The Youth Movement

September 23rd, 2023

Alex Rickman

While the Canucks prospect pool does leave something to be desired, that’s not to say that Vancouver is without any young players who could be close to cracking the roster. Much like on the NHL roster, the Canucks prospect depth primarily exists in the form of wingers, with many of those ranked among the club's top prospects playing on the wing. With Tanner Pearson’s recent departure and the possibility that players like Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, or Anthony Beauvillier could find themselves on the move, some of these young wingers could find themselves in important roles on the NHL roster in the not-too-distant future. But which of these players are the closest to making the jump and becoming a full-time NHLer, and how may they fit into the Canucks lineup? Let’s go through which of these players may be at the front of the line, and who may prove with a strong training camp and preseason that they are ready to play in the National Hockey League. 

Nils Höglander

After an electrifying rookie season in 2021, Höglander has struggled to replicate this same form, leading to questions being asked about his future in Vancouver. After struggling out of the gate last season, Höglander was sent down to Abbotsford for the remainder of the season, where he posted a very respectable 32 points in 45 regular season games, as well as 6 points in 6 postseason appearances. This could be a make-or-break season for the 22-year-old, who needs to quickly prove that he belongs in Vancouver, or he could soon find himself shipped out of town and leaving Canucks fans asking “What if?”

However, there is definitely reason to be optimistic about what the next season has to hold for Höggy. Even throughout his periods of struggle in the NHL, Höglander showed flashes of the player he was during his rookie season, and a player his age can certainly still add the consistency needed from him to be an NHL regular. Additionally, Höglander showed during his time in Abbotsford that he still has that player from his rookie season within him, becoming one of the top producers on a very good AHL team. Rick Tocchet’s systems seem like they would be very beneficial to Höglander, who became a fan favourite among Canucks fans for his high work ethic, although he was also known for making some mistakes defensively, often as a result of overcommitting to a specific player and leaving space open for another opposition player.

With Höglander’s style of play, it’s hard to see a way in which he would fit in on a fourth line, so it can be expected that if he is a Vancouver Canuck next season, he will have to be given a chance in the top six. Höglander will need to come out swinging during training camp and the preseason, but if he can get a good start to the regular season, he still has it in him to be the player the Canucks hope he can be.

Linus Karlsson

While at the time the trade to acquire Linus Karlsson was not a popular one, with Canucks fans not too pleased about the loss of then-top prospect Jonathan Dahlen, as it stands this trade may have been a rare tidy piece of business from the Jim Benning administration. Karlsson impressed enough last preseason to have fans calling for him to make the NHL roster before he’d even played a single professional game in North America, and while these calls would go unanswered and Karlsson would spend the whole season playing in Abbotsford, he certainly made a mark for himself there. Putting up 24 goals and 25 assists during his 72 regular season appearances for the Baby Canucks, Karlsson’s knack for putting pucks in the net paired with a responsible defensive game made him one of Abbotsford’s top players.

While it is yet to hamper his abilities, Karlsson’s skating does leave something to be desired, and if this weakness will create an issue anywhere, it would be in the NHL. Many promising young players have failed to make the jump to the NHL due in large part to the speed of the game at the highest level, and struggling to keep up or to put themselves in positions to score or otherwise help the team due to a lack of top-end speed. On a Vancouver team already lacking in high-end skaters, Rick Tocchet may want a faster player in his lineup than Karlsson and could choose to have him start the season in the AHL. 

Still, Karlsson should definitely be in consideration for an NHL roster spot at some point in the near future, be it to start the regular season or as a mid-season callup. Concerns about his skating may exist, but Karlsson has performed too well in the AHL and in Sweden before that to not at least get a look in the NHL. Whether or not Karlsson’s skating will be a hindrance to his NHL career remains to be seen, but there’s only one way to find out whether or not it will, and that chance should come sooner rather than later. Karlsson may be a diamond in the rough for Vancouver, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a fair shot to prove himself this season. 

Danila Klimovich

After a rough start to life in North America during the 2021-22 season, Klimovich had a breakout 22-23 campaign in Abbotsford, putting himself near the top of the queue for potential call-ups to the NHL roster.  Despite something of a slow start to last season, The Klim Reaper still posted a very respectable 17 goals and 12 assists in his 67 games, as well as finishing the regular season with a plus-minus of 15. Klimovich’s physicality would also be a welcome addition to a Canucks team lacking in grit, especially after trading away Tanner Pearson, so it would make some sense for Klim to be given a serious look for an NHL spot in training camp. 

However, Klimovich does still have some rough spots in his game to work out which would indicate that another year in the AHL may be beneficial for him. Klimovich still needs to work on his skating, which has improved from when he first arrived in Abbotsford but does still leave something to be desired. Additionally, while his production did improve last year, it still could be better, indicating that more time to hone his craft would lead to better performances once he makes the jump to the NHL.

Overall, while I do like Klimovich and do think he could be worth giving a few games in the NHL if someone gets hurt, another year in the minors would probably be in his best interest. Klimovich has the potential to one day become a valuable piece in the Canucks lineup, but with any prospect, it’s important not to rush their development and let them work on their game at a natural pace. The Klim Reaper will have his chance, but he may need a little more time in the minors to fully prepare himself to make the jump.

