Arturs Silovs is sort of unbeatable within the Abbotsford crease, Jonathan Lekkerimaki shines on the world stage and Tom Willander has a breakout recreation
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:
Commercial 2
Article content material
Article content material
Arturs Silovs
The invitations weren’t misplaced within the mail in spite of everything.
After backup goaltender Nikita Tolopilo discovered his groove early within the season, the Arty Celebration is again on within the Abbotsford crease.
And the way Arturs Silovs reclaimed the blue paint is much more trigger for celebration.
Take into account the final three video games performed for the lanky Latvian: a 23-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Henderson Silver Knights final Saturday; a 19-for-20 save efficiency in a 2-1 win over the Bakersfield Condors Thursday and a 20-save shutout on Saturday evening within the Fraser Valley to ship the Oilers’ farmhands house to the so-called armpit of California empty-handed.
Commercial 3
Article content material
That is the shape that led to Silovs profitable AHL goalie of the month in February in addition to being named the IIHF event MVP after backstopped an underdog Latvian aspect to its first-ever bronze medal on the World Championships in Might.
“Yeah, he’s beginning to get rolling,” mentioned head coach Jeremy Colliton submit recreation on Saturday. “Confidence — and that’s a part of the explanation we’ve come again to him — to present him an opportunity to get some momentum. He’s paid us again for that.
“I believe Tolo has performed nicely, however he’s nonetheless figuring his approach out within the league. So it’s essential to have Arty dialed in.”
Canucks Report
Article content material
Commercial 4
Article content material
To have Silovs discover his recreation comes at an essential time for Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. Accidents up entrance to Vasily Podkolzin and Chase Wouters have put objective scoring at a premium, that means the staff has needed to be good defensively — and particularly in internet — to churn out its present three-game profitable streak.
Some continuity on the blue-line has helped as nicely, Silovs mentioned after Thursday’s win.
“It’s a lot simpler … simpler to handle the puck, to get out of the zone and make easier performs.”
Silovs, drafted within the sixth-round of the 2019 NHL entry draft, mentioned he’s trusting himself once more after a shaky begin to the season.
“Simply understanding that I’ve no downside stopping the puck. So simply to belief myself and belief my work I do each single day.”
Commercial 5
Article content material
Commercial 6
Article content material
Silovs’ numbers are beginning to seem like final 12 months, when his inventory shot up the Canucks’ prospects pecking order. His save share is now at .905 (.909 final season) whereas his goals-against-average is at 2.66 (2.44 final season). And regardless of some early struggles, Silovs has a glowing 6-1-1 document this marketing campaign.
The Abbotsford Canucks are at present in first place within the Pacific Division with an 8-4-1 document — though they’ve performed three extra video games than the 8-1-1 Calgary Wranglers.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki
The dangles. The wheels.
The lethal end.
Put Jonathan Lekkerimaki up towards his friends like we noticed on the 5 Nations event this previous weekend and his star goes supernova.
Enjoying for Sweden at a warm-up tourney for subsequent month’s World Juniors, the sharpshooting 19-year-old scored on a sensational solo effort towards Slovakia on Saturday and tallied 4 factors (1G, 3A) in three video games as Sweden took house the title on Finnish soil.
Commercial 7
Article content material
Commercial 8
Article content material
Enjoying with former Djurgarden teammate Noah Ostlund, Lekkerimaki regarded quick and harmful all through, wheeling and dealing and making issues occur for his linemates.
Commercial 9
Article content material
Ostlund, taken by the Buffalo Sabres one choose after Lekkerimaki at No. 16 total in 2022, completed the event with one objective and 4 assists.
Lekkerimaki will get his third crack at making an affect on the upcoming World Juniors, which begin on Boxing Day and might be held on house turf for the Swedes.
The Canucks prospect hasn’t been excellent on the showcase occasion, tallying only one objective and 6 assists in 14 video games during the last two tournaments. However this time, the 5-foot-11, 172-pound right-shot winger is feeling his recreation and firing on all cylinders.
Lekkerimaki has eight targets in 13 SHL video games this season (good for second within the league) and three assists.
Aatu Raty
He’s getting used as a Swiss Military knife these days.
That’s superb with the versatile Finnish ahead.
