Hoglander displays scoring tricks, while Kunz works on his speed
Persson joins Team Sweden juniors; Jurmo doesn't crack Finnish squad
It's the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks' highest-profile prospects:
If idle hands are the Devil's playthings, you don't want to face Nils Hoglander after a two-week COVID-19 break.
The Canucks prospect with the slick mitts played like a man possessed for Rogle BK on Tuesday, scoring a goal and threatening more in a 4-0 win over HV71.
You could tell pretty quickly that Hoglander was feeling it. The 2019 second-round pick went for a Zorro goal in the second period, quickly lifting the puck onto his stick behind the net and trying to cram it into the top corner, only to have goalie Hugo Anefelt hug the post to stop it just in time.
Hoglander's goal, scored on the power play, came midway through the second period, as the five-footnine, 190-pounder planted himself in front of the net and neatly tipped a point shot past the goaltender.
He nearly scored again in the third period, creating a 2-on-1 with his speed before getting stopped on a short-side shot.
Hoglander finished the game with a goal, three shots on net and an even rating in 16:05 of second-line minutes.
The 20-year-old didn't register any more points for the rest of the week, but he did have his moments. In Thursday's 2-1 loss at Linkoping, the Swedish forward had at least one dangerous foray to the net, using his shiftiness to cut in front midway through the third period, only to have his shot deflected over the glass at the last moment. He finished the loss with an even rating in 15:31 of ice time.
Hoglander was placed on the third line in Saturday's 3-2 loss at Frolunda, skating for 13:04 in a largely uneventful affair. He was a little more lively in Sunday's 4-2 win against Vaxjo, getting two shots on net — including another near-miss on a Zorro attempt — and going plus-1 in 13:45.
Hoglander, who is on loan to the Swedish Hockey League until Canucks training camp starts, has three goals, seven assists and a tidy plus-5 rating in 18 games this season.
JACOB TRUSCOTT
It was a see-saw week for the reliable defensive prospect, whose No. 7-ranked Michigan Wolverines split a two-game series at Penn State.
The 2020 fifth-round pick made his way onto the scoreboard in Wednesday's 3-1 win, notching a secondary assist, a shot on goal and a plus-1 rating in a third-pairing assignment. The assist came as Truscott, a six-foot-one, 179-pound, left shot D-man, held a clearance in at the blue-line and smartly found a teammate in the slot to start the scoring sequence.
After the game, Truscott gave his team credit for the win, despite hanging on in the end and being outshot 38-28.
“We did a good job finding a way to win, but we definitely need to clean some stuff up for tomorrow,” he said.
Let's just say things didn't get cleaned up on Thursday, as the Wolverines gave up nine goals in a 9-5 loss to the Nittany Lions. Truscott finished the night a minus-2 with three shots on goal and a blocked shot.
Truscott, 18, has one goal, two assists and a plus-4 rating in eight games in his first NCAA season.
JACKSON KUNZ
With COVID-19 ravaging the Green Bay Gamblers' locker-room, Kunz had some off-time this past week and caught up with Mike Patron and Ryan Haze of the I Only Touch Greatness podcast for a wide-ranging interview.
The big, burly forward, taken by the Canucks in the fourth round in October's NHL draft, talked about how his season is going in the USHL and what he needs to work on going forward.
“I'm pretty happy with it,” said Kunz, a six-foot-three, 209-pounder. “I've scored a few goals, got a couple of assists and our team's doing really well.”
Kunz has three goals and two assists and a plus-3 rating in six USHL games so far this season.
Though he didn't contract COVID-19 himself, around half of his team did this past week, forcing the cancellation of a pair of games against the U.S. development team.
The 18-year-old (who carries himself like he's pushing 30) describes himself as a “big-game power forward” and sees his shot and skills around the net as his strengths. But with all that size to lug around, he's been hard at work on his skating.
“The one thing I'm trying to get better is my speed, my pace of play — keeping up a little bit more.”
Kunz, from Grand Forks, N.D., was the second youngest player ever to commit to N.D.'s program when he signed a letter of intent at 14 years old. He's one season away from realizing his childhood dream to suit up for the Fighting Hawks, where Canucks star Brock Boeser and former Canuck Troy Stecher made names for themselves winning national championships.
And you wonder why Kunz is a Canucks fan.
Boeser actually took to Twitter the day after the draft to congratulate the Canucks' prospect.
Asked what drives him every morning he gets up, Kunz didn't mince words.
“College hockey and obviously the Canucks. I want to be a pro in the end and I know that each and every day, so I work my hardest.”
JONI JURMO
A double-whammy this past week for Jurmo, whose season in Finland was suspended due to a COVID-19 outbreak while being left off Team Finland's world junior camp invitation list.
The omission from the camp roster came as a surprise to some hockey pundits, who had the Canucks' 2020 third-rounder pencilled in to make it. Some even believe Jurmo could have played top-four minutes for the Finnish team.
The silver lining is that Jurmo, who is 18 years old, will still be eligible for next year's tournament.
The smooth skating six-footfour, 198-pound, left-shot D-man has no points and a minus-8 rating in 16 games for JYP of the Finnish Liiga this season.
VIKTOR PERSSON
Some big news this past week for the 2020 seventh-round NHL pick who was selected as one of 12 defencemen to attend Team Sweden's world junior camp, which started Sunday.
Persson, a six- foot- two, 190-pound, right-shot blue-liner is in the mix for the sixth or seventh defensive spot, Sweden's head coach, Tomas Monten, told TSN's Rick Dhaliwal on Thursday.
Monten likes the 19-year-old's two-way play and ability to kill penalties.
Earlier in the week, Persson told Postmedia News' Patrick Johnston what it meant to him to get the camp invitation.
“Excitement, but a little bit nervous, it's a big deal. It's something I've always dreamed about,” he said. “Everybody watches the junior.”
Persson, who likes to play physically as well as join the rush, still plans on joining the Kamloops Blazers in the new year when the WHL starts its season. Until then, the big Swede will look to further his career by making Sweden's final world juniors roster. Persson has five goals, four assists and a plus-12 rating in 16 games for the Brynas IF U-20 team.