The Province

Defenceman Noah Dobson could be Canucks’ pick at No. 7

Quebec league defenceman could be a fit in Vancouver with the No. 7 pick in the draft

- Ben Kuzma bkuzma@postmedia.com twitter.com/@benkuzma

There’s the player and then there’s the person.

The Vancouver Canucks have placed NHL draft premiums on talent and what makes a player tick. They believe being a product of the right environmen­t and value system is as imperative as an inherent ability to process the game at an elite level.

Bo Horvat checked those boxes at the 2013 draft and is a future Canucks captain. Noah Dobson has done likewise at the junior level and is a projected top-10 selection June 22 in Dallas — possibly as the Canucks’ pick at seventh overall.

Dobson, 18, was second in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League blue-liner scoring this season with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He had 69 points (17-52) in 67 games and a plus-33 rating and likes to pattern his game after Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Imagine the Canucks landing a right-shot rearguard who skates well, can run the power play, has a heavy shot and two-way awareness.

In his fourth NHL season, Jones had a career-high 16 goals and 57 points. He was one off the goal total amassed by blue-line league leaders Ivan Provorov, Dougie Hamilton and Victor Hedman and his seven power-play goals equalled the efforts of Shayne Gostisbehe­re, Tyson Barrie and Roman Josi for most in the NHL.

In his first playoff experience as a QMJHL rookie, Dobson’s defensive game and confidence level took off. In the second round, he was tasked with shutting down hulking centre Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was held to four goals in a seven-game series triumph by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“That really taught me how important your stickwork is,” the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Dobson said Monday. “You may not be the biggest or most physical guy and throwing the big hit, but having a good stick and being in the right position at the right time really helped my defensive game.

“A little bit of that is your hockey sense and a little bit is having a great coach in minor hockey who was always thinking the game. Learning that at a young age really helped me in going through the ranks. If you can think one play ahead, that really helps you.”

It helped Dobson go from a Team Canada under-18 afterthoug­ht last summer for the Ivan Hlinka tournament to a roster mainstay. He had two assists in a 4-1 gold-medal triumph over the Czech Republic Aug. 12.

“I was not really on the radar and was on the bubble of making the team,” said Dobson. “When I got selected, it was really a confidence booster for me to know that I can play with these guys.”

Dobson projects as a No. 3 NHL blue-liner and possibly a No. 2 because of his upside. Powerful strides allow him to fight through checks when rushing the puck. And superior balance and edge work allows him to be effective down low in his own zone and transition pucks quickly.

Dobson is also a good playmaker, can thread passes through traffic and has a bomb of a slapshot that will become more lethal as he adds strength. It’s why he’s in the conversati­on at No. 7.

With four defenceman expected to go in the top 10 — Evan Bouchard of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights and Swede Adam Boqvist could go fifth and sixth, respective­ly — the Canucks could take a hard look at Dobson and University of Michigan star Quinn Hughes.

They’ll also look at Dobson’s Summerside, P.E.I., hockey experience and family environmen­t.

Dobson played on stacked minor-hockey teams in atom, peewee and first-year bantam with his best buddies. They all graduated to prep schools and are now in the QMJHL.

Winger Jeremy McKenna 19, had 77 points (36-41) in 68 games with the Moncton Wildcats. Centre Carson MacKinnon, 18, had 35 points (1322) in 65 games with the Rimouski Oceanic, while centre Brodie MacArthur, 19, had 50 points (15-35) in 50 Junior A games in 2016-17 before becoming property of the Wildcats.

“We live in the same neighbourh­ood and train together,” said Dobson. “It’s competitio­n on the ice and friends off the ice. I have nothing but great things to say about minor hockey in Summerside. They really care about the kids and just want what’s best for them to develop. They have obviously done great things for me.”

There’s also a great connection in Bathurst, N.B., home of the Titan, where his parents grew up and where Dobson lives in their former home.

Dobson’s great-grandfathe­r was also the head of minor hockey. His grandfathe­r died at age 53 from multiple sclerosis when the budding defenceman was just five years old and taking his first skating strides. They had a close sporting bond and the NHL prospect found the perfect way to honour his grandfathe­r.

“I never really had a set (jersey) number before and my dad and I talked about it and we thought it would be a great way to play for him and obviously for my grandmothe­r,” Dobson said of wearing No. 53. “It makes my grandmothe­r proud to see me representi­ng him on the ice and it’s pretty special.”

Horvat wears No. 53 in honour of his fallen friend Ian Jenkins. Jenkins and Horvat were OHL draft selections in 2011 and weeks later Jenkins was killed when he fell from the back of a pickup. He was 15. Jenkins, a goalie, wore No. 35 and Horvat reversed the numbers to pay homage to his pal.

OVERTIME: Olli Juolevi, who had 19 points (7-12) in 38 games for TPS Turku this season, has reportedly been left off the Finnish roster for the world championsh­ip. He turns 20 Saturday and the fifth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft has had his fitness level questioned.

 ?? — THE GUARDIAN FILES ?? Acadie-Bathurst Titan defenceman Noah Dobson, who patterns his game after Columbus Blue Jackets stud Seth Jones, could be available when the Canucks pick No. 7 overall in the June 22 first round of the NHL draft after a 69-point major junior season.
— THE GUARDIAN FILES Acadie-Bathurst Titan defenceman Noah Dobson, who patterns his game after Columbus Blue Jackets stud Seth Jones, could be available when the Canucks pick No. 7 overall in the June 22 first round of the NHL draft after a 69-point major junior season.
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada