Canucks prospects: Klimovich scratched, increase instances for Brzustewicz and Lekkerimaki

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

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Danila Klimovich

A deeper workforce. A better customary.

The Abbotsford Canucks took to the ice for a house opening weekend pair of video games in opposition to the rival Calgary Wranglers with one notable exception: no Danila Klimovich within the lineup.

Coach Jeremy Colliton sat the gifted 20-year-old for each Friday’s 3-2 loss and Saturday’s thrilling 7-6 OT loss, and didn’t mince phrases when requested about it post-game on Friday.

“We’re lucky proper now, we’ve bought numerous good gamers, so it’s going to power everybody to play at a excessive customary, with and with out the puck and being aggressive and enjoying for the workforce,” stated Colliton. “Doing issues, defending your teammates with the way you play. That’s what we’d like from everybody and that’s how we’re going to have success this yr, each as a workforce and individually, so it’s a typical that’s been laid down.”

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The pair of wholesome scratches come after Klimovich was handed a second-line function in a pair of wins in Laval final week the place he was largely ineffective, registering one shot on internet within the two video games mixed.

Are the scratches shocking on this context? Not likely. However contemplating the strides the 2021 second-rounder made final season — scoring 17 targets in 67 video games as an AHL teenager whereas going a good plus-15 — they definitely are alarming.

Klimovich has been sat for a recreation or two in his two earlier seasons in Abbotsford. This time it’s completely different.

That is Yr 3 for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-shot ahead. The individualistic, hero sort of hockey he needed to play with the intention to get seen in a rustic like Belarus ought to have been largely coached out of his system at this level, changed by a extra team-oriented recreation that makes his linemates higher.

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Klimovich, along with his above-average skating, good arms, truculent method with the puck and heavy, deadly shot, appeared like that participant late final season when he scored targets in 5 of seven video games down the stretch — together with in three straight in opposition to the Wranglers — earlier than going quiet in six playoff video games.

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“I don’t wish to say nothing unhealthy (about) Belarus, however the league there was weak,” Klimovich advised Postmedia earlier than final season, when recalling his distinctive path to the professionals. Had he not been referred to as as much as the Belarus U18 world junior workforce in 2021 and popped off for six targets in 5 video games, Klimovich’s profession trajectory would have been a lot completely different.

This low season, at any time when we noticed clips of Canucks gamers and prospects coaching on-ice, there was Klimovich, enjoying laborious. And when you occurred to catch a apply or coaching session, there can be Klimovich, nonetheless on the ice engaged on his one-timers when most had already left.

This was alleged to be the season the place the Minsk product put his recreation in place for an NHL call-up — and there’s nonetheless plenty of time — however there’s been a disconnect someplace alongside the way in which. Aside from a tap-in aim at September’s Younger Stars event, the outcomes simply haven’t been there.

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Is he in his head and attempting too laborious? Presumably. Klimovich might be temperamental and seems to take issues to coronary heart after they go awry. So with this in thoughts, the Klim Reaper needs to be fired up as soon as he’s again within the lineup.

And within the better scheme of issues, Colliton is sending a message to the remainder of the workforce: play throughout the construction, play to your teammates or don’t play in any respect.

Josh Bloom

If you happen to’re simply wanting on the field rating, you received’t be seeing his title.

You’d should look to the ice to acknowledge Josh Bloom’s recreation.

The 20-year-old spark plug made his skilled debut for Abbotsford on Friday and his velocity and tenacity had been evident in a third-line function.

Bloom battled laborious, pressured puck carriers — forcing an over-the-glass penalty in a single occasion — and almost scored on a short-handed breakaway that will have despatched the Abbotsford Centre into raptures.

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“I actually preferred Bloom,” Colliton stated on Friday. “I believed he skated nicely, created probabilities, received some battles and took the puck to the online. He performed the form of recreation I hoped he’d play, in order that was a superb signal.”

The 6-foot-1, 183-pound left-shot winger, who packed on 15-20 kilos of muscle within the low season, was relieved to get his first AHL recreation beneath his belt.

“Undoubtedly some nerves, however I felt like I bought it out of my recreation early. I kinda discovered my ft in the course of the primary interval and the whole lot form of rolled from there,” stated Bloom, who performed with Arshdeep Bains and centre Nils Aman and likewise featured on the penalty kill.

Bloom was an distinctive penalty killer in junior, scoring 11 instances short-handed over the previous two OHL seasons.

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The Oakville product additionally had his dad and uncle fly out for Friday’s debut. For anybody who has flown on this nation over the previous couple of years, nothing is assured.

They barely made it.

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Bloom could not have scored this weekend, however a number of prospects made their marks offensively.

Vasily Podkolzin continued his scorching scorching begin, scoring a aim in every recreation off one-timed slapshots he blew by Wranglers’ star goalie Dustin Wolf.

Who knew he had it in him? Properly, Vasily did, with the 22-year-old tenth general choose in 2019 demanding the puck from defenceman Christian Wolanin earlier than unloading into the online.

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Each targets additionally got here late within the third interval along with his workforce needing a spark.

“I believed he had a extremely good third,” stated Colliton on Friday. “I’d prefer to see that the entire recreation, when he performs that approach. I believed 5-on-5 within the third he was wonderful and that’s what we’d like.”

