Canucks prospects: The Surrey child nears call-up territory, some readability on Klimovich

Article content material

It’s the most recent version of the prospects tracker, the place we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ highest profile prospects:

Article content material

Article content material

Arshdeep Bains

He was named an AHL all-star on Thursday.

He positive seemed like one on Saturday.

Abbotsford ahead Arshdeep Bains notched two main assists and scored the game-deciding purpose because the Canucks beat the Tuscon Roadrunners 5-2 on the Abbotsford Centre.

Taking part in on a line with Vasily Podkolzin and veteran John Stevens, the trio mixed for 4 of Abbotsford’s 5 objectives, with Stevens netting his first AHL hat trick.

Down 1-0 early within the second interval — and after getting shut out by Tuscon 4-0 the evening earlier than — it was Podkolzin coming in scorching on the forecheck to poke the puck over to Bains, who zipped a fast go to Stevens within the slot to interrupt the goose egg.

Article content material

Then it was Bains with a reasonably one-handed go to a streaking Stevens, who put Abbotsford forward 2-1 a pair minutes later.

Article content material

Article content material

Stevens reciprocated the seeing-eye go later within the body, with Bains settling the puck and zipping a wrister glove aspect previous the Roadrunner’s goalie.

Article content material

Stevens (3G, 1A) was given the sport’s first star, whereas Bains — who went a plus-3 with two pictures on purpose — was named the second star of the sport.

After the sport, Stevens spoke about how proud the staff is to have Bains signify them on the AHL All-Star Basic, which matches Feb. 4-5 in San Jose.

“We’re all actually completely satisfied for him and he’s an superior man,” Stevens stated. “He works so exhausting and he’s a extremely particular participant. He’s actually enjoyable to play with — you’ve gotta be prepared for the puck always as a result of he’ll discover you if you’re not even in search of it.”

Article content material

Bains, a well-rounded 6-foot, 183-pound left-shot ahead, has 32 factors in 31 video games (9G, 23A) this season and leads the staff.

The Surrey product caught up with Randip Janda on Hockey Evening in Canada Punjabi on Saturday and stated it feels fairly good to be an All-Star.

“It’s been a reasonably particular journey from the place I began so it’s been superior and I wouldn’t change the route I took.”

Article content material

Bains stated he was referred to as into head coach Jeremy Colliton’s workplace on Monday, his twenty third birthday, with Abbotsford GM and Canucks director of participant growth Ryan Johnson on the road, who broke the information to him.

Bains had rookie season final 12 months (66GP, 13G, 25A) and stated he’s simply constructing on what he completed as a first-year professional — together with his 200-foot recreation.

“It’s a giant a part of professional hockey taking part in on each ends of the ice and … you may form of see that with the highest guys in (Vancouver), how they compete at each ends and so they nonetheless discover time and ice to carry out and produce.

Bains additionally cited Elias Pettersson and different ability participant’s capacity to kill penalties — one thing he’s been doing as properly — which must also assist him discover a position on the subsequent stage.

Article content material

Canucks normal supervisor Patrik Allvin informed Canucks.com‘s Chris Faber that there are a number of gamers in Abbotsford “within the dialogue” for a call-up, which will surely embody Bains.

“I’m very assured based mostly on the reviews I get on a regular basis from Ryan Johnson and the employees down there in Abbotsford that a number of gamers are within the discussions for a call-up at any time when that state of affairs comes up. We’re excited to see these guys get a recreation or extra up right here. Completely,” Allvin stated earlier this week.

Whether or not its Linus Karlsson or Nils Aman, who’ve seamlessly match into backside six roles in Vancouver when referred to as up — or Bains, Aatu Raty or Vasily Podkolzin — there are alternatives going ahead ought to the Canucks run into some damage hassle.

Article content material

For now, nonetheless, there are solely so many roles to fill and the massive membership already boasts chemistry and manufacturing from the underside two strains.