Aidan McDonough

After spending the end of last season in Vancouver upon the end of his NCAA career at Northeastern, McDonough really put himself on the map at this year's Young Stars tournament in Penticton. McDonough scored every game at the tournament, with all three coming on the power play thanks to his powerful wrist shot, impressing fans as one of, if not the absolute best player on the ice at the tournament. After this performance, many in the Canucks fanbase are calling for McDonough to be on the opening night roster. But is he ready for a full-time role in the NHL? 

McDonough, like several others above, has some concerns about his skating. At the NCAA level and at the Young Stars tournament, but his lack of top-end speed will be more of an issue at the NHL level than it has been in these lower ranks. McDonough’s two-way play is also yet to be tested very much at a high level, and as he would most likely be asked to start in the bottom six, this could be an issue if he can’t play effective defensive hockey. McDonough’s prowess on the power play makes him an appealing piece to make the NHL roster, but he may be best suited to begin the 2023-24 season as an Abbotsford Canuck while he hones his craft. 

McDonough has a lot of potential to be a valuable piece for the Canucks, and is absolutely worth getting excited about, but it’s crucial that his development is not rushed. Abbotsford Head Coach Jeremy Colliton has received a lot of praise for the work he has put in with the players he’s worked with in the AHL, and having him and the rest of their coaching staff work with McDonough for a few weeks or months could be what’s best for his long-term future in the league. The future is bright for the young Massachusetts native, but that future may have to wait until he’s spent some time in Abby. 

Vasily Podkolzin

After excelling near the end of his rookie season in 2021-22, Podkolzin struggled to find his form last year, eventually finding himself playing in the AHL. Canucks fans know that Podkolzin has the potential to be one of the team's best wingers, but some are concerned with the lack of results last season, with some even going as far as to declare him a bust. Calling him a bust at this early stage would be quite a reach, but it would be nice to see some results come soon, so what should be expected of Podkolzin this coming season? 

The most important thing for Podkolzin may be letting him hit the ground running this season, be it in Vancouver or in Abbotsford. His preseason performances should be watched closely, and should he make the NHL roster, it will be important to partner him with forwards who can complement his aggressive style of play and set him up with scoring chances to allow him to gain some confidence. A power forward like Podkol would be an extremely valuable asset for a team that has lacked pushback for years, so letting him develop into the best player he can be should be a top priority for this regime. 

At the end of the day, whatever the Canucks decide to do with Podkolzin should be determined by what they can get out of him long term rather than what they think he may do for them in the short term. While the powers that be in the Canucks front office have stressed that making the playoffs is the goal for this team, they cannot afford to mortgage the future and let a young talent like Podkolzin slip through their fingers. Be it in Abbotsford or Vancouver, Podkolzin needs to be given the chance to start the year off right and prove what he can be for the Canucks organization. 

So, who should it be of this group making the Canuckss roster on opening night? The preseason will hold the answers to this question, but if they had to pick today, who can we project would be the pick of the lot? 

At this time, it seems Nils Höglander is the early favourite to make the team. Höglander has spent time early on at training camp on a line with Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko and was even practicing with the second power play unit, indicating that Rick Tocchet would like to see what he can do playing with the top guys and if he can prove he deserves a spot in the teams top six. Höglander also signed a two-year, one-way contract extension this summer, showing that the expectation throughout the organization is that he should be ready to be a full-time NHLer this coming season. 

It’s likely that two roster spots may be open for young wingers this coming season, so who could we see taking the second of these spots if Höglander is in fact seen as the man for the job? As it stands, it has to be assumed that, due to his NHL experience, Vasily Podkolzin most likely has the inside track for the job. Podkolzin’s style of play is well-suited to fit anywhere in the lineup, and his hard-nosed game will likely appeal to Rick Tocchet. The Canucks need to be careful with Podkolzin and assure that he has an opportunity to find his form, but if he proves in the preseason that he can do that, he is absolutely worthy of taking a spot on the NHL roster.

If, for whatever reason, Podkolzin is sent to Abbotsford to start the year, I would like to see Linus Karlsson given a good look. It was somewhat surprising to see Karlsson not make the roster after his performances last preseason, and with the chemistry he showed with fellow Swede Elias Pettersson, there is definitely potential for Karlsson to make himself a valuable piece in the Canucks lineup. 

I would also be remiss to not mention the names Arshdeep Bains and Aatu Räty, although they both seem likely to be starting the season in the AHL. While it may not quite be time for these two to make their full-time breakthroughs in the show, both possess the potential to make names for themselves in Vancouver and could find their way onto the roster at some point this season with good performances in the AHL. 

The preseason will be telling when it comes to seeing which of these young players will be ready to make the jump. We can speculate all we like, but until games are being played, we can never be certain what we might see from these guys. Hopefully, a few of the players listed above, and maybe even some surprise performances from players not mentioned, will make it difficult for the Canucks brass to pick out who they want on the opening-day roster.