From the day he was drafted to the day he was signed to a try-out contract with the Manitoba Moose, Canucks fans have been excited about the prospect of Jordan Schroeder one day making an impact in the NHL.

Despite his 5'8” frame, Schroeder is very strong on the puck and isn't afraid to go in those dirty areas. With a disappointing finish to his college years in the NCAA, Schroeder has jumped into the pro leagues and is out there to make a name for himself.

A year before the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, some hockey analysts believed Schroeder could be a top-5 selection. The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau had Schroeder listed as the 5th best North American skater. After 20 different teams passed on Schroeder, Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis decided to give him a chance and selected him with the 22nd pick. The Canucks were more than pleased and certainly surprised that Schroeder's stock fell so far on draft day.

After the draft, Schroeder's plummet was compared to that of Russian forward Alexei Cherapanov, who fell to #17 in the 2007 draft after being touted as a potential first overal pick. Cherapanov's drop was due to his passport and the question of whether he would ever come over to the NHL. Schroeder's meanwhile, was due to his size.

Schroeder went on to play for team USA in 2010's World Junior Championships, where he accumulated 8 points in 7 games, which overall contributed to the team's success. He provided a lot of speed and skill to the American's roster, and not to mention his great shot. He has made 3 appearances for Team USA at the WJC's, totaling 27 points in 19 games. His 27 points marks the most ever for an American and his 20 assists is a WJC record. However, this would be Jordan's last year playing for USA in the WJHC as he is turning 20 this September.

Schroeder jumped into the AHL scene shortly after March 17th when he received his contract from the Canucks organization. He didn't wait to start producing numbers. On his first shift and first shot, he netted his first professional goal and later netted another goal in the same game. In 5 games Schroeder notched 6 points, including 3 goals and 3 assists. If he is able to produce numbers like this in the playoffs I wouldn't be surprised if he was playing for the Canucks next season.

Size isn't as big of factor in the NHL as it used to be. Players like Patrick Kane, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, and Derek Roy are excelling greatly in the NHL, despite their size. Schroeder looks like a younger version of most of those players: small, skillful, and possessing a strong frame.

The Vancouver Canucks currently have two highly touted center prospects within their organization: Cody Hodgson and Schroeder. With Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler locked up long-term for the Canucks, it appears as if the top two center spots won't be available for several years. Long term, this would mean one of Hodgson or Schroeder might be required to move to the wing position. As both players are pegged as playmakers with excellent wrist shots it should be interesting to see who the Canucks deem better fit for the center position.

The Canucks' training camp will be an interesting one next season. Four rookies will be fighting for one or two roster spots next season, including Michael Grabner, Sergei Shirokov, and of course Jordan Schroeder and Cody Hodgson. Grabner seems to be a lock as he has been performing well with the Canucks in his time up with the team and has proven himself at the AHL level. Sergei Shirkov, who finished with a surprising training camp and a phenomenal pre-season in 2009, will be looking to repeat it again next year. It's most likely the Canucks will want Shirokov to gain another season of experience in the AHL to build on his team leading goal total in 2008-09.

Regardless of Schroeder's timeline to the NHL, the Canucks are hoping that he can develop into the steal of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. There are some who believe it can happen.