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Vancouver Canucks prospects in CHL playoffs, ex-players in NHL playoffs |
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As week two of the Vancouver Canucks' offseason begins, we've still got a few Canucks prospects to follow as the Major Junior playoffs roll on across the country.
Olli Juolevi's London Knights stayed alive in their second-round series on Sunday with a 2-1 overtime win over the Erie Otters. Trailing 3-2 in the series, the Knights fell behind just 47 seconds into the first period. Juolevi assisted on the power-play goal off a Too Many Men penalty that tied the game late in the second period, setting up Mitchell Stephens' game-winner in overtime.
Juolevi is now 3-3-6 and a plus-three through 13 games. Game 7 goes Tuesday in Erie.
Over in the QMJHL, Dmitry Zhukenov is tied for the league's playoff scoring lead. The Canucks' fourth-round pick from 2015 is 5-10-15 and a plus-eight for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
Eighth-ranked Chicoutimi swept its first-round playoff series against ninth-ranked Victoriaville and is currently up 3-2 on No. 2 Rouyn-Noranda. The Q uses a 2-3-2 playoff format, so Game 6 goes today in Rouyn-Noranda.
There have been some rumblings that Zhukenov may return to Russia after this season. This is not necessarily a bad thing: according to J.D. Burke at Canucks Army, the Canucks will retain Zhukenov's rights until 2019 because he was drafted out of Russia, then subsequently moved to the Q.
Zhukenov turned 20 in March but is still slight—listed at 6'0" and 178 pounds on the QMJHL website. More development is probably necessary, but he's showing plenty of promise for a fourth-rounder.
Elsewhere, the Charlottetown Islanders are rolling. The Islanders have swept their first two playoff series, against Baie-Comeau and Cape Breton.
The Canucks' fifth-round pick from 2015, Carl Neill, leads all Charlottetown defensemen with 1-5-6 in those eight games, and is tied for second on the team with a plus-seven. Vancouver's third-round pick from 2015, defenseman Guillaume Brisebois, is 0-4-4 and a plus-six.
The Canucks signed Brisebois to his entry-level contract back in December of 2015. Neill is still without a contract; if he's not signed by June 1, he'll go back into the draft.
The Canucks currently have 32 contracts on the books for next season—the maximum is 50. Those spots will get eaten up pretty quickly, though. They need to sign a second goalie to play alongside Jacob Markstrom, as well as re-upping key RFAs like Bo Horvat, Erik Gudbranson, Nikita Tryamkin and Brendan Gaunce. Other RFAs who could be re-signed include Michael Chaput, Reid Boucher, Anton Rodin, Joseph Cramarossa and Drew Shore—though I'm not sure all of those players will be brought back.
In the minors, Michael Garteig, Andrey Pedan, Joe LaBate and Mike Zalewski are among the RFAs that will also be needing new deals, so those contract spaces will fill up quickly. Neill seems like he's exceeding expectations for a fifth-round pick, but I can see why it's not a sure thing for the Canucks to lock him down.
Now, let's take a quick look at the NHL playoffs and see how the former Canucks are doing so far.
Seems like it's finally Zack Kassian's time. Who would have thought that he'd score game-winning goals in back-to-back games as the Edmonton Oilers have taken a 2-1 series lead over the San Jose Sharks?
I'm happy for him, after everything he has been through. So far, he's the unlikely hero of this year's playoffs. Kudos to the Oilers organization for giving him one more chance—and apparently giving him the support that he has needed. Nothing was handed to him, either—he started in Bakersfield with the Condors before working his way back up to the Oilers last season, then put together 7 goals and 24 points in the regular season this year.
Kassian's only other playoff experience was eight games with the Canucks in 2012 and 2013. He had no points and six penalty minutes.
Jannik Hansen is pointless in three games so far for the Sharks, and Alex Burrows is looking for his first point with the Ottawa Senators. I did stats for the Sens' overtime win over Boston on Saturday—Burrows was noticeable on the forecheck. I'm waiting to see him engage with his old foes Marchand and Bergeron as the series gets nastier going forward.
Another ex-Canuck, Tanner Glass, was the unlikely hero for the New York Rangers in their 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of that series. Now 33, Glass played just 11 regular-season games with the Rangers this year. He spent most of his season with the Hartford Wolf Pack but has been in the lineup for all three of the Rangers' playoff games so far.
Michael Grabner scored the Rangers' second goal in Game 1 and added his second of the series in Game 2.
The Anaheim Ducks are continuing to confound the Calgary Flames at the Honda Center. Kevin Bieksa has two assists so far, and got in a fight with Micheal Ferland on Saturday, bringing up memories of the Canucks' 2015 playoff series against the Flames.
Ryan Kesler has one assist so far and is a minus-one. He's winning a solid 54.3 percent of his faceoffs but Ryan Getzlaf has been a beast, winning 70.6 percent of his draws so far!
On the Calgary side, Matt Bartkowski is hanging in as the Flames' sixth defenseman. He's minus-one in just over 13 minutes of ice time a game. Yannick Weber is also in that six-spot with the surprising Nashville Predators—plus one in just over 12 minutes of work per game.
Over in Pittsburgh, Mike Sullivan is winning the coaching battle so far against his long-time boss, John Tortorella. The Columbus Blue Jackets are now down 3-0 and on the brink of elimination. Nick Bonino has one goal so far for the Penguins.
Did I miss anybody?
Four more games on tap tonight. The Ducks and Preds will each have a chance to take 3-0 leads in their series—and the Predators are playing their first game on home ice. Smashville's going to be insane tonight!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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