I thought Klim looked pretty good today. He fit in, and I mean that as a compliment. On Rookie Day last week, I thought he'd need more runway to get to where it already looks like he's at.
I missed the beginning of Travis' presser, where I guess he praised him. I was there for his comments on Juolevi, which went beyond Batch's tweet. I'll put that in the blog tomorrow.
I wouldn't worry about Pods or Garland. Let's see how they look in game situations.
Had a nice chat with Luke Schenn today, and it was interesting to hear from Nic Petan. And wow - Brock did a scrum and it's amazing how confident he is behind the mic now. I still remember that shy guy with the one-word answers in the hallway in Penticton in 2017. - Carol Schram
BB is coming into his own. Expect a big season from him no matter who his center is he's got his mojo back.
I call BS on that find 1 post. I said he's good enough for Abby and call ups. If he plays with JTM and Podz all the better. - NuckUp
You were talking about him replacing Highmore or ZacMac in a conversation we had so I assumed you were talking about him playing on the 4rth line. If I'm wrong, then we obviously have different opinions of what kind of players those two are.
Some interesting notes from (*Trigger Warning*) D*ance and D*yal at the Athl*tic about depth battles:
Phil Di Giuseppe was a standout among the fourth line hopefuls at training camp. The experienced NHL forward looked fast, competent and motivated. He won seemingly every puck battle he engaged in — including one against Thatcher Demko in Saturday’s scrimmage — and his speed and NHL-level polish was evident in nearly every drill and phase of camp. There’s a lot of road to run before the final lineup decisions, but going into the preseason Di Giuseppe has seized the inside track to be in the Canucks’ opening night lineup.
Di Giuseppe’s rise comes at the expense of Matthew Highmore, who really wasn’t impactful in drills or scrimmages. There weren’t many standout moments for the speedy, workmanlike winger who ingratiated himself down the stretch last season. Highmore is still a strong candidate to make the 23-man roster, but he’ll need a strong showing in preseason games if he’s going to dress on opening night.
Organizationally speaking, Jonah Gadjovich seemed to be well on the outside of the fourth line roster battle as camp opened this week. He’s certainly begun to insert himself in that conversation, however, looking leaner and quicker throughout camp and excelling in the scrimmages on Friday and Saturday. Gadjovich made a statement with a classic power forward shift that resulted in a rush goal on Friday, and followed it up with another physical, assertive performance — and another rush goal — on Saturday.
Gadjovich will need to continue to perform to dislodge the likes of Highmore and Di Giuseppe from their lead in the fourth line race, but he’s emerged as a surprising dark horse candidate with a strong showing at camp.
*****
The biggest change on the right wing depth chart derives from Will Lockwood’s rise. Lockwood hit the ground running from the first day of camp and hasn’t looked back.
The 23-year-old has impressed with his flashy speed, rapidly closing time and space to disrupt plays on the forecheck. The intensity ramped up in Saturday’s scrimmage, providing Lockwood with the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the rambunctious physical edge he can bring to the ice. Defencemen had to keep their head up at all times on Saturday, as Lockwood was a wrecking ball on the forecheck, knocking Luke Schenn and Jack Rathbone with hits. In drills, he showed that his shot has some nice zip to it as well.
Lockwood’s inexperience killing penalties could work against him as the club lacks shorthanded options but day by day, he’s strengthening his case for a roster spot. At the bare minimum, one would think he’s at least passed Zack MacEwen and Bailey. MacEwen was given a cushy opportunity next to Horvat and Pearson to begin camp but has failed to make a significant impact or stand out. Bailey, on the other hand, simply hasn’t had a chance to prove himself at camp yet due to a positive COVID-19 test at the border.
Danila Klimovich is another player that’s left a positive impression at camp, with Saturday’s scrimmage standing out as his best performance to date. Klimovich leaned on his size, athleticism and excellent hands to create space and scoring chances for himself. He’s definitely rough around the edges but the raw tools that the organization believes in were well on display.
****
Brad Hunt was probably Vancouver’s best overall defender across all three days of camp. The savvy puck mover moved about the ice and won battles like a hardened NHL-level player. He won body position in nearly every battle drill at the net front, he made smart passes and reads in both scrimmages, and took smart shots, even as he was reluctant to properly uncork a point blast that is a serious weapon.
Hunt probably leaves training camp with the inside track to win that highly coveted third pair job, although the race is far from over with preseason only just beginning.
Rathbone has arrived in camp in excellent shape and appears to have put on some bulk and muscle over the course of the offseason. He performed well at camp, leading his group in the 40s skate and was particularly dynamic — dominant even — during Saturday’s scrimmage, when he manufactured chances in bulk. Hunt represents stiff competition, but Rathbone is within striking distance as the preseason begins, with a shot to cement his spot in the Canucks’ opening night lineup over the next few weeks.
It was supposed to be a three-player race for that third-pair left defence spot, but Juolevi leaves training camp having lost considerable ground to Hunt and Rathbone. On Sunday, Green had some frank commentary on Juolevi’s performance in the 40s bag skate, and Juolevi’s lack of fitness was apparent throughout camp. To top that off, Juolevi also struggled significantly in both scrimmages.
Juolevi will need to do something special in preseason action if he’s going to eke his way back into this roster battle; he’s put himself well behind.
You were talking about him replacing Highmore or ZacMac in a conversation we had so I assumed you were talking about him playing on the 4rth line. If I'm wrong, then we obviously have different opinions of what kind of players those two are. - boonerbuck
Not replacing they're not the same. If there was mention it's they're bubble players trying to land a roster spot. But their deployment would be different.
Not replacing they're not the same. If there was mention it's they're bubble players trying to land a roster spot. But their deployment would be different. - NuckUp
Location: I’m a dose of reality in this cesspool of glee Joined: 10.22.2011
Sep 26 @ 10:28 AM ET
You took Driftwoods weed strain suggestions way too seriously - neem55
No, I’m serious. Roster is the strongest it’s been since JB arrived, with skilled depth starting to show. TG is no longer a rookie coach and now has both regular season and playoff experience. Our star players are starting to display that swagger and confidence that we saw from the 2010 group.
Finally things are coming together after years of management missteps. And now Pouty, QH, and their agent want to hold the team and fans hostage with punishing salary demands that will inevitably handcuff the team while not yet being complete players?
I want players who want to play and win here. Show me that by taking reasonable contracts that fit under a flat cap structure that looks like it won’t go away anytime soon. That reasonable contract will result in a paycheque that the average Canadian could only dream of.
No, I’m serious. Roster is the strongest it’s been since JB arrived, with skilled depth starting to show. TG is no longer a rookie coach and now has both regular season and playoff experience. Our star players are starting to display that swagger and confidence that we saw from the 2010 group.
Finally things are coming together after years of management missteps. And now Pouty, QH, and their agent want to hold the team and fans hostage with punishing salary demands that will inevitably handcuff the team while not yet being complete players?
I want players who want to play and win here. Show me that by taking reasonable contracts that fit under a flat cap structure that looks like it won’t go away anytime soon. That reasonable contract will result in a paycheque that the average Canadian could only dream of.
If that’s too much to ask then they can fuck off. - bloatedmosquito
Thanks for the report. 
