The Canucks called up Philip Holm from the Utica Comets on Monday and reassigned Patrick Wiercioch to the AHL. Holm isn’t expected to play, but will take Wiercioch’s spot in the press box and be available in case of an injury.
I’m not going to leave you in suspense. I promised an explanation for why he was called up ahead of Jalen Chatfield and Jordan Subban, so here it is: he’s better than they are.
After Chatfield’s standout performance in the preseason, in which he scored two goals and five points in just two games, his name has come up every time the Canucks have needed a defenceman. It’s completely understandable: five points in two games, even in preseason, is worth the excitement.
Subban, on the other hand, was nowhere near as good in the preseason, and his questionable play silenced many of the voices calling for him to get a chance to play in the NHL. And yet, when injuries befell the blue line last month, there was Ben Kuzma questioning whether Subban should get the call to help with a struggling power play.
To anyone who has watched the Utica Comets play this season, however, Holm’s call-up comes as no surprise.
For the most part, Canucks fans have only seen Holm during the preseason, where he had a shaky transition to North American ice. While he showed some excellent offensive instincts and an ability to get the puck on net through traffic, his defensive miscues were deeply concerning. He was directly responsible for several goals against during the preseason and had some other gaffes that he was lucky did not result with the puck in his own net.
Since then, Holm has become the go-to, number-one defenceman for the Utica Comets, logging big minutes in all situations. He’s been playing with Subban at even-strength of late, but it’s Holm, not Subban, playing the point on the first power play unit. He’s also first over the boards on the penalty kill.
With 10 points in 15 games, Holm leads all Comets defencemen in scoring and is tied for 11th amongst AHL defencemen.
Utica general manager Ryan Johnson praised Holm, saying, “He is a smart player that is learning the North American style. He has good offensive skills and will get better as he learns the time and space of the North American game.”
Chatfield, meanwhile, has been fine in the AHL, but looks like he could use a full season with the Comets before getting any consideration for NHL duty. He’s been a healthy scratch on a few occasions as well.
As for Subban, his defensive ability is still suspect and he isn’t quite dynamic enough offensively to make up for his shortcomings. In any case, if the Canucks want help on the power play, why would they turn to the defenceman playing on the second unit in Utica?
It shouldn’t be a question of why Holm gets called up ahead of Chatfield or Subban, because neither of those two players is really close to a call-up at this point. The other defencemen in the mix for an NHL call-up would be Evan McEneny, but he is currently out with an injury.
Perhaps the question should instead be, why now? As Ryan Biech reported, the timing is all about Patrick Wiercioch, who was on the 29th day of his call-up to the Canucks. If he stayed with the Canucks 30 days, he would have to clear waivers to get sent back down.
Holm is unlikely to play, particularly with both Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher practicing with the Canucks and nearing a return, but he does get a nice financial bonus while he’s with the Canucks, collecting $4973.12 per day compared to his $70,000 AHL salary.
Lastly - Philip Holm will receive $4973.12 (USD prior to taxes) per day on the NHL roster, that is huge compared to the $70,000 AHL salary in his ELC. Nice reward for someone who had been playing well.
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) November 20, 2017
