A few blogs ago I put our a request/challenge for anyone who may want to write a blog about the prospects in the Canucks system. Hockey Genius 101 took on the challenge and this is the result of his hard work.

Thanks HG and let's have a good look at the first 10 Canucks prospects.


Pete

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When Mike Gillis was hired on April 24th, 2008, his biggest organizational concern was the lack of prospect depth and the resources in place to develop them. In one of his first moves as newly appointed GM, Gillis announced former Canuck Dave Gagner would take over from Stan Smyl as director of player development. Smyl would than be named director of collegiate scouting, which many saw as a demotion. Fast forward two years and the Vancouver Canucks have become the biggest players in the NCAA free agent market. Within two years Gillis had signed six UFA NCAA free agents almost making up a full draft year. The respectable hockey prospect website, hockeysfuture.com, had the Canucks placed as poorly as 24th in prospect depth rankings before Gillis took over. Today the Canucks have sky rocketed to an incredible 8th.

2010 will be a very exciting year for Canucks fans everywhere. Most of the 2008 and 2009 draft picks will be turning pro with Cody Hodgson, Jordan Schroeder, Bill Sweatt, Kevin Connauton, Yann Sauve and Evan Oberg looking to make an impression on the big club. For the Manitoba Moose, all signs are pointing to a very young, but talented core. For me, buying another AHL Live pass to watch Moose games is an appealing option. So here’s a list of the Canucks top 10 prospects.

1.Cody Hodgson C- Hodgson was riding high heading into the 2009/2010 season only to have his NHL dreams dashed by, for those who have had this injury, an incredibly painful and restricting bulging disc. It was a testament to his mental will and drive to fight through it and try to live up to his lofty expectations. It probably wasn’t the smartest move, as after training camp, he was sidelined until early February. This summer has been different for Hodgson as he didn’t attend prospects camp and has been going through a rigorous training regiment along with Steven Stamkos. Expect big things from this high end prospect with NHL ready intelligence, playmaking ability, shot and finish. The whole Hodgson vs. Canucks situation is overblown, come regular season it will be a non-issue.

2. Cory Schneider G- Schneider will be looking to make an impression at the NHL level. He has good size and lateral quickness which should translate into NHL success. His biggest problem during his limited big league experience is his rebound control, hopefully new goalie coach Roland Melanson can address that. What usually sets goalies apart, in the NHL, is the ability to read the play and game preparation, both of which is what Luongo does best. Working behind him should be a huge factor into his development at the NHL level. Look for Schneider to see 15-25 games and show why he is so highly regarded.

3. Jordan Schroeder C- After a sub par season with Minnesota Golden Gophers recording 28 points in 37 games, Schroeder turned heads in his first career AHL game scoring on his first shift. He adapted incredibly swiftly to the pro game putting up 15 points in 17 games. Many believed the reason he dropped so far in his draft year was his size. That was not an issue in the AHL as his off the charts core strength allowed him to bounce off checks and he rarely found himself on the receiving end of one. The sky is the limit for this offensive stud who will most likely put up bigger numbers than Hodgson in his career, but does not have as refined an all around game and also does not see the ice as well. With Alex Burrows recently being put on the LTIR, the chances of seeing Schroeder on opening night just got more likely.

4. Anton Rodin RW- Mike Gillis publicly stated they would have taken Rodin 22nd if it weren’t for Schroeder dropping. Thomas Gradin was adamant that the Canucks take him and from early signs it seems like once again another 2009 draft day steal. In 2010 world junior championships Rodin scored 10 points to tie for the team Sweden lead. Although he did not put up good numbers in the SEL last season, look for him to get a lot more ice time this year. Rodin was drafted at 5’11 but from reports at prospects camp he has grown at least an inch and a half. Rodin is a very aggressive player with great speed and hands. He also has very good defensive awareness which should bode well for a quick transition to the North American game. Rodin will play in the SEL next season, but look for him to make the jump to the big club in the coming years.

5. Kevin Connauton D- Connauton was a relatively unknown third round pick in the 2009 entry draft. He attended the University of Western Michigan, where he put up decent numbers with 18 points in 40 games. Many believed the Canucks should have traded up four spots and drafted Stefan Elliot in the second round, when they had the opportunity to address a large need for defensive prospects. Gillis and his staff had a different card up there sleeves with this power play specialist. The Vancouver Giants held his CHL rights, where it was a no brainer for him to join the esteemed franchise the following season. Smart move as he broke Giants records in goals by a defenseman with 24 and points 72. The one downside with Connauton is his defensive awareness, as he more often than not, finds himself in the wrong position. It’ll take some time in the AHL to hone his defensive skills, but having such an advanced offensive skill set gives the young defenseman a great head start.

6. Evan Oberg D- Oberg was overlooked in both of his eligible draft classes. He attended the university of Minnesota-Duluth where he scored 27 points in 43 games. There were a few NHL teams after his services, but ultimately being a Canucks fan growing up, he could not pass up the opportunity. Oberg has incredible poise with the puck, which very few defenseman have at his age. Coach Alain Vigneault quickly took notice and he received a lengthy look at training camp, before he was sent to the Moose. In Manitoba he became one of the teams best defenseman and logged some of the biggest minutes. He played in two Canuck regular season games throughout the year, where his hockey awareness was evident while he was consistently making the smart play, an attribute that coach‘s love. He’s missing a physical explosiveness to his game as he looked somewhat overmatched in his small stint. Luckily that’s something that can be addressed in the weight room and as he physically matures. Look for Oberg to get another long look at training camp and play a few more games this year with the Canucks.

