Meet the strikers without recruiting and without signing in the field of the Canucks.
The guests are back.
There will be 36 prospects at the Vancouver Canucks development camp, which will run from Monday to Thursday at UBC this week. This includes five of the Canucks ’six 2022 draft picks: Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson (the youngest), Daimon Gardner, Ty Young and Jackson Dorrington, with seventh-round pick Kirill Kudryavtsev not listed.
Alongside the prospects that are already in the Canucks system, both old and new, there will be several players who are not part of anyone’s system. These players have been invited to participate in the camp and hope to make enough of an impression on the Canucks management to get an NHL contract in the future.
There will be 12 guests at this year’s development camp, though it includes five players who have already signed AHL contracts with the Abbotsford Canucks. Four of these guests are from the NCAA and it’s worth watching them closely, as Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin repeatedly stress the importance of delving into the signings of college free agents.
It’s a big change from previous years: even before the COVID-19 pandemic limited the possibility of bringing in outside players, the Canucks had brought a declining number of guests, with no guests at their potential camp before the 2019-20 season. .
Guests of the Canucks 2022 development camp
Forwards
- Marc Gatcomb – 22 – Right Wing – University of Connecticut, NCAA
- Jack Jensen – 21 – Left Wing – Arizona State, NCAA
- Ian Murphy – 23 – Far Right – Princeton, NCAA
- Max Namestnikov – 18 – Center – Sarnia Sting, OHL
- Tristen Nielsen – 22 – Center – Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
- Chase Wouters – 22 – Center – Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
Defense
- Jacob Bauer – 20 – Right Defender – Western Michigan, NCAA
- Alex Kannok Leipert – 21 – Right Defender – Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
- Chad Nychuk – 21 – Left Defender – Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL
- Quinn Schmienann – 20 – Defensive Left – Kamloops Blazers, WHL
The goalkeepers
- Brett Brochu – 19 – Goalkeeper – London Knights, OHL
- Samuel Richard – 21 – Porter – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL
These guests are some of the most intriguing players on the field, because each represents the potential to find an NHL player without spending any assets other than an entry-level contract.
It’s also an opportunity to establish a relationship with players that would be worth signing in the future, especially NCAA players, who could be spending several more years in college hockey. For example, Troy Stecher was invited to camp in 2014 and finally signed with the Canucks in 2016.
Could any of this year’s guests be the next Stecher? Let’s take a closer look, starting with the forwards. I will cover defenses and goalkeepers in a future article.
Marc Gatcomb – Far right
6’2 “- 194 pounds – July 22, 1999 (22) Woburn, MA, USA University of Connecticut, NCAA (36-8-13-21)
Marc Gatcomb is a great striker who can play any of the bands with a reputation for good defensive play. He signed a contract with the Abbotsford Canucks late last season, played in six AHL games and will seek to reach an agreement with the NHL.
Gatcomb scored 8 goals and 21 points in 36 games during his senior year, but it was his two-way physical game that caught his attention the most. With decent wheels for his size, Gatcomb can make big hits and is an expert at fighting along the boards.
It should be noted that Gatcomb made the most of his goal with the same force, with only a power play assist. Gatcomb actually has decent hands and can end up on the net.
Gatcomb didn’t score a point in his six-game audition in the AHL and was a good scratch in the playoffs, but he will have a chance to get a spot in the last six at Abbotsford next season.
Jack Jensen – Far left
6’2 “- 205 pounds – August 31, 2000 (21) Eden Prairie, MIN, USA Arizona State, NCAA (32-6-8-14)
At the age of 21, Jack Jensen was on the older side of first-year college students last season. The important winger had 6 goals and 14 points in 32 games with the Sun Devils in his first season in the NCAA.
Jensen’s combination of size and skating makes him an intriguing prospect despite his limited score, with the potential to play a role in the six bass.
“Jensen is a fantastic full skater,” says his Hockey Prospect exploration report from his draft year. “He has excellent explosiveness off the jump and is able to gain advantage over defenses almost at will.”
Size and speed have been the basis of many of the lower six forwards. Jensen was considered a good prospect before his draft year, even representing the U.S. team in the Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament. Maybe it helped that he played in a lineup with Casey Mittelstadt in high school.
