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Vcr Top Ten Prospect review

Fred65

By Fred65
in Prospects / Farm Team

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TOMapleLaughs Canucks All-Star

TOMapleLaughs

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1. Jake Virtanen LW, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

Virtanens offensive production was nothing to write home about in his draft plus-one season, but hes still the Canucks top prospect.

The physical 18-year-old winger enjoyed a tremendous level of team success, contributing on adeep playoff runs for both Calgary Hitmen (WHL) and the Utica Comets (AHL). He was also part of Canadas gold medal winning world juniors.

Virtanen will have to produce more offence if hes going to live up to his lofty draft slot, but theres no questioning his high-end tools. Even at 18, Virtanens speed and his punishing physical game stood out at the AHL level.

2. Jared McCann C, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Though he dealt with an early-season illness and a late-season hand fracture, McCanns offensive production exploded with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds during his draft plus-one year.

McCann has been a top-line centre for one of the best junior teams for the last couple years. In addition to his sturdy two-way game, the 24th overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft has a wicked, high-velocity wrist shot that makes him a dynamic scoring threat.

3. Frank Corrado D, Utica Comets (AHL)

Corrado spent his second full professional campaign jumping between Vancouver and Utica.

An excellent skater who excels in transition, Corrado had something of an unlucky season. Not only was the 22-year-old defender snake bit by percentages in his 10 NHL games, but in February and March, when Vancouvers blue line was bit by the injury bug, Corrado sustained an upper-body injury and missed out on a golden opportunity to establish himself as an everyday NHL player.

4. Adam Clendening D, Utica Comets (AHL)

Acquired in a mid-season trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, Clendening is a crafty defenceman who excels at producing offence when set up in-zone.

Whether its walking the puck along the blue line, changing the angle on point shots, or finding open teammates with a cross-seam pass, Clendening is a heady distributor and a dynamic offensive presence from the back-end.

Clendenings skill set and ability to generate offence is unquestioned, but his two-way game and his foot speed could use some further development.

The big thing we wanted him to do was play faster, said Comets coach Travis Green of working with Clendening.

Hes got such a high skill level and he likes to try to slow down the game, but we wanted to play fast, get our defence skating, and get the puck up the ice. Hes done that, and hes been really good for us (in the Calder Cup playoffs).

5. Hunter Shinkaruk LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Shinkaruk, 20, struggled to adjust to the AHL in his first season of professional hockey.

The skilled winger managed to score just seven goals in his first 58 games with the Comets, despite averaging over two shots a game. When Shinkaruk was bumped up to the top-line to play alongside Utica forward Cal OReilly in the later stages of the season the dam burst.

Over the final 16 games of the Comets season, Shinkaruk scored nine goals and 13 points.

Though Shinkaruk ran cold again in the playoffs, hes a creative player and a deceptive skater who improved at protecting the puck and getting inside defenders as the season progressed.

6. Cole Cassels C, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Cassels emerged as an elite two-way centre in the OHL this season, and was a key contributor for the Memorial Cup winning Oshawa Generals.

Cole was one of Oshawas best player, a go-to guy for them, Canucks general manager Jim Benning said of Cassels post-season performance. He played in a shutdown role against the other teams top lines, but was counted on to score too.

Cassels two-way skills were on particular display during the OHL final, when he outdueled top prospect Connor McDavid.

7. Brendan Gaunce LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Gaunce was moved to the wing permanently during his first professional season, and proved his as a dependable two-way forward for the Comets during their run to the Calder Cup final.

I thought his speed was better suited to the wing, and at centre he played a bit safe, like an old school checking centre, who maybe didnt use his body enough, said Green.

I think it forced him to play a faster cycle game, and hes really added a mean edge to his game. And I dont mean in a dirty way, but you need that, and I felt he needed that to play in the NHL.

8. Alexandre Grenier RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

When asked to name a Canucks prospect that opened the organizations eyes with their performance this season, Benning didnt hesitate.

Alex Grenier, I think, has come a long way this year, said Benning. There was a big improvement in his game. He got stronger, hes got good hands for a big man he was one guy that really improved.

If he continues to improve hes a guy that maybe come in and challenge for a spot at training camp, but thats going to be up to him.

Green meanwhile complimented Grenier, a third-round pick of the Canucks at the 2011 NHL Draft, for the development of his two-way game.

He went from being a player Id never use in the last five minutes of a game, to a guy that had two empty-net goals for us (on this playoff run), said Green. I think that tells you a lot about how his game has developed.

9. Nicklas Jensen LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Jensen has NHL size and skill to burn, but hes struggled to maintain a high level of performance since being picked in the first round by the Canucks during the 2011 NHL Draft.

The Danish forward was even a somewhat regular healthy scratch during the Comets Calder Cup run, although he bounced back and was one of Uticas best forwards in the final.

10. Thatcher Demko G, Boston College (NCAA)

Demko, 19, started 35 games for Boston College and starred for the United States at the world juniors.

In NCAA action, the 6-foot-4 goaltender managed a .925 save percentage, which ranked him among the 20 best collegiate goalies. Most of the goaltenders who performed better were two years (or more) older than Demko.

Demko is big and athletic, but hes still a bit raw and will have to work on speeding up his lateral movements if hes going to turn away shots taken by NHLers. He underwent surgery on both of his hips in May, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2015-16 season.

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hockeyking Abbotsford Star

hockeyking

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Frankly I'm surprised they have Jensen ahead of some of our D (Hutton, Subban, Pedan etc) at this point.

Also, apparently neither Baer or Markstrom are "prospects" anymore...?

Hutton has 4 games in the AHL, Pedan was the third paring defeseman in utica and scratched for the entire playoffs, and Subban hasn't done much at the junior level regards to winning which is what gets recognition.

Jensen a person who was the first call up until halfway through this season, and because he got sat out for few games in the playoffs makes him a bad prospect in our pool. Jensen still put up 28 points in 60 games and has more potential and skill that all of them still.

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aGENT Canucks Hall-of-Famer

aGENT

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Hutton has 4 games in the AHL, Pedan was the third paring defeseman in utica and scratched for the entire playoffs, and Subban hasn't done much at the junior level regards to winning which is what gets recognition.

Jensen a person who was the first call up until halfway through this season, and because he got sat out for few games in the playoffs makes him a bad prospect in our pool. Jensen still put up 28 points in 60 games and has more potential and skill that all of them still.

I'm largely speaking in potential/ceiling not level of development as most prospect rankings are.

Pedan was recovering from a concussion, let's not try to paint that as a (healthy) scratch.

Both Hutton and Subban have shown more at their respective levels IMO (leading both their teams offensively as D-men) then Jensen has at his. YMMV

Jensen was first call up due to a lack of better options. He's also made little in the way of progress since then and has been passed by numerous other prospects. Him getting scratched in the playoffs (to which he responded well FWIW) has very little to do with his drop in stature in our prospect pool. Nor did anyone call him a "bad prospect".

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Gaudette Celly Canucks Hall-of-Famer

Gaudette Celly

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“The big thing we wanted him to do was play faster,” said Comets coach Travis Green of working with Clendening.

“He’s got such a high skill level and he likes to try to slow down the game, but we wanted to play fast, get our defence skating, and get the puck up the ice. He’s done that, and he’s been really good for us (in the Calder Cup playoffs).”

That seems a bit at odds with their assessment when he arrived here. In the Chicago system, they move the puck as quickly as possible out of the zone, and the comment was that they had to slow him down because the Canuck players weren't ready.

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