OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened? Pt. 2

CanuckJohnny · 02-07-2024, 06:46 PM

Vancouver Canucks Top Prospects

As we head into the offseason, let's take a look at the top prospects in the organization and how they are trending.

TIER One

G Thatcher Demko (22yo, AHL, 42 W, 2.74 GAA, .911 SvPct)
Thatcher's stock is rising in the organization and some expect him to take over the NHL backup role from Casey DeSmith as early as next season and maybe be challenging Markstrom for number one duties the year after that. Demko has the potential to be a top NHL goalie. He has great intangibles, looking calm and composed and not easily rattled. He has good skating and reflexes but his glove is a weakness and he isn't a great puckhandler. He works well with his defensemen and communicates on the ice. He has proven capable of handling a heavy workload at the AHL level.

W Kirill Kaprizov (21yo, RUS, 54gp, 32-50-82)
Considered by some the best player not currently in the NHL, Linden and company would love to be bringing him over for next season but reports from his camp indicate that he intends to play out the final two seasons of his KHL contract before moving to North America. Some criticism has been levied at Linden for taking the risk on him and there are concerns that he may never come to the NHL but Vancouver's management team claims they have a good relationship with him and are confident that he will join the time in his time. If he does he will be very much worth the wait. An excellent skater with elite puck control and vision, some have knocked his defensive game but Kaprizov is rarely in his own end so it's hard to say. He can play either wing and has been absolutely dominant the past two seasons in Russia.

TIER Two

D Gustav Forsling (22yo, SWE, 56gp, 11-35-46)
The Swedish defenseman turned out to be a long term project but Vancouver is excited to be bringing him to North America. Some scouts expect him to immediately challenge for NHL icetime but Vancouver has indicated they plan for him to spend the season in the AHL getting acclimated to North American style and ice. He is an offensive leaning defenseman who is still responsible in his own end but may need to develop his defensive game more to stick in the NHL where his offensive skill may not be enough to pop. He is starting to look like he could have the makings of an NHL defenseman, which would be great value for a former fifth round pick.

G Anthony Stolarz (24yo, AHL, 9 W, 2.46 GAA, .918 SvPct)
Stolarz can hardly be considered a prospect at this point but goalies do tend to take a bit longer. Demko has surpassed him on the organizational depth chart and claimed most of the starts in Utica this year. Stolarz got a look in the NHL for a few games and it wasn't pretty. Although he didn't look ready yet, Vancouver's scouts are high on him and believe he still has 1B potential. It's more likely he tops out as an NHL backup at this point and he does have good size and NHL tools, but he has a ways to go still to get there.

F Noah Cates (19yo, NCAA, 43gp, 17-22-39)
Cates has developed a lot in a season and shown growth especially in his defensive reliablity and tools. He plays a physical defensive game without getting out of position and has good wheels to get where he needs to go. He could become a productive bottom six or middle six two way forward down the road.

F Danton Heinen (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 20-44-64)
Heinen will probably never have the offensive pop to shine at the next level but his work ethic and defensive chops should eventually land him an NHL job. He hopes it will be in Vancouver and as soon as next year. There currently could be an opening for fourth line center and he will certainly be given the opportunity to claim it. Heinen plays a tireless game and is known for his knack for stealing the puck from opponents and his high hockey IQ.

F Filip Chlapik (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 29-53-82)
Chlapik has high end offensive skill but if he doesn't round his game out he may not have quite enough offense to keep him in the NHL. He is a crisp passer who can skate well and has an accurate shot. He has a good shot to be an NHL player eventually but he will need to pay more attention to the defensive aspects of the game if he is going to earn an NHL coach's trust.

TIER Three

F Alex Iafallo (24yo, AHL, 81gp, 32-39-71)
Iafallo is aging out of the prospect category and time is running out for him to earn an NHL opportunity. A relatively balanced player who doesn't excel in any one area, he just hasn't done enough to get an NHL look yet. He wins defensive matchups and is regularly in good position in his own zone, at least at the AHL level, so should eventually earn a callup but he may always be a fringe NHLer, getting bottom six icetime or bouncing back and forth to the minors.