7. Sergei Shirokov LW- Nicknamed the pocket rocket during the preseason, Shirokov came over from CSKA Moscow were he became an internet sensation with Canuck fans. Scoring very nice shootout goals and displaying a high skill level. Shirokov did not disappoint in the preseason, scoring seven points in only four games. Immediately Shirokov was the talk of the city and was being penciled in Vancouver’s top six. As much as the preseason gets everyone excited, the regular season is a whole different beast, just ask Sergei. In six regular season games, he recorded zero points and was a minus four. He was with the Moose most of the year were he needed to get better acquainted with the North American style of play. With the Canucks being very deep with top end forward talent, Shirokov will be a hard pressed in cracking this NHL roster anytime soon, especially with a core of top 6 forwards signed for the long haul.

8. Yann Sauve D- In 2005, Sauve was selected first overall in the QMJHL bantam draft. High expectations for a 15 year old. During Sauve’s draft year he was going through sub-par season were he found himself dropping from first round predictions to second. At the 41st pick, in the 08 draft, Gillis decided his potential was to good to pass up and he chose him with the Canucks second pick. A shot of jubilation for the Rigaud, Quebec native. The following season he posted career numbers and showing merit as to why he was so highly touted coming into major junior. Sauve possesses a good sized frame with truculence and belligerence to boot. As Don Taylor would say, whenever there’s a opportunity to use famous Brian Burke vocabulary, take it. Sauve needs to work on making smarter plays with the puck and keep things simple. He is a great one on one defender with tremendous positioning in his own end. Look for him to improve with the Moose this year and be a strong consideration for the Canucks in the following years.



9. Bill Sweatt LW- Sweatt was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawk’s in the second round of the 07 draft. This past summer Sweatt was traded with Chris Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package of prospects. Leafs GM Brian Burke had a couple of weeks to come to an agreement on a contract, otherwise he’d become a UFA. Sweatt was offered a maximum contract but it was missing bonuses that Sweatt was looking for. Burke decided his ego was better left unscathed, so he ceased all talks and let the Boston College native walk to free agency. His brother Lee had just signed with the Canucks in spring, so the Canucks had become his best suitor. Sweatt has incredible speed and acceleration, that most NHL teams covet. He is also responsible in all three zones, which Vigneault preaches. Sounds like a match made in heaven. The Canucks are fairly deep at center for the foreseeable future but what they don’t have is an abundance of winger prospects. That was another reason Vancouver targeted Sweatt as soon as the speedy winger hit free agency.

10. Chris Tanev D- At a young age Tanev was always playing on the best triple A teams in Toronto, along side the likes of Sam Ganger and other stars with the Markham Waxers. As those kids matured and grew, Tanev didn’t. At age 15 he stood 5’1, 120 lbs, not the kind of frame that will have OHL teams clambering over. He spent a year playing high school hockey and had given up on his childhood dream. The next two years Tanev grew an astonishing foot. He now stands just over 6’2. With his new size Tanev took his game to R.I.T of the NCAA were he scored 28 points in 41 games to help lead his team to the frozen four. He caught the eye of long time coach and Sam’s dad Dave Gagner. Gagner was insistent the Canucks sign him as he knew this was the definition of a late bloomer. Tanev and Gagners relationship was a pivotal factor in why he signed with the Canucks, when so many other teams were after him. Tanev has a tremendous knowledge of the game, where he was a rock for R.I.T in there playoff run. He has yet to fully utilize his new stature, but when he does look for him to fly up the Canucks prospect rankings, as Gillis and co. are extremely high on him.


According to Mike Gillis the Canucks are one year ahead of schedule. A part of his plan is having entry level salaries, making big money contributions. Expect an injection of youth over the next few years. The easy part is done, Gillis has stocked this franchise with prospects, now it’s time to develop them. Gagner will have an easier time keeping track of his personnel, with so many of them playing for the Moose this year. He wont have to call individual locations across countries and continents as much in the past. He can focus a lot of his time with current Moose players and making it a more comfortable and organized process.

The hiring of new Moose coach Claude Noel will have a bigger impact than what has been perceived. Noel’s bread and butter as a head coach is teaching and developing, perfect timing with a Moose team brimming with prospects. Under the watch of Gillis the Vancouver Canucks have been quietly stockpiling quality young talent. It helps to have an ownership group that buys into Gillis’ strategy and is 100% committed to winning. The Canucks system has never been stronger and the teams roster is arguably more talented than ever. Years of mediocrity are over and finally Canucks fans have reason to be confident about the present and future.


Prospects 11-20
11.Peter Andersson-D
12.Mario Bliznak-C
13.Taylor Ellington-D
14.Prab Rai-C
15.Patrick McNally-D
16.Steven Anthony-LW
17.Jeremy Price-D
18.Adam Polasek-D
19.Kellan Tochkin-RW
20.Jonathon Lilahti-G

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