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Mackenze Stewart | D/LW


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I hope that Stewart isn't taking this too literally. Last night mid way through the first period he fought a slightly older and more experienced Jack Nevins and went to the box bloodied up. When skating back to the bench after the 5 min fighting penalties expired Stewart tries to go after Nevins at the bench and clearly slashes him as the linesmen separate the two. Nevins got nothing while Stewart got a 10 min misconduct and was lucky not to put his team down a man with a slashing penalty which wasn't called.

After serving the misconduct he never stepped foot on the ice the rest of the game. Travis Green is not a fan of this type of shenanigans.

Yeah, that doesn't bode well for Stewart's chances of staying up with the Comets. If he wants to play the enforcer role he has to keep his composure, not go after another player to settle his own personal score and taking unnecessary penalties. I'd rather have Fox in his spot, its about time he got a look in the AHL.

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Yeah, that doesn't bode well for Stewart's chances of staying up with the Comets. If he wants to play the enforcer role he has to keep his composure, not go after another player to settle his own personal score and taking unnecessary penalties. I'd rather have Fox in his spot, its about time he got a look in the AHL.

I agree completely.

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  • 2 months later...

According to Canucks Army... the Canucks are considering sending Mackenze Stewart back to Junior.... also, on that note, apparently Mackenze Stewart's Junior rights were recently traded to the Tri City Americans from the Prince Albert Raiders.

Details in the article here: http://canucksarmy.com/2015/12/27/canucks-prospect-mackenze-stewart-appears-destined-for-junior

 

Quote

 

It appears that the Vancouver Canucks will assign left winger Mackenze Stewart back to junior.  

Steve Ewen of the Province reported Saturday night that Stewart's junior rights had been traded from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League. The Raiders dealt defenceman Mark Drohan and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2017 to the Americans for Stewart.  

It's not uncommon for a junior player rights to be dealt—sometimes for nothing and other times as part of an orchestrated plan.    

Last December, Canucks goalie prospect Thatcher Demko's  rights were traded  from the Spokane Chiefs to the Calgary Hitmen for a conditional pick. Hitmen general manager Mike Moore said  the team was "taking a flyer "  hoping he'd leave Boston College to play junior.   

In the same month, Edmonton Oilers  centre  Leon Draisaitl's rights were traded from the Raiders to the Kelowna Rockets during the World Juniors. The Oilers then assigned him to the Rockets after the tournament concluded. 

Ewen opines that Stewart will be headed to junior and will play left wing for the Americans, noting the Americans gave up a player to acquire Stewart: 

 

It’s safe to assume that, since Tri-City gave up a player in the deal, they’ve talked to the Canucks extensively and agreed to using Stewart  up front .  

 

 

Stewart has spent most of the 2015-16 season with the Canucks' AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, but has only appeared in  four games. He was re-assigned to the Kalamazoo Wings in mid-November, playing in six games before being recalled on December 1.   

The Canucks drafted Stewart in the seventh round, 186 th  overall in 2014 as a defenceman, but have been working to convert him to a left winger—something the  Raiders began doing at the start of the 2014-15 season  before shifting him back.   

When the Canucks signed him to an entry-level contract in June 2015, Canucks general manager Jim Benning announced their intention to convert him to a left winger.  He told  the Vancouver Sun's Brad Ziemer:   

 

“We drafted him as a defenceman,” Benning said. “This year, he played some wing and some  defence . I think what we are going to try and do is develop him as a winger. He is a real good skater for his  size,  he  gets in on the forecheck and plays physical. He’ll stick up for his teammates, he’s a hard-nosed kid who will do what needs to be done.”  

 

 

Reading between the lines,  you'll see  the Canucks want to turn him into an enforcer.  In the same interview, Benning said Stewart would start the season with the Comets and "see how that goes."  

Having drawn in only four games all season and  others  ahead of him on the depth chart, s ending him back to  junior  will  be what's best for his development.  He will get regular reps  at left wing in game situations where he will learn to read and analyze the play as a winger.   

Note  I f Stewart is indeed assigned to junior by the Canucks, as a 20-year old, the first year of his entry-level contract does not slide. He will have two years remaining on his contract after this season that will carry a $655,000 cap hit at the NHL and pay him $67,500 in the minors. 

 

 

Him being returned to Junior isn't the worst thing in my mind. He's had very sheltered playing time this season with Utica/Kalamazoo. Giving him a chance to stretch out as a winger in one more half season of Junior isn't the worst thing ever.... especially since he's being converted to a winger.

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10 minutes ago, Quantum said:

According to Canucks Army... the Canucks are considering sending Mackenze Stewart back to Junior.... also, on that note, apparently Mackenze Stewart's Junior rights were recently traded to the Tri City Americans from the Prince Albert Raiders.

Details in the article here: http://canucksarmy.com/2015/12/27/canucks-prospect-mackenze-stewart-appears-destined-for-junior

 

Him being returned to Junior isn't the worst thing in my mind. He's had very sheltered playing time this season with Utica/Kalamazoo. Giving him a chance to stretch out as a winger in one more half season of Junior isn't the worst thing ever.... especially since he's being converted to a winger.

Thanks for the update. I had been wondering what was happening with Stewart. This makes sense. He needs the playing time and he isn't good enough to play in Utica. And Kalamazoo was not the right fit.

He is obviously a longshot to ever make the NHL but he is an interesting project.

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6 hours ago, Alflives said:

It sounds like the Caucks are, on some level, influencing their prospects junior teams.  Maybe JV has his rights traded to the Giants?

Good idea. It was reported (or at least inferred by "insiders") that JB talked to Tri-City to set up this deal. Tri-City apparently agreed to trade for Stewart and use him the way Benning wants in return for an agreement that he would be sent down.

I wonder if JB has considered doing something similar with Virtanen. I hope he has.

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10 minutes ago, JamesB said:

Good idea. It was reported (or at least inferred by "insiders") that JB talked to Tri-City to set up this deal. Tri-City apparently agreed to trade for Stewart and use him the way Benning wants in return for an agreement that he would be sent down.

I wonder if JB has considered doing something similar with Virtanen. I hope he has.

JB should get Virtanen traded to the brandon wheat kings

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21 hours ago, wshdrvvn said:

Another guy on a bottom feeder CHL team though.. it would have been nice to have another playoff team to follow this year.

Maybe JB wants some of his prospects on non-playoff junior teams, so they can join the Comets a bit sooner this spring?

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On 10/12/2015 at 6:51 PM, stonecoldstevebernier said:

 

Yeah, that doesn't bode well for Stewart's chances of staying up with the Comets. If he wants to play the enforcer role he has to keep his composure, not go after another player to settle his own personal score and taking unnecessary penalties. I'd rather have Fox in his spot, its about time he got a look in the AHL.

Sounds like he's got a little of Kassian in him.

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