Malm playing with chip on his shoulder
20-goal scorer showing a little more pep in his step after being passed over in last year’s NHL draft
James Malm’s game has a sneaky side to it. Did those slick puck-handling skills and other assets that the thirdyear Vancouver Giants forward possesses slide a little too far under the radar for professional teams this fall?
Some people around the Western Hockey League club think so.
Malm admits that, after being passed over in the NHL Entry Draft, he hoped to get invited to a training camp as a free agent. He was one of the brights spots in the Giants’ lastplace finish in 2016-17 after recording a 20-goal campaign.
The call never came. Consider that omission as an inspiration now.
“You can say I have a chip on my shoulder,” said Malm, 18, a Langley native. “I’m looking to prove some people wrong this season.”
There are various things he must do to accomplish that.
He’ll need to score even more. Malm is 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. His window to make it in the pros somewhere is as a top-six forward. He’ll have to produce.
He’ll likely need to be a top-20 scorer in the WHL this year to attract attention. He counted 51 points last season for Vancouver. Seattle Thunderbirds’ over-age winger Ryan Gropp was the league’s No. 20 scorer last season with 84 points.
Such jumps do happen in junior hockey. Malm won’t have to look too far for an example. Vancouver overage winger Ty Ronning had one goal in 24 games in an injury-filled 201415, and then scored 31 times in 67 starts the following campaign.
At the same time, teams will want him to prove he’s not a liability defensively, that he’s not so focused on offence that he forgets his own zone.
As Giants general manager Glen Hanlon says, “People will want to see him take pride in being a good player in all three zones.”
In the midst of all of that, Malm will also have to display that he’s improved his foot speed. He’s always got by more on being sly than spry, much more likely to deke an opponent than race away from him.
He’s going to have to show he’s capable of getting to scoring areas against bigger, stronger, faster competitors. NHL teams will want to see he’s capable of creating separation between himself and checkers if they’re going to take a chance on him.
Hanlon says he’s seen improvement from Malm in that area.
“We’re seeing a little more pop in his first three strides,” Hanlon said. “He’s getting to loose pucks quicker, for instance, than he was a year ago.”
Malm added: “I think I can be a lot better this year. I think I can produce quite a bit more.”
Vancouver endured a dismal opening weekend to the regular season, losing by a combined 13-2 score in a home-and-home set with the Victoria Royals. That said, they do have the makings of a team that can score.
“We’ve got some new characters,” said Malm. “It’s a matter now of trying to find the chemistry with the different players.”
Regardless of who he winds up playing with, Malm will bring the fun factor for fans at the Langley Events Centre. He’s clever, creative, even cunning at times. He’s the type who will use the back of the net for a give-and-go, or chip a puck into the air and then volley it back to himself.
“There’s a wow factor to his game,” said Hanlon. “He’s got that confidence. He’s got that mind. Some players are only willing to go in straight lines. He’s not one of them. And we’re going to encourage that from him while he’s here.”