After making history last month as the first trio from one college program to all go in the top five of the NHL draft, Owen Power, Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson officially announced on Friday that they're all returning to the University of Michigan this fall, for their sophomore season.
Like the hashtag says, this group has unfinished business. Covid protocols prevented the Wolverines from playing in this year's Frozen Four tournament, and also left the team playing its regular-season games in a fan-free Yost Arena, while players went to class virtually.
Earlier this summer, Power talked about how he wanted the opportunity to have a "real" college experience before turning pro. Now it's official โ he'll do just that.
This is relevant to Canucks fans because another freshman on the Wolverines' blue line last season was Vancouver's fifth-round pick from the 2020 draft, Jacob Truscott. He'll also be returning to a stacked team that has every intention of competing for a national championship.
A graduate of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Truscott played 26 games with Michigan last season, putting up a goal and four assists while playing behind Power and Cam York on the left side of Michigan's defense.
York has now graduated to the pros, but this season will see the arrival of Luke Hughes, this year's fourth-overall pick who finally turns 18 in a couple of weeks, on September 9.
On top of the Big Four from 2021, the 2021-22 Michigan roster also includes some other high-end talent:
โข Johnny Beecher, a junior forward who was drafted 30th overall in 2019
โข Brendan Brisson, a sophomore forward who was drafted 29th overall in 2020
โข Thomas Bordeleau, a sophomore forward who was drafted 38th overall in 2020
โข Mackie Samoskevich, a freshman forward who was drafted 24th overall in 2021
โข Dylan Duke, a highly regarded freshman forward who was drafted in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 - is he going to be their next mid-round gem?
There was some concern for the Michigan hockey program when head coach Red Berenson retired in 2017 after 33 years at the helm. Mel Pearson has proven to be a worthy successor and one-time Canuck Bill Muckalt remains at his side, headed into his fifth year as the team's associate coach.
Earlier this summer, Truscott was also invited to participate in USA Hockey's World Junior Summer Showcase, the first-look camp that will help determine the rosters for the 2022 World Junior Championship โ slated to be played in front of fans in Edmonton and Red Deer after being run in the Edmonton bubble last winter.
With Canada electing to run its own camp north of the border, this year's Summer Showcase featured two U.S. Teams โ White and Blue โ along with Finland and Sweden. Truscott got into four games with USA White and one with USA Blue at the week-long event, but didn't record any points.
In his
Summer Showcase summary, Corey Pronman of The Athletic mentions Bordeleau and Samoskevich as two Michigan players who stood out to him. He also projects a World Juniors roster, which does not include Truscott, but these things can change as the season progresses. I remember Tyler Madden playing his way onto the 2019 U.S. squad, for instance, and making the most of his opportunity once he got there.
Over at
HockeySense, prospects writer Chris Peters calls Truscott a 'wild card' for a World Juniors spot. He also doesn't go into any detail about Truscott's play at the Showcase, but he does mention that Luke Hughes, a lefty, played on the right side almost exclusively, as the U.S. group is thinner on the right side.
If Hughes gets a right-side assignment at Michigan, that could potentially open up more minutes and opportunity for Truscott next season.
Earlier in July,
Chris Faber of Canucks Army spoke with Truscott.
He said he had been known as more of an offensive defensemen in his younger days, but focused on amping up his shut-down skills when he arrived in Ann Arbor.
"I wanted to be able to defend against the older and stronger guys," said Truscott, who was listed at 6'1" and 170 pounds by NHL Central Scouting before he was drafted, but now appears on the Michigan roster page at 6'1" and 179. "We had a great defence core, so I had to find my role within the team and I thought it turned out great. I was able to work on my game and just focus on that. My penalty killing was a great focus for me and hopefully next year I can fill in a bigger role and have that defensive role in the game."
Truscott did suit up for Team USA at the U17 level, and would love to do it again.
"To put that USA jersey on would be amazing," he told Faber. "It's something I never take for granted, so, to be able to represent my country again would be an amazing feeling and something I'd definitely not take for granted. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to represent them and win gold for our country. I'm willing to accept any role. I think I can play the right side and left side, wherever I'm put, I feel like I can excel and definitely show my skill and talent."
Taken 144th on Day Two of the virtual 2020 draft, which seemed to drag on interminably on television, Truscott has flown under the radar a bit in the Canucks' prospect pool. As a collegiate athlete, he still has plenty of time before making the jump to the pros. The experience he gains this year, on an extraordinary Michigan team, should be tremendous for his development.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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