Bains will likely be in Vancouver, ultimately. Till then, he’s 10 factors off the AHL scoring lead and with 5 factors in his final three video games, the previous WHL scoring champion may conquer one other league by the point the season is completed.

Abbotsford is 19-11-2-1 and in fifth place within the 10-team Pacific Division.

Danila Klimovich

Whereas Bains is reaching expectations this season, the identical can’t be stated about gifted teammate Danila Klimovich.

Klimovich performed in simply his eighth recreation of the AHL season on Saturday, and whereas he hit the crossbar and put 4 pictures on purpose in what was his greatest recreation of the season, he’s nonetheless with no purpose this marketing campaign after potting 17 final 12 months as a 20-year-old.

Article content material

Abbotsford head coach Jeremy Colliton offered some readability on the Klimovich state of affairs forward of Friday’s loss, telling staff broadcaster Brandon Astle that it’s not simply accidents which have held the 6-foot-2, 201-pound right-shot ahead down this marketing campaign.

“It’s exhausting. He had a breakthrough in some methods final 12 months together with his manufacturing and was in a position to earn extra ice time and a job at totally different instances and the following 12 months it simply doesn’t appear to occur,” stated Colliton. “There’s accidents that may play into it, however in the end if you wish to play and, hopefully, present you may assist us win, there’s sure issues we’d like: work ethic away from the puck, puck administration, consideration to element — and that could be in apply — and when you try this, you place your self in place to succeed when the video games begin.

Article content material

“So it’s a part of the method in his growth and if you undergo adversity, when you’re in a position to push by way of it and be decided sufficient to keep it up, then you definitely may be rewarded. Nevertheless it doesn’t at all times occur instantly for you.”

Article content material

Puck administration is a giant one for the Belarusian ahead. Klimovich can wow you with slick strikes and a booming shot, however will also be irritating to observe when he’s not studying the play in entrance of him and giving up the puck at unhealthy instances.

Coach Colliton is operating a decent ship in Abbotsford alongside his teaching counterparts in Vancouver.  If you happen to can’t play an entire recreation, there are different prospects chomping on the bit.

Let’s hope Klimovich can take note of element in apply and execute on the subject of recreation time.

We weren’t calling him the Klim Reaper final season for nothing.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki

At this halfway level of the season, everybody and their canine is aware of the Canucks are legit.

Their prospect pool, nonetheless, is incomes the identical repute — with a lot of the credit score going to world juniors MVP Jonathan Lekkerimaki.

Article content material

The Canucks’ 2022 first-rounder was certainly one of NHL.com’s 5 breakout stars of the match, the place he scored seven objectives in seven video games and dazzled his approach up the NHL prospects pecking charts.

He’s been so good, bass-bumping mixtapes are being made about him.

Article content material

The Hockey Writers launched their Prime-100 NHL prospects midseason rankings on Friday and for the primary time in a very long time, a Canucks prospect is in blue-chip territory.

Lekkerimaki clocked in at No. 25 on the checklist, with the seven objectives he scored in seven world junior video games figuring prominently within the rating.

This time final 12 months, no Canucks prospect was inside a sniff of the highest 50.

The 2022 first-rounder returned to Orebro of the SHL this previous week and had an help and two pictures on purpose in over 18 minutes of ice time in a 3-0 win over Malmo.

Lekkerimaki, a 5-foot-11, 172-pound right-shot winger, leads all U20 gamers in factors with 17 (10G, 7A) in 26 video games.

The ability is simple, the tenacity in his recreation is rising and that shot is already elite.

Article content material

These arms, in the meantime, are other-worldly.

Article content material

Lekkerimaki could possibly be a particular participant by the point he’s able to go in Vancouver — one thing no one was saying simply final season.

Hunter Brzustewicz

We’re 42 video games into the OHL season and a well-known title nonetheless sits atop the scoring charts.

Defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz continued to stave off the challengers this previous week with 5 assists in two video games as his top-ranked Kitchener Rangers proceed to crush the opposition.