Commercial 10
Article content material
With accidents up entrance, Aatu Raty has been bumped up the Abbotsford lineup and moved over to the wing from his regular centre ice place.
It’s figuring out nicely for the 20-year-old.
Raty has three factors (2G, 1A) in his final three video games and his line with centre Max Sasson and winger Linus Karlsson have been the latest catalysts behind the Canucks’ offence.
Commercial 11
Article content material
Raty, acquired within the Bo Horvat commerce, will get some further consideration this week with the previous Canucks captain making his much-anticipated return to Vancouver on Wednesday — and it couldn’t come at a greater time with the 2021 second rounder discovering his offensive contact.
Commercial 12
Article content material
Raty, whose skating, passing and imaginative and prescient are already skilled grade, had been “wonderful” earlier within the season with linemates John Stevens and the now-injured Chase Wouters, Colliton informed Abbotsford Canucks play-by-play man Brandon Astle throughout Thursday’s broadcast.
“Shedding just a few guys, the easiest way to construct the lineup was to maneuver (Raty) up,” mentioned Colliton. “That’s a very good signal for him, to indicate that he’s received versatility, he can play completely different roles for us.”
The transfer to wing provides the group choices ought to Raty be thought of for a call-up to Vancouver in some unspecified time in the future this season. He can play each centre and wing and performs a whole 200-foot recreation.
Protected to say, nevertheless, that ahead Arshdeep Bains, who’s tied for second in league scoring with 17 factors (3G, 14A) in 13 video games, and centre Nils Aman (7G, 7A in 13 video games) additionally deserve a glance, ought to a chance come up.
Commercial 13
Article content material
After which there’s Vasily Podkolzin, who’s skating with the staff once more after being concussed in a scary incident on the Abbotsford Centre on Oct. 25. Podkolzin had 5 targets and two assists in six video games earlier than he was injured.
Raty has three targets, 5 assists and a plus-6 ranking in 13 video games this season.
Tom Willander
Take into account it the breakout recreation of his younger collegiate profession.
Elevated to the second defensive pairing, 2023 first-rounder Tom Willander notched a pair of assists on two lovely breakout passes and went a plus-2 in a 6-1 win for No. 9 Boston College over UMass-Lowell on Saturday evening in NCAA play.
The 18-year-old’s first help got here on an extended stretch move to the opposition’s blue-line, the place the BU ahead flipped the puck to the slot to open scoring eight minutes into the sport.
Commercial 14
Article content material
Commercial 15
Article content material
Willander, a 6-foot-1, 179-pound right-shot defenceman, tallied his second help halfway by way of the third interval, with the smooth-skating Stockholm product making a transfer behind his internet, shedding an onrushing ahead and zipping a clear feed to a teammate in stride at centre ice to start out the scoring sequence.
Commercial 16
Article content material
The evening earlier than, Willander virtually had one other help along with his level shot tipped off the submit and out of the UMass-Lowell crease. BU gained that recreation 3-2.
Commercial 17
Article content material
Willander, a university freshman taking part in his first season in North America, now has one objective, three assists and a plus-9 ranking in 9 video games this season.
Elsewhere: Proper-shot defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz (Rd. 3, 2023) had 5 factors, all assists, in his final three video games. Brzustewicz, 18, is second in OHL scoring with 32 factors (5G, 27A) in 19 video games with the Kitchener Rangers whereas additionally going a powerful plus-12.
Abbotsford ahead Danila Klimovich (2021, Rd. 2) returned to the lineup after lacking almost a month because of harm and a much-publicized scratch within the staff’s Oct. 20 house opener. Klimovich, 20, notched an help in his first recreation again on Thursday, taking part in on the third line.
And left-shot defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev (Rd. 7, 2022) had two assists over the weekend for the Soo Greyhounds. Kudryavtsev, 19, has 16 factors (3G, 13A) and a plus-6 ranking in 19 video games, good for ninth-best within the league.
Article content material
Feedback
Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a energetic however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback could take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the location. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. Now we have enabled e mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an e mail if you happen to obtain a reply to your remark, there’s an replace to a remark thread you observe or if a person you observe feedback. Go to our Neighborhood Pointers for extra info and particulars on how you can modify your e mail settings.