Additionally developing clutch in opposition to a gritty Calgary facet was Aman, who netted a hat trick on Saturday, together with scoring two of three late-third interval targets to claw again from a 6-3 deficit and assist earn an time beyond regulation level.

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Podkolzin and Aman every have 4 targets and one help in 4 video games this season.

With a reshaped blue-line buoyed by the additions of Akito Hirose, Cole Mcward and Filip Johansson, plus a ahead contingent bolstered by Bloom, Aidan McDonough and a full, wholesome season from centre Aatu Raty (who was slowed down by a again harm final season), the Canucks anticipate this workforce to be a Calder Cup contender this season.

Abbotsford is 2-1-1-0 and in third place within the 10-team Pacific Division. Their subsequent video games are on Tuesday and Wednesday in opposition to the Colorado Eagles at dwelling earlier than a Friday highway date in San Diego in opposition to the Gulls.

Hunter Brzustewicz

Okay, that is getting ridiculous at this level.

Hunter Brzustewicz isn’t solely the highest scoring defenceman within the OHL this season, he now leads the entire league in factors after notching seven extra in three video games this previous week.

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The 2023 third rounder has 20 factors in 10 video games, together with 5 targets, after scoring six in 68 video games final season for the Kitchener Rangers.

Once more, defencemen shouldn’t be placing up numbers like this — particularly 18-year-old’s.

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Brzustewicz is dialed in thus far this season. He’s studying the ice prefer it’s grade college literature, transferring the puck with aplomb and letting his more and more harmful shot fly. He’s quarterbacking the sixth-ranked energy play to a 23.1 per cent completion charge and likewise sports activities a plus-13 ranking, good for second-best within the junior circuit.

“I really feel good. I anticipated my recreation to be the place it’s at proper now and I anticipate it to enhance offensively and defensively because the season progresses,” Brzustewicz advised NHL.com’s Lindsey Horsting earlier this week. “We’ve had such an ideal begin and we’re such a detailed group off the ice too. I believe something is feasible with a detailed group even when we don’t have as a lot star energy as we did final yr.”

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At this charge, the Michigan product needs to be a front-runner for a blue-line spot for Group U.S.A. on the world juniors this winter.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Who had Jonathan Lekkerimaki main the Swedish Hockey League in targets on their bingo card this season?

Properly, that’s the lofty spot the Canucks’ 2022 first-rounder finds himself in after scoring his seventh aim in 12 video games for Orebro HK this previous week.

Lekkerimaki, 19, bulged the twine twice this previous week, scoring his sixth in a 6-2 win over HV71 on Thursday, then getting his seventh and including a major help in a 5-2 win over Linkoping HC on Saturday.

The aim in opposition to Linkoping was spectacular, with Lekkerimaki placing on a skating and stickhandling clinic, pivoting away from a defender earlier than slicing to the excessive slot and ripping his elite shot previous the goaltender.

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He wasn’t kidding when he stated he was larger, sooner and extra explosive earlier this season.

Apart from the seven targets and factors in 4 straight video games, the 5-foot-11, 172-pound right-shot ahead has three assists and a plus-3 ranking this season.

Tom Willander

Rather a lot has gone fallacious for the previously top-ranked Boston College thus far this season.

Simply don’t depend Canucks’ 2023 first-rounder Tom Willander among the many disappointments.

Willander once more prevented the thrill noticed in one other upset loss for BU on Friday, posting a fair ranking in a 4-1 loss at Notre Dame whereas enjoying alongside fellow Canucks prospect Aiden Celebrini (2023, Rd. 6).

The school freshmen had been good once more on Saturday, because the No. 6 Terriers exacted revenge on the Irish with an 8-2 thumping. Celebrini, 18, scored his first within the NCAA within the win, firing a wrister from the purpose that discovered its approach into the online.

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Willander additionally added an help within the win as each gamers went a plus-3.

The correct-shot Swedish defenceman has three factors (1G, 2A) and a plus-6 ranking in three video games, whereas Celebrini has 4 factors (1G, 3A) and a plus-5 ranking in 4 video games.

Vilmer Alriksson

See Ricky play.

See Ricky rating.

Vilmer Alriksson, the big-bodied Canucks ahead prospect affectionately referred to as ‘Ricky’ by his new teammates in Guelph, scored his third and fourth targets in his rookie OHL season.

Each of Alriksson’s targets this previous week had been scored from in tight — precisely the place the Canucks need the 6-foot-6, 214-pound left-shot ahead to function.

The 18-year-old confirmed off some good hand-eye co-ordination to attain in Friday’s 3-1 win over the Barrie Colts, planting that huge body within the low slot and tipping some extent shot dwelling.

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Alriksson scored from the facet of the online on Saturday, batting a rebound down then deposition the puck into the online to open scoring in a 6-2 win at Kingston.

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Alriksson, who additionally had a major help within the win, was named the second star of the sport for his efforts.

The 2023 fourth-round choose has six factors (4G, 2A) and a plus-1 ranking in eight video games this season.

Elsewhere: Defenceman Elias Pettersson (2022, Rd. 3) continues to fare nicely in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan, helping in 4 straight video games, together with a two-assist effort in Friday’s 5-4 win in opposition to Tingsryds. Pettersson, 19, began the season with Orebro within the SHL, however was usually the odd-man out on a league-leading facet. He has six assists and a plus-1 ranking in six Allsvenskan video games this season.

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