Unlike last year, the Canucks won’t have any teenagers on their roster, which should significantly cut down on their Clearasil budget and perhaps lead to fewer Bieber-related controversies. That was decided when Olli Juolevi, the last teenager in camp, was assigned to the London Knights.
Meanwhile, the Canucks’ top goaltending prospect, Thatcher Demko, was sent down to the Utica Comets earlier this week. I just completely failed to notice. To be fair to myself, it was inevitable that Demko end up in Utica. It was equally inevitable that Juolevi would end up back in Junior.
Wednesday’s other cuts do come with a pinch of surprise: Joe LaBate got sent down to Utica after a very strong pre-season. Borna Rendulic also got assigned to the Comets, while James Sheppard got released from his PTO, and Dmitry Zhukenov got sent back down to Junior.
It might seem disappointing that Olli Juolevi didn’t have more of an impact in the pre-season, considering he’s the highest Canucks draft pick since the Sedins, but he showed scads of potential. In the Young Stars tournament, it seemed like every time opponents came near Juolevi, he immediately divested them of the puck and turned it up ice.
He didn’t quite manage that in the pre-season, but what he showed was subtly exciting, if that isn’t an oxymoron. His positioning is impeccable and he showed some excellent decision-making. At times, the game moved a little faster than he anticipated, but he seemed to adjust well, growing in confidence to the point that he was willing to throw a dangle on Tommy Wingels, leading to his lone assist.
The best part about that play is that when it didn’t quite work, Juolevi made it work, stretching out and ensuring the puck reached Bo Horvat.
His biggest issue is that he isn’t the biggest. He needs to add muscle and core strength to his 6’3” frame so that his physical attributes can match his intellectual ones. He’ll get a chance to dominate for the Knights and hopefully build on his 42 points from last season.
Demko was destined for the Comets this season, with no chance of supplanting Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom. Still, it was great to see him perform well in the Young Stars tournament and pre-season, giving up just one goal in his two pre-season appearances.
You could still see some flaws to his game, which he’ll get a chance to iron out with a season or two in the AHL. He has a tendency to be overly aggressive with his positioning and overplaying the original shot, which could lead to some issues on deflections and rebound opportunities. His athleticism, puck-tracking, technique, and size make up for that and it’s actually exciting to see that he can actually get better.
He’ll compete with Richard Bachman for starts in Utica, but I have a feeling that Demko will earn plenty of playing time.
Joe LaBate was the biggest surprise of the pre-season, coming seemingly out of nowhere with a hard-nosed (and probably rough-necked and jagged-eared) physical game. But, while there’s always some player that throws hits and fights in the pre-season, trying to earn a job, LaBate combined that with some impressively soft hands and vision.
Sure, LaBate’s chances of actually making the Canucks were lower than a Brad Marchand low-bridge. There are just too many established forwards standing in his way. But it felt, for a moment, like he had a chance to win the job as the team’s 13th forward.
In all honesty, the AHL is the place for LaBate to be, as he could play a key role with Brendan Gaunce likely graduated to the NHL. The 23-year-old could be a candidate for a call-up this year, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing for him to spend a full season in Utica, building off the 10-goal, 20-point rookie season he had last year.
Another guy who could get called up this year is Borna Rendulic, who stood out early on in the pre-season but made less of an impression as it progressed. Rendulic has size and goalscoring skill and should have a strong season in Utica, where he’ll hopefully get the development he was seeking and felt he didn’t receive in the Colorado Avalanche system.
James Sheppard got eclipsed by the other two players on PTOs during the pre-season, so it’s no surprise to see him released. It remains to be seen if either Jack Skille and Tuomo Ruutu will earn a contract, but for now they’re still with the team.
As for Dmitry Zhukenov, the Canucks 2015 4th round pick, he didn’t actually play at either the Young Stars or in the pre-season. He suffered a foot injury that kept him sidelined. Hopefully it won’t delay the start of his Junior season too long, as the Chicoutimi Sagueneens will need him to have a big year. Zhukenov is more of a playmaker than goalscorer and since he’ll play with Nicolas Roy, who racked up 48 goals last season, he has the chance to pile up some points.
