Thunderbirds coach Matt O’Dette thinks Vancouver’s 2023 third-rounder Sawyer Mynio could possibly be in Canada world junior combine subsequent 12 months and says different NHL groups “suppose they obtained their pocket picked” by the Canucks with that choice.
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Sawyer Mynio’s Seattle Thunderbirds’ coach believes that the Vancouver Canucks’ defence prospect could possibly be enjoying for Crew Canada at subsequent 12 months’s World Juniors.
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“I feel he’s obtained a shot to try this. I completely do,” Seattle bench boss Matt O’Dette mentioned of Mynio, 18, a third-year Thunderbird who was a Canucks’ third-round decide, No. 89 total, in final June’s NHL Draft.
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“I feel he’s on a path to proceed to develop and take an excellent larger step subsequent 12 months and actually be one of many high ‘D’ (within the nation).”
The 6-foot-1, 180 pound, left shot Mynio heads into the vacation break on tempo for 18 objectives and 52 factors this season, because of his seven objectives and 20 factors by 24 video games. The graceful-skating Kamloops’ native is tied for sixth in objectives amongst WHL rearguards. He had 5 objectives and 31 factors final season in 68 regular-season video games.
The Canucks signed him to a three-year, entry degree contract in September.
Seattle (12-15-2-0) is in a middle-of-the-pack mishmash within the Western Convention. They sit in ninth spot, however solely seven factors separate sixth by tenth. The highest eight groups make the playoffs.
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The Thunderbirds have been to the previous two WHL finals. They’d 10 NHL Draft picks, together with 5 first-rounders, by the point the mud settled after the WHL commerce deadline final 12 months. Seattle wound up a mixed 70-14-1-2 within the WHL common season and playoffs on their approach to making to the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, the place they fell 5-0 to the Quebec Remparts.
Mynio didn’t get a ton of pre-draft hype, however he was enjoying behind the likes of Kevin Korchinski, who caught with the Chicago Blackhawks this season as a 19-year-old.
Scouting web site FCHockey had Mynio at No. 167 in its pre-draft rankings. McKeen’s Hockey pegged him at No. 176. A number of companies didn’t record him.
Alongside together with his aforementioned objectives and level totals final 12 months, Mynio did are available with a plus-50 plus-minus ranking within the common season, which tied him for the eighth-best mark within the league.
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“I’ve heard from a number of groups that suppose they obtained their pocket picked by (Vancouver),” O’Dette mentioned relating to the Mynio choice. “Groups had been excited to draft him.
“The excitement won’t have been there for him but it surely was a artful decide if you happen to ask a few of the different groups.”
Skating is his signature software. He confirmed it specifically on one play in Seattle’s 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Giants on the Langley Occasions Centre on Sunday. He obtained up a head of steam within the impartial zone, took a go from fellow rearguard Jeremy Hanzel and burst between two Vancouver defenders on the blue-line on his approach to moving into on their lonesome on Giants netminder Brett Mirwald. Mynio tried to deke to the backhand and the puck rolled off his stick.
“The issues which can be onerous to show, just like the skating and the hockey sense, he has an excellent basis for,” O’Dette mentioned. “The remainder of the stuff goes to proceed to get higher.”
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Mynio performs in all conditions for Seattle, and O’Dette says that the Thunderbirds need him to keep away from getting caught up in chasing statistics and as an alternative concentrate on being “an environment friendly defenceman.” O’Dette says that messaging from the Canucks is similar, that they need a “well-rounded participant with good habits who performs all areas of the ice effectively, and he’s creating into that sort of participant.”
Mynio is in tune with that, eager to develop “each facet, and particularly the ‘D’ zone, as a result of that’s step one on the subsequent degree.”
He’ll be eligible to play minor professional after subsequent season. His short-term objectives revolve round serving to Seattle to climb again up the standings. He admits that long-term objectives embody enjoying within the World Juniors subsequent 12 months.
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“I’ve by no means carried out something with Hockey Canada. I’ve been underneath the radar for issues like that,” mentioned Mynio, a Yale Hockey Academy product who was a 2020 WHL Draft third-round decide by the Thunderbirds. “I need to take an enormous bounce this 12 months and present the numbers I can put up and my defensive sport. Hopefully I can get observed.”
Seattle has had left-winger Nico Myatovic (decrease physique damage), who was a Anaheim Geese’ second-round decide final summer season, for simply 4 video games up to now this season, and centre Jordan Gustafson (higher physique damage), who was a 2022 Vegas Golden Knights’ third-rounder, for eight video games.
O’Dette says {that a} Gustafson return “is on the horizon,” and that Myatovic is a month away from enjoying.
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