Podkolzin finds ice time in lower league
Canucks 18-year-old prospect scores first goal after being sent down to Russia’s second tier
It’s the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ highest-profile prospects:
VASILI PODKOLZIN
He’s a prime time talent getting graveyard slotting.
Averaging under five minutes of ice time per game with SKA St. Petersburg, something had to give for the Canucks’ 2019 first-rounder.
The gifted 18-year-old couldn’t rot away on the bench any longer, going scoreless night after night and rarely seeing any impactful minutes. So the KHL club has appeared to do what Canucks fans were hoping for. Podkolzin has been sent down to SKA-Neva St. Petersburg — and scored his first for the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) squad this past week.
Podkolzin’s goal came in Wednesday’s 6-1 win at Izhstal Izhevsk. It came on the power play as he received a pass at the top of the left faceoff circle, took a couple of strides toward the net and wired a wrist shot that beat the goaltender to the glove side.
The young Russian is in better hands at this level. He’s seeing top-line minutes, has been inserted into the first power play unit and has the opportunity to hone every facet of his strong 200-foot game. Plus, he’s still playing against men professionally.
This isn’t to say Podkolzin won’t get recalled back to the parent KHL club. This is Russia, after all, where young hockey players are bounced up and down between levels at the whim of team management with little concern for the player’s development.
What’s different time around, though, is that Podkolzin has played in four straight VHL games and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
The KHL club also just signed forward Anton Burdasov, who returned to Russia after a tryout with the Edmonton Oilers, so that leaves one less roster spot for the Canucks hopeful.
At this level, Podkolzin can continue to develop his multi-faceted game, wrecking oncoming forwards, breaking up plays and going on the attack, distributing pucks and rushing it to the net.
Podkolzin has one goal and one assist in five VHL games this season and is a plus-one.
KOLE LIND
Last season may not have been a lost one for Lind after all.
The Utica Comets forward struggled in his rookie AHL campaign. Picked in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, big things were expected of Lind, who lit up the WHL with 224 points in 204 games for the Kelowna Rockets.
But the learning curve was steep for the skilled 20-yearold Saskatchewan native, whose offensive game took a nosedive as he had trouble navigating the rough-andtumble professional waters. In 51 games with the Utica Comets last season, Lind only had five goals and 12 assists.
There were also questions about his deployment, but not on opening night this time around with the Comets. Lind was given first-line minutes on Saturday, a 4-3 win at Binghamton in which the Canucks prospect assisted on three goals and was plusthree.
Lind’s first assist came after a great stretch pass from defenceman Olli Juolevi. Taking the pass at the Devils’ blue-line, Lind skated in and dished the puck to a streaking Carter Camper, who squeezed a shot through the goaltender.
Lind’s second assist was a thing of beauty. He took a pass with a clear lane to the goalie, drew both defenders toward him before curling a back pass across the net to Reid Boucher, who scored into the gaping goal.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound winger is playing with confidence and determination. He’s learned the hard lessons from a year ago, and appears to have recalibrated his game to suit his surroundings.
His third assist was the result of some hard work along the boards, digging the puck out to Boucher, who found defenceman Guillaume Brisebois in the slot for the game-winner.
In one game, Lind already has a quarter of the assists he tallied all of last season. He was named the game’s second star for his efforts.
NILS HOGLANDER
Not like that, Nils.
One of Nils Hoglander’s endearing qualities is his willingness to muck it up with the opposition, despite his 5-foot-9 stature. But the Rogle BK forward took it a tad too far this past week in Swedish Hockey League action.
With the puck on his stick while facing the boards, Hoglander sensed an oncoming Lulea forechecker and spun around with a nasty elbow.
The result was a woozy opponent lying on his back and a major penalty and game misconduct for the Canucks’ highly skilled 2019 second-rounder.
To make matters worse, Hoglander was slapped with a five-game suspension.
The 18-year-old Swede had enjoyed a nice start to the season, scoring twice and adding an assist in seven games played.
JETT WOO
We have liftoff.
It took a little extra runway for Jett Woo, but the Canucks’ 2018 second-rounder scored his first goal of the season for the Calgary Hitmen in a 5-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks in WHL action on Sunday.
With the score tied 1-1 in the second period, Woo streaked to the net, took a pass and patiently went to his backhand to tuck the puck through the Winterhawks goalie.
It was an impressive 5-on-5 goal for the tough six-foot, 205-pound defenceman, who usually pounds them in from the point on the power play.
Woo, 19, also had a power play assist and was named the game’s second star for his two-point performance. He has one goal and two assists in five games played this season. He is a minus-one overall.
NIKITA TRYAMKIN
The Big Friendly Giant continues to stand tall ahead of what could be a return to the Canucks next season.
Tryamkin led all Avtomobolist defencemen in ice time in a 4-1 win over Lokomotiv on Tuesday, compiling 22:39 hard minutes while adding a shot on goal and two blocked shots in 28 shifts.
A few nights later, the Canucks’ 2014 third-rounder also ate up big minutes in a 4-1 loss to Dynamo. He logged just under 20 minutes and had two shots on net.
Clips out of Russia show the 6-foot-8 behemoth displaying good vision from the back end, linking up with forwards through long stretch passes.
Tryamkin also goes on forays into the offensive zone, beelining it to the top of the crease on dump-ins and hustling back to quell the next rush.
His game appears dynamic enough to offer another option for the Canucks’ blueline next season: a destabilizing defensive presence coupled with some playmaking abilities.
Tryamkin, 25, has two assists in 14 KHL games with a plus-two rating. He also has 23 hits on the campaign.
WILL LOCKWOOD
The Michigan Wolverines have yet to suit up for the upcoming NCAA hockey season, but their fortunes largely rest on the shoulders of their 100th captain in team history.
Lockwood, who will be returning to the team for his senior season, is aiming to rectify what was a disappointing 13-16-7 campaign — even with Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes in the lineup.
“(Lockwood) wanted to come back for a reason,” head coach Mel Pearson told The Michigan Daily last month. “With a purpose in mind, not just to come back, but come back with a purpose of, No. 1, making sure he’s more ready than he was last year to go pro. And then obviously to finish his degree. And then No. 3 is to help us to get back to where we need to go.”
The Canucks were on board with Lockwood’s decision to stay in college. Instead of coming to Canucks camp, Lockwood stuck around campus to practice and gel with his Wolverines teammates.
The 21-year-old Michigan product is an intriguing mix of skill and tenacity. He had 16 goals and 15 assists in 36 games last season, one year removed from a serious shoulder injury that cut his sophomore season short.
In an exhibition game on Sunday against Windsor, the Canucks’ 2016 third-rounder scored a power-play goal and had three shots on net en route to an 8-2 win.
Michigan starts its season Saturday against Clarkson.