Robongo Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 New article on Hunter:Hunter Shinkaruk’s hat trick, the first of his professional career, at the Utica Comets' home opener on Oct. 21 served as more than just three goals en route to a win.It foreshadowed what would grow to become a great start to the 2015-16 season for the sophomore forward.The start to this season looks drastically different compared to the start of his rookie campaign, when he would not get his sixth goal until the team’s 38th game.The Vancouver Canucks' 2013 first-round draft pick has needed less time, much less time, to reach the six-goal plateau this year. Through eight games he has scored six times to go with a pair of assists. Shinkaruk followed up his impressive home opener performance with a point in three straight games, including a two-goal game on Oct. 30 against the Binghamton Senators.His progress has not been lost on Comets head coach Travis Green.“I’ve seen improvement,” Green said. “Last year Hunter would take pucks wide and take it around the net and not get pucks to the inside and not get himself to the inside. He’s improved in that area and I’m expecting he’s going to continue to improve as he gets older and stronger.”In an interview with Sportsnet.ca last week Shinkaruk agreed with his coach’s assessment, and credits a mixture of things for his drastic improvement this season.“I think it’s a mixture of a few things,” Shinkaruk said. “A little bit more opportunities, more knowing the league, things like that have added up to allow me to have success so far.”It wasn’t all bad for Shinkaruk during his rookie campaign. He did end up with a 31-point season, which included a run in which he scored a goal in nine of 13 games, from March 14 to Apr. 12. He even kicked off the Comets' postseason campaign with the franchise’s first playoff goal just minutes into Game 1 in Chicago.However, going from the WHL, where he was an elite goal-scorer, to the American Hockey League there was the expected adjustment period.The Canucks took Shinkaruk with the 24th overall pick in 2013 in part due to his speed and creativity with the puck. While those skills are admired and valued, the professional ranks place more of a premium on the chip-and-chase and grind-it-out types of assets -- which is a style Shinkaruk admitted that he had to adapt his game to.“It is a lot different than in the WHL and a lot different than even pre-season in the NHL," Shinkaruk said in a phone interview with Metro News last year. "I'm learning a lot of different areas of the game. Obviously I still enjoy playing offense the most. But it's been good to learn different sides of the game."After putting up six points, four goals and two assists, in 23 Calder Cup Playoff games last year, the Calgary, Alta., native went to work on improving his game during the off-season.Shinkaruk headed to Halifax, N.S., to train under the tutelage of Andy O’Brien. O’Brien, now the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of sport science and performance, is known for training elite hockey players such as Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. Together the tandem worked on getting stronger, and improving Shinkaruk’s shot for the upcoming season.As the home opener showed, what they worked on has paid off, and Shinkaruk won’t soon forget it.“It was a great night,” Shinkaruk said of the home opener. “I think it made the night a little bit more special on top of the banners being raised. I’m a guy who loves to score goals and getting to celebrate with the home fans who were going crazy was really cool. I went back to the bench and just had a huge smile on my face. It is something I’ll remember for a long time.”http://theahl.com/ahlotb-shinkaruk-p200163Hopefully we get to see him up as a call-up sometime this season. Man it's definitely exciting times in Canuckland! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamJamIam Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 He needs to be in a top-6 role to succeed, like aa baerstchi type playerDeveloping a 2 way game won't hurt him. McCann and Horvat have shown that rookie production doesn't require top 6 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rush17 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I dono Baer's sauce is pretty sweet. When he get's some space he can make plays, but he is the inverse of Higgins right now all pass and no threat to shoot. He needs to be a little more elusive with what he's trying to do.I believe Baer just needs more time. He's producing at a reasonable level for a 2nd line top 6 forward. Once he settles into the league his goals will start to come. Have to give him credit.. This is 1st long term stint in the nhl and hes thrown directly into a top 6 role. Yes he was given an opportunity in Calgary but he didn't last that long. He has the whole season to adjust and hopefully come trade deadline time he has hit his stride and starts adding more goals too his point totals. He's just shy of .500 goals per game which is about on pace for a reasonable to good 2nd liner. Not bad for his 1st real year pro. He just needs to gain his confidence and find his scoring touch at the nhl pace. It will come. If you watched or followed the ahl playoffs you know the kid has insane talent. Give it time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 He'll be on air with Sekeres & Price at 11:10 am on TSN1040 Thursday Nov. 5th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossi Vaananen Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 He just got an assist to set up Sautner for his first career goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTG Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Got a assist so far and he almost scored a goal Get excited this kid is legit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatedkid666 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Still laughing at all the people who were ripping on him last year. This kid is going to be a beast like we expected he was going to be when he was drafted. Little work on the defensive side and a little muscle added and he's good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I don't think people realize how lucky we got with our late round picks the past 3 years. All had scouts putting them in the top 10 in terms of skill. Obviously there's no consensus, but there were plenty of people that thought Shinkaruk was a top ten pick. Same with McCann and Boeser (<---not as much but Button isn't always wrong) , they're all players with upside and we were lucky enough to get them in the spot that we got them. With this many young great players, we're going to be able to afford superstars coming here in the next few years. Maybe this didn't need to be in this thread, but it had the word Shinkaruk in it at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 A few rankings I saw had Shinkaruk ahead of Horvat, and McCann ahead of Virtanen.Horvat and Virtanen are great meat and potato players, but it was nice to get a couple of higher ranked skilled players later in the round. It gave us a nice balance to each draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I love the offensive outburst to start the season, but let's temper expectations here. He'll need to show consistency and responsibility in both ends at this level over time to be a good predictor of NHL success. At least him picking up the pace at the end of last season was a very good sign, and I look forward to him reclaiming that offensive excitement we enjoyed so much during last year's pre-season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 So, he's now starting to light things up offensively 2+ years after his hip surgery..... the usual amount of time required to make a full recovery.... who would have thought? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logic Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'd be happy with 20 goals 30 assists, anything more is exceeding expectations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharbinder Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'd be happy with 20 goals 30 assists, anything more is exceeding expectationsI'd prefer 30 goals , 20 assists. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RakuRaku Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Time to consider bringing up Hunter to replace Baertschi plsssssssssssssss...... this team needs more offensive sparks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Time to consider bringing up Hunter to replace Baertschi plsssssssssssssss...... this team needs more offensive sparks!It's not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It's not going to happen.is that you jim lol, i think shinkaruk will get a callup at some point after the trade deadline especially is he keeps up his ppg pace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 is that you jim lol, i think shinkaruk will get a callup at some point after the trade deadline especially is he keeps up his ppg paceIf there's an injury and/or the inevitable Vrbata, Higgins etc trades materialize closer to the deadline and Shink keeps up this play for the majority of the time between now and then. Sure. Right now it's not a remote possibility IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RakuRaku Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Gotta unleash the Hunter if Baertschi can't produce consistently.... no point leaving him on the bench every 2 games.... thoughts? This team needs goal scorers unless we don't aim to make the playoffs this season... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Gotta unleash the Hunter if Baertschi can't produce consistently.... no point leaving him on the bench every 2 games.... thoughts? This team needs goal scorers unless we don't aim to make the playoffs this season...Thoughts? The team still has roster limits and we can't just bring players up and send others down whenever we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaBamba Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 If there's an injury and/or the inevitable Vrbata, Higgins etc trades materialize closer to the deadline and Shink keeps up this play for the majority of the time between now and then. Sure. Right now it's not a remote possibility IMO.I doubt we are deadline sellers. I highly doubt it.sucks to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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