bit. A trio of transactions by the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, known to Canucks fans as “that junior team that Jake Virtanen played for”, certainly fits that description.
Calgary made two trades on Monday. The first was the bigger one, sending Chase Lang and Ben Thomas to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for Jackson Houck, Cody Porter, and Jakob Stukel. Afterwards, they put Elliott Peterson on waivers to get under the WHL’s overage player limit and traded Terrell Draude to the Saskatoon Blades for a 5th round draft pick.
The crown jewel for the Hitmen in these trades is Houck, who is an Edmonton Oilers prospect. He’s not a junior point machine by any means, but his four goals and five assists over twelve games outpace any of the players that they rid themselves of. Lang, Thomas, and Peterson were all producing at much lower clips than in previous years. In acquiring Stukel and Porter, they also add a few players that can contribute to the team in future years.
But that’s not what we’re here to discuss. What’s important is that the Hitmen, a team that have lost five of their last seven games, haven shaken up their forward group in a way that subtracts three regular forwards while only bringing two back in; with just one of them expected to have any significant offensive impact. 
Is it possible that they’re expecting Virtanen to come down? Maybe. If so, that would be a huge boost; the 19-year-old wouldn’t count as an overager, and history implies that he would be at least a point per game player for them. At the same time, this shuffle also subtracts a defenceman from the roster, so maybe there’s more coming. But the situation and the timing certainly make it curious; especially with a decision expected to come within the next week or so. 

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