The 2023 third-round decide had two assists and a plus-2 score in a 6-2 win towards the Erie Otters on Friday, and had a 3 help, plus-4 effort on Saturday towards the Ottawa 67’s — together with a improbable stretch go short-handed to spring a teammate for a breakaway early within the second interval.

Article content material

Brzustewicz, 19, additionally featured in The Hockey Writers’ top-100 checklist, coming in at No. 55 with a ceiling of a second-pair offensive defenceman within the NHL.

The precise-shot D-man now has 67 factors (8G, 59A) in 42 video games and a plus-32 mark. Brzustewicz’s 59 assists is greater than some other participant in all the CHL.

Tom Willander

It wasn’t simply Lekkerimaki’s efficiency on the world juniors which put the Canucks prospects pipeline again on the map.

2023 first-rounder Tom Willander was nice in his personal proper, placing collectively a strong defensive effort with an occasional pop of offence to achieve the lofty expectations for the 18-year-old.

Willander, who scored that huge purpose towards Canada and completed the match a team-high plus-9, was again at Boston Faculty this previous weekend and paired up with Group USA gold medal-winning stud defenceman Lane Hutson.

Article content material

In Tuesday’s 4-3 extra time win over Northeastern, Willander was held off the scoresheet, however got here to Hutson’s defence early within the third interval after the pint-sized D-man was dropped to the ice by the benches. Willander got here flying in and crunched the Huskies ahead into the boards for a two-minute penalty.

One thing tells me head coach and former NHLer Jay Pandolfo received’t thoughts that minor infraction.

Article content material

Willander then notched an help in a 3-2 win over New Hampshire on Saturday evening for his No. 2 ranked staff.

The graceful-skating, exact passing 6-foot-1, 179-pound right-shot D-man has three objectives, six assists and a plus-13 score in 17 NCAA video games this season.

Willander, in the meantime, was the Fortieth-ranked prospect on The Hockey Information’ Prime-100 checklist.

Elias Pettersson

There was loads to love about Elias Pettersson’s recreation on the world juniors.

The all-out effort defensively. The poise in high-pressure conditions. And, after all, the crushing hits.

Pettersson, 19, is again in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan now and the 2022 third-round decide obtained one recreation in to this point with Vasteras, selecting up a secondary help in over 18 minutes of ice time in a 6-2 win over Ostersunds.

Article content material

Article content material

Pettersson did go a minus-1 within the recreation and has a minus-5 score in 18 Allsvenskan video games this season for his eighth-place staff, so there may be nonetheless work to do defensively.

A lot of that growth will happen in Abbotsford, the place Pettersson is slated to play as soon as his season is completed. Vasteras is above the playoff bar, so when Pettersson packs his luggage for the Fraser Valley stays to be seen.

Vilmer Alriksson

Good issues occur if you go to the online — particularly if you’re larger than everybody else on the ice.

6-foot-6, 214-pound ahead Vilmer Alriksson had gone chilly to finish 2023. The 18-year-old, drafted by the Canucks within the fourth-round this previous summer season, went 13 video games with no purpose earlier than scoring in a Jan. 6 win at Owen Sound, then adopted it up two video games later with a net-front marker on Friday in a 4-2 loss on the Soo Greyhounds.

Article content material

Article content material

Taking part in his first season in North America, the man they name ‘Ricky Bobby’ in Guelph is having an honest marketing campaign, with 9 objectives and 15 assists in 41 video games.

Nonetheless solely 18-years-old, Alriksson has been tasked by Canucks brass to show his finesse recreation into an influence one.

The staff is preaching endurance with the participant, whose recreation must develop into that massive body he carries.

Elsewhere: Left-shot two-way defenceman Jackson Dorrington scored his third of the NCAA marketing campaign for Northeastern on Friday, ripping a one-timer off the crossbar and in.

Article content material

Dorrington, 19, is a 6-foot-2, 192-pound D-man taken by the Canucks within the sixth-round of the 2022 draft. He is a strong bodily presence and performs a disruptive type of defence.

[email protected]

twitter.com/mike_raptis

Article content material