D Vince Dunn (21yo, AHL, 80gp, 13-48-61)
Dunn plays an effective offensive game and has elite NHL passing skills but his game lacks roundedness and if he can't make it as a powerplay specialist he may struggle to earn regular NHL icetime. There is still hope for him, at 21, to develop the defensive side of his game but the NHL is just that much more unforgiving than lower levels when it comes to defenders who don't defend at a high level.

D Erik Cernak (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 7-34-41)
Erik's calling card has always been his defence first mentality and he had a relatively successful first year in the AHL. He should get NHL opportunities with his size and defensive prowess but the game is getting faster and his poor skating could hold him back from ever being a consistent NHL defenseman. He has great positioning, anticipation and checking ability on defense but brings no offense to the table and even by AHL standards his skating is poor.

F Blake Lizotte (20yo, NCAA, 44gp, 22-23-45)
Lizotte's 5-7 frame is always going to be a knock against him but so far he has overcome that and earned his way to an NHL ELC and he will be playing professional hockey next year, probably at the minor league level. With his slight frame another weakness for him is he doesn't show high end skill offensively and won't be a dynamic playmaker at the NHL level. He makes up for his deficiencies with his high hockey IQ, making NHL calibre reads at both ends of the ice and knowing where to be at all times. For a player of his stature he doesn't compete as hard as you would like and despite his defensive attention to detail he is hesitant to sacrifice his body to clog the shooting lanes which may undermine his potential usefulness as a bottom six penalty kill specialist.

TIER Four

F Trent Frederic (20yo, AHL, 82gp, 17-38-55)
D Carson Soucy (23yo, AHL, 79gp, 9-22-31)
D Dylan DeMelo (25yo, AHL, 82gp, 6-36-42)
F Eeli Tolvanen (19yo, AHL, 82gp, 16-21-37)
F Ty Ronning (20yo, WHL, 68gp, 29-51-80)
D Will Butcher (23yo, AHL, 80gp, 6-37-43)
F Dominik Kahun (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 24-40-64)
D Jacob Middleton (22yo, AHL, 82gp, 3-15-18)

