Samuel Honzek's ability and measurement combo have Giants winger pegged as a first-round draft decide

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Who selects Vancouver Giants winger Samuel Honzek in Wednesday’s NHL Draft in Nashville and simply what Vancouver Canucks followers consider it might mix for a compelling story.

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The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Honzek, 18, is predicted to be chosen someplace in the course of the primary spherical. The Canucks have the No. 11 choice.

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Stated participant and mentioned staff haven’t been readily linked going into the weekend. 

The scuttlebutt is the Canucks are eager on filling positional wants at both defence or centre with their alternative. Honzek says that Detroit Purple Wings and the St. Louis Blues have been the groups he has spoken with probably the most, and Detroit and St. Louis have the 2 picks straight forward of Vancouver.

Detroit additionally selects No. 17, whereas St. Louis owns the No. 25 and No. 29 choices Wednesday. Elite Prospects have mixed numerous polls and given Honzek a consolidated rating of No. 18.

The Giants debuted within the WHL in 2001-02. The Canucks have by no means drafted a participant straight from the Giants, and that was to the chagrin of each some media and Canucks followers specifically when the Giants had been one in all junior hockey’s most dominant golf equipment from 2005 to 2012 (averaging 45 wins a season) and the Canucks had been but once more fighting their farm system. Milan Lucic, Evander Kane and Brendan Gallagher had been the among the many Giants of that period.

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That narrative in regards to the NHL membership overlooking gamers from the close by WHL staff has died down within the latest years. We’ll see what Wednesday brings. 

Honzek, who’s from Trencin, Slovakia, had 23 targets and 56 factors in 43 common season video games as a rookie final season with the Giants. He missed 20 video games halfway by the marketing campaign as a result of a gash to the again of his leg suffered whereas taking part in for the Slovaks on the world juniors. 

He performed in all conditions for Vancouver. He was named an alternate captain halfway by the season and is a candidate to be the Giants’ captain this coming 12 months.

“He has huge upside. He’s simply going to get higher,” Giants coach Michael Dyck defined. “He creates separation off the wall. He’s explosive, and he has the power to complete.

“He additionally has elite character, which can permit him to get higher daily on the professional degree.”

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Honzek added: “I’m not likely nervous in regards to the draft proper now. Because it comes nearer and nearer, I feel I’ll begin to get nervous. I’m okay with that.” 

Honzek opted to remain within the Decrease Mainland this summer time quite than returning residence to Slovakia, wanting to coach below Giants power and conditioning coach Jordan Mackenzie.

Honzek does look larger and stronger and older ever since this previous season completed. He says he has placed on about eight kilos since. He’s hoping so as to add a couple of extra to assist him prepared for the professional recreation within the seasons to come back. He scored properly in health testing on the NHL Mix earlier this low season.

He has been skating at Planet Ice Delta with NHLers. His group someday this previous week included Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Ty Smith in addition to Kyle Burroughs, the unrestricted free agent defender who was with the Vancouver Canucks final season and is rumoured to be on the Canucks’ radar to re-sign.

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Justin Sourdif, the previous Giants centre who’s now a Florida Panther farmhand, was additionally on the ice with that contingent.

“It’s been a great expertise. I can watch the professional guys and see what they’re doing completely different,” Honzek mentioned of these classes. “We have now a extremely good group of men. I can be taught lots from them.” 

Honzek is hoping for an prolonged keep at coaching camp along with his NHL membership when that rolls round and is aiming to get some preseason video games in on the very least. He’s too younger to play minor professional, so he must be reassigned to junior if he doesn’t keep on with the NHL membership.

He says that the Giants have informed him this season that they may wind up utilizing him at centre greater than wing, as a result of their roster building. You’d assume his NHL membership could be happy with including this to his skillset.

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“I feel I’ve taken steps ahead with my low season right here. I’ll lean on that, and once I’m again right here this season I need to be a whole participant,” Honzek mentioned.

The Giants did have a Canucks draft decide in Slovak centre Mario Bliznak (2005-08), however the Canucks picked him when he was taking part in in Europe. That they had one other in defenceman Kevin Connauton (2009-10), however they drafted him when he was at Western Michigan College. His WHL rights on the time belonged to the Giants and the Canucks had been mentioned to have helped steer him to the Giants for that one season.

The Giants took Honzek within the first spherical of final 12 months’s CHL Import Draft and grabbed Swedish winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki within the second spherical. Days later, the Canucks picked Lekkerimaki within the first spherical, No. 15 general, within the NHL Draft. He by no means reported to the Giants and so they ended up giving up his rights. WHL groups are allowed to have two gamers on their lively roster.

Twitter: @SteveEwen

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