Madden out to show he was ‘right pick’
Canucks took some heat for selecting son of former NHLer over higher-scoring USHL peer
They came to see the highly touted Quinn Hughes, Kole Lind and Michael DiPietro.
They left with a greater appreciation of Tyler Madden, Petrus Palmu and Jack Rathbone.
The marquee attractions in the Canucks’ annual Summer Showcase had their moments Thursday at Rogers Arena — although Hughes looked like he was still feeling the effects of the flu — but it was the other guys who stole the show.
Nobody moved the potential meter more than Madden.
The son of former NHL centre John Madden gained notoriety at the 2018 draft when the Canucks passed on higher-scoring United States Hockey League centre Jack Wise with the 68th overall selection. Wise was taken with the next pick by the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the Canucks saw something in the five-foot-11, 152-pound Madden.
It was the way the centre was visible on shifts in the USHL by using his smarts and drive to get to the right areas and unleash a quick release. His 20 points in 32 games didn’t tell the real story.
Here’s what we learned:
MADDEN MAKES AN IMPRESSION
The most meaningful aspect of the Summer Showcase was 5-on-5 play in the first period. It was the only real gauge of potential — unlike the freewheeling 4-on-4 format in the second period and 3-on-3 sprint in the third — and that’s where Madden shone.
He took an early cross-ice feed and forced DiPietro to go post-to-post to make a tough save. He then worked his way into the high slot and took a corner feed and quickly went stick side for his goal.
“Scoring one early was a relief and it showed what I could do,” said Madden. “I proved to some people that I was the right pick. I think a little bit of my dad’s game is in mine. He went to the dirty areas and I kind of take that into my game. I like to be more skilled than he was and handle the puck and make plays.”
Those elements weren’t lost on Canucks director of player development Ryan Johnson.
“All week he has been impressive,” said Johnson, who doubles as general manager of the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets. “It’s his attention to detail and he has a feistiness to him. There’s a real skill set there that maybe I wasn’t expecting — it’s high end. The way he skates, his process is going to be quick because of a natural competitiveness.”
It was a lot like Adam Gaudette a year ago at the Summer Showcase.
He stole the show from Elias Pettersson with two goals, a three-zone presence and levelling Pettersson with a hard check behind the net. The Northeastern University product then captured the Hobey Baker Award and will vie for a fourth-line centre position with the Canucks this fall.
Madden is also heading to Northeastern and like Gaudette there is work to do on foot speed, strength and adapting to the college game. But he doesn’t have to work on his drive.
“I’m really excited about Northeastern because they’re the ones who developed him (Gaudette) and that’s what I need to do,” said Madden. “I’m not going to come into the NHL because I need two, three or four years maybe to make that jump and going there is really going to develop my game.”
LIND SHOWS OFF AN IMPRESSIVE SHOT
It was a quiet night by Lind’s standards, considering he piled up 95 points (39 goals, 56 assists) in 58 games last season with the Kelowna Rockets. After doing what the Canucks didn’t want him to do early Thursday — a drop pass in the neutral zone instead of driving to the slot — he then unleashed a quick wrist shot that tested DiPietro.
In the third period, Lind did what he does best. Racing down the left side, he picked the far corner with an effort that will be his calling card with the Comets next season.
RATHBONE HAS WHEELS, PALMU’S GOT PACE
The five-foot-six bowling ball Palmu is going to be a training camp wild card because the winger had 36 points as a rookie in 59 games with TPS Turku of the Finnish SM-liiga. The sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft has defied the odds his entire career and in the first period Thursday he reminded everybody of the dimensions in his game.
Palmu scored from a sharp angle and then did the dirty work along the end boards before setting up Madden’s goal.
“That’s my game,” said Palmu. “That’s what I can do: Get those loose pucks and knock guys off the puck to make a good play. It was a good night and there are a lot of things I have to work on.”
As for Rathbone, his skating stood out and that’s what the future of this club is going to be all about. The defenceman easily transitioned the puck and on one telling shift, he turned a defender before bolting to the net and nearly picking the short side.