CANUCKS’ SUBBAN READY FOR HIS TIME
DEFENCEMAN HAS WORKED ON HIS GAME IN AHL, COULD MAKE REGULAR-SEASON DEBUT THIS WEEK
Jordan Subban could have c r ushed t he competition Monday.
The Vancouver Canucks took to the go- kart track on an off day and the diminutive defenceman should have dominated. Think about it. Offensive instincts, quick to the attack and, of course, a natural fit for the constraints of the kart.
“I finished last, but my car malfunctioned and they needed to bring me a new one,” Subban chuckled after practice Tuesday. “Henrik Sedin won and he’s very good, but I was trying very hard and if I had a better car, I could have won.”
A season that has gone in circles for the Canucks has mirrored a minor- league campaign in which t he 21- year- old Subban could have spun out of control.
Shipped to t he Utica Comets a day after his only National Hockey League preseason outing — five shot attempts and an assist in 20:58 of ice time during a 3-2 loss in San Jose — he was lost in the shadows.
College free- agent rookie Troy Stecher rightfully stole training camp and pre- sea- son spotlights.
“I can’t get caught up in that,” said Subban. “I was obviously sent down for a reason, to work hard and become a better player and get called up. It’s just defending in my own zone and bringing the puck out a little bit more cleaner and more efficiently.
“Those are things I’ ve really worked hard on and it’s good to see that I’m being rewarded with my game.”
Subban didn’t mope with his demotion and there’s a noticeable maturity. His nine goals and 13 assists in 34 American Hockey League games have earned an allstar game invite and the Canucks’ fourth- round pick in the 2013 draft is back on the radar as a prospect who will eventually be ready for prime time. There was a sneak peek. With Alex Edler getting banged up late in Chicago on Sunday but finishing the game, he had a maintenance day Tuesday. He’s expected to face the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, but in his practice absence, it was the 5- foot- 9 Subban paired with the 5- foot-10 rookie Stecher in rushes.
“He’s a good player and one of those guys who makes it easier to play and that would be a good opportunity,” Subban said of the slight possibility of making his NHL regular- season debut. “You’re never wishing anybody to get hurt and he (Edler) is a big part of this team. But if he can’t go, I’m ready.”
Part of the confidence comes from the changing NHL l andscape. Subban cited smaller defencemen like Sami Vatanen (5-foot-10, Anaheim), Tor e y Krug ( 5- foot- 9, Boston) and Jared Spurgeon ( 5- foot- 9, Minnesota) as examples of blueliners who are thriving.
“You have to think the game, be good positionally and work hard,” reasoned Subban, who gets regular encouragement from older brother P. K. “It ( playing in the NHL) is possible and my height is definitely something that won’t hold me back.”
Canucks coach Willie Desjardins believes it’s more about the amount of time that smaller defencemen spend in their own zone that’s the determining factor in whether they can cut it or not. Stecher has already shown that i n making a seamless pro transition.
“I was worried about Stecher’s size for sure at the start, but I look at Spurgeon and he plays against the other team’s biggest guys,” said Desjardins.
“That made me believe if one guy can do it, others can. And there’s no reason why Jordan can’t do it. He’s got good skill and an upside offensively.
“I said to him there are two ways of defending, you can work on your defence for 30 seconds in your zone, or you can get the puck and break it out right away. Then you avoid those 30 seconds.”
The Canucks wanted Subban to be exposed to the team culture this week. He took the warm- up skate at the United Center on Sunday, bonded with players Monday and was back on the ice Tuesday. It might not seem like much from the outside, but it has meant everything to Subban.
“You have to come here with the attitude to get better every day and you can’t take any days off,” he said. “It starts here with the leadership of the (Sedin) twins and right down to the younger guys.
“Everybody has a good work ethic and they’re glad to be here. I can learn from all those guys.”
And learn to take a joke — especially when teammates hid his helmet for the warmup skate Sunday.
“That was cool,” chuckled Subban. “I appreciated that actually.”