Since then, Jensen has hesitated as a prospect, but there is still the possibility that his strong 200-foot play will take him to the next level, especially if he can find a role in special teams.
“His speed is a threat at the top of the penalty shootout, where he can read the play for breakouts and use his speed to lose records behind the power play,” says Hockey Prospects.
Ian Murphy – Right winger
5’11 “- 185 Pounds – April 6, 1999 (23) Braintree, MA, USA Princeton University, NCAA (25-9-10-19)
Already 23 years old, Ian Murphy will be one of the greatest players in the Canucks development field, but he has slowly but surely advanced into the world of hockey.
Murphy was a teammate with Canucks prospect Jack Rathbone at Dexter Southfield School for two years and retweets of Rathbone’s exploits are a common feature on Murphy’s Twitter page, so it’s understandable that he was interested in the Canucks. It’s what he’s done over the last few years that would have interested him in the Canucks.
A few years ago, Murphy was considering entering Division 3 college hockey because he could not attract the interest of a Division 1 school. Instead, he delayed entry into college hockey. instead playing at USHL for two years and earning a spot at Princeton University.
Unfortunately, his first season with Princeton was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was one of Princeton’s best players last season, scoring 19 points in 25 games, just behind Corey Andonovski. , who was later signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins. .
Going from not even forming an NCAA team to finishing second on an Ivy League roster by scoring to attend an NHL field is quite a journey for Murphy.
“Ian brings elite speed and a high level of skill to our team,” said Anthony Noreen, his former head coach at USHL. “He has been able to score, he has helped us drive the pace in the games and he has added character to our organization thanks to the way he has managed.”
Murphy played both sides of special equipment for Princeton, killing penalties with his speed and clever positioning, and playing the bumper in the power play. There is a bit of noise in your game and feel free to crash the net for rebounds.
Who knows, maybe one day he’ll be a Rathbone teammate again.
Max Namestnikov – Center
5’8 “- 174 lbs – February 6, 2004 (18) Royal Oak, MI, USA Sarnia Sting, OHL (68-16-24-40)
Unlike most other guests, Max Namestnikov was in his draft year last season. Namestnikov even landed in the final NHL Central Scouting standings, albeit in 211st place among American skaters.
The 18-year-old had a good season on Sarnia’s second line in the OHL, scoring 16 goals and 40 points in 68 games. This type of production would have earned him some consideration as a final choice had it not been for his 5’8 ”stature.
“He’s a player who likes to make quick passes between opponents and put his teammates in front of the net,” said Olivia McArter of FCHockey. “He has fast feet when he challenges his opponent, moves his feet with every move of the stick to make sure he stays with his man and shows his fast edges as he continues to the corner.”
In fact, Namestnikov has forward-pivot tendencies despite his small stature, fearless of playing with the body even with much older players, using his strength and low leverage to get opponents into march to win disc battles. He has fast feet and fast hands, which makes him dangerous in the transition and around the net.
Aside from his size, the other problem for Namestnikov was the lack of consistency. It could explode with striking offensive effort one night and then disappear for long periods. It doesn’t help that it lost a year of development when the OHL canceled the 2020-21 season.
Namestnikov is the younger brother of veteran NHL forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who is four inches taller than Max. Maybe there is a late growth on the way. Even if he doesn’t, Namestnikov could still become a dynamic prospect in the coming years.
Tristen Nielsen – Center
5’10 “- 192 pounds – February 23, 2000 (22) Fort St. John, BC, Canada Abbotsford Canucks, AHL (41-7-4-11)
Tristen Nielsen still qualifies as a guest even though he has already played for the Abbotsford Canucks for a season as he only has one contract with the AHL. Still, the players who have been with the Canucks for a year now are a little different from the other guests.
Nielsen played a somewhat limited role for the Canucks last season and was used primarily on the sidelines despite being a natural center. He has good speed, decent defensive play and can kill penalties, although he has not always been used in this role.
“For whatever reason, despite evidence of good walking speed, a nose for the net, the ability to kill penalties and a high work rate, Tristen Nielsen struggled to earn Trent Cull’s trust for keep a place in the Abbotsford lineup, ”he said …