02-07-2024, 06:46 PM	#75
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Vancouver Canucks Top Prospects As we head into the offseason, let's take a look at the top prospects in the organization and how they are trending. TIER One G Thatcher Demko (22yo, AHL, 42 W, 2.74 GAA, .911 SvPct) Thatcher's stock is rising in the organization and some expect him to take over the NHL backup role from Casey DeSmith as early as next season and maybe be challenging Markstrom for number one duties the year after that. Demko has the potential to be a top NHL goalie. He has great intangibles, looking calm and composed and not easily rattled. He has good skating and reflexes but his glove is a weakness and he isn't a great puckhandler. He works well with his defensemen and communicates on the ice. He has proven capable of handling a heavy workload at the AHL level. W Kirill Kaprizov (21yo, RUS, 54gp, 32-50-82) Considered by some the best player not currently in the NHL, Linden and company would love to be bringing him over for next season but reports from his camp indicate that he intends to play out the final two seasons of his KHL contract before moving to North America. Some criticism has been levied at Linden for taking the risk on him and there are concerns that he may never come to the NHL but Vancouver's management team claims they have a good relationship with him and are confident that he will join the time in his time. If he does he will be very much worth the wait. An excellent skater with elite puck control and vision, some have knocked his defensive game but Kaprizov is rarely in his own end so it's hard to say. He can play either wing and has been absolutely dominant the past two seasons in Russia. TIER Two D Gustav Forsling (22yo, SWE, 56gp, 11-35-46) The Swedish defenseman turned out to be a long term project but Vancouver is excited to be bringing him to North America. Some scouts expect him to immediately challenge for NHL icetime but Vancouver has indicated they plan for him to spend the season in the AHL getting acclimated to North American style and ice. He is an offensive leaning defenseman who is still responsible in his own end but may need to develop his defensive game more to stick in the NHL where his offensive skill may not be enough to pop. He is starting to look like he could have the makings of an NHL defenseman, which would be great value for a former fifth round pick. G Anthony Stolarz (24yo, AHL, 9 W, 2.46 GAA, .918 SvPct) Stolarz can hardly be considered a prospect at this point but goalies do tend to take a bit longer. Demko has surpassed him on the organizational depth chart and claimed most of the starts in Utica this year. Stolarz got a look in the NHL for a few games and it wasn't pretty. Although he didn't look ready yet, Vancouver's scouts are high on him and believe he still has 1B potential. It's more likely he tops out as an NHL backup at this point and he does have good size and NHL tools, but he has a ways to go still to get there. F Noah Cates (19yo, NCAA, 43gp, 17-22-39) Cates has developed a lot in a season and shown growth especially in his defensive reliablity and tools. He plays a physical defensive game without getting out of position and has good wheels to get where he needs to go. He could become a productive bottom six or middle six two way forward down the road. F Danton Heinen (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 20-44-64) Heinen will probably never have the offensive pop to shine at the next level but his work ethic and defensive chops should eventually land him an NHL job. He hopes it will be in Vancouver and as soon as next year. There currently could be an opening for fourth line center and he will certainly be given the opportunity to claim it. Heinen plays a tireless game and is known for his knack for stealing the puck from opponents and his high hockey IQ. F Filip Chlapik (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 29-53-82) Chlapik has high end offensive skill but if he doesn't round his game out he may not have quite enough offense to keep him in the NHL. He is a crisp passer who can skate well and has an accurate shot. He has a good shot to be an NHL player eventually but he will need to pay more attention to the defensive aspects of the game if he is going to earn an NHL coach's trust. TIER Three F Alex Iafallo (24yo, AHL, 81gp, 32-39-71) Iafallo is aging out of the prospect category and time is running out for him to earn an NHL opportunity. A relatively balanced player who doesn't excel in any one area, he just hasn't done enough to get an NHL look yet. He wins defensive matchups and is regularly in good position in his own zone, at least at the AHL level, so should eventually earn a callup but he may always be a fringe NHLer, getting bottom six icetime or bouncing back and forth to the minors. D Vince Dunn (21yo, AHL, 80gp, 13-48-61) Dunn plays an effective offensive game and has elite NHL passing skills but his game lacks roundedness and if he can't make it as a powerplay specialist he may struggle to earn regular NHL icetime. There is still hope for him, at 21, to develop the defensive side of his game but the NHL is just that much more unforgiving than lower levels when it comes to defenders who don't defend at a high level. D Erik Cernak (21yo, AHL, 82gp, 7-34-41) Erik's calling card has always been his defence first mentality and he had a relatively successful first year in the AHL. He should get NHL opportunities with his size and defensive prowess but the game is getting faster and his poor skating could hold him back from ever being a consistent NHL defenseman. He has great positioning, anticipation and checking ability on defense but brings no offense to the table and even by AHL standards his skating is poor. F Blake Lizotte (20yo, NCAA, 44gp, 22-23-45) Lizotte's 5-7 frame is always going to be a knock against him but so far he has overcome that and earned his way to an NHL ELC and he will be playing professional hockey next year, probably at the minor league level. With his slight frame another weakness for him is he doesn't show high end skill offensively and won't be a dynamic playmaker at the NHL level. He makes up for his deficiencies with his high hockey IQ, making NHL calibre reads at both ends of the ice and knowing where to be at all times. For a player of his stature he doesn't compete as hard as you would like and despite his defensive attention to detail he is hesitant to sacrifice his body to clog the shooting lanes which may undermine his potential usefulness as a bottom six penalty kill specialist. TIER Four F Trent Frederic (20yo, AHL, 82gp, 17-38-55) D Carson Soucy (23yo, AHL, 79gp, 9-22-31) D Dylan DeMelo (25yo, AHL, 82gp, 6-36-42) F Eeli Tolvanen (19yo, AHL, 82gp, 16-21-37) F Ty Ronning (20yo, WHL, 68gp, 29-51-80) D Will Butcher (23yo, AHL, 80gp, 6-37-43) F Dominik Kahun (22yo, AHL, 81gp, 24-40-64) D Jacob Middleton (22yo, AHL, 82gp, 3-15-18)