Vancouver Canucks Top Prospects

A look at the Vancouver Canucks top prospects heading into the 2015-16 season. The write ups for the Canucks prospects are from mid-season, updating the progress of some of the Canucks top prospects.

Jake Virtanen: Right Wing - 6'1" / 208
Drafted: sixth overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2014

Virtanen was a surprise player to make the Canucks out of training camp along with fellow rookies Jared McCann and Ben Hutton. The trio were so impressive in training camp they forced their way onto the roster.

Since then Virtanen has hit some bumps in the road. In his 25 games in the NHL this season, he has only managed five points, and has become a regular healthy scratch. It is not conducive to a 19 year olds development to be a healthy scratch for as often as Virtanen has been.

In an effort to get his some playing time in a key role, the Canucks loaned him to Team Canada for the WJC where he was supposed to play a key role. His WJC performance was a disappointment, as he managed only one assist in five games, while drawing ten minutes in penalties, all of the bad variety and some were very costly.

Since his return from the WJC, he has one point in six games and has been scratched four times. In hind sight, he may have been better suited returning to junior for the season. He will become eligible to play in the AHL next season, allowing him more playing time at the pro level.

Thatcher Demko: Goalie - 6'4" / 192
Drafted: 36th overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2014

In his junior year with a stacked Boston College in the NCAA, Demko is posting super human stats with a 1.71 GAA and .936 save% and six shutouts in 22 games.

He is by far the top goalie in the NCAA ranks with a power house defence supporting him in Steve Santini, and Ian McCoshen.

Demko has one more year of NCAA eligibility remaining, but is playing well enough to turn pro.

Jordan Subban: Defence 5'9" / 175
Drafted: 115th overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2014

In his first pro year, Subban has seen his ice time increase as the season moves along. In part out of necessity as injuries have caused others to miss time, and forced call ups to Vancouver, but also because Subban has proven worthy of the opportunity.

His defensive game is, as expected, struggling. With most young offensive defencemen, you have to be prepared to take the good with the bad, and Head Coach Travis Green seems prepared to allow Subban to take his lumps and learn the hard way.

The upside is his offensive production, in the month of December Subban had four goals and six points in ten games. While he continues to be a work in progress, Subban is showing encouraging signs of progress during his AHL development.

Write-up by Peter Harling, on Twitter @PHarling

2015 Draft
1 23 Brock Boeser (R) - Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
3 66 Guillaume Brisebois (D) - Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
4 114 Dmitry Zhukenov (C) - Omsk Jrs. (Russia)
5 144 Carl Neill (D) - Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
5 149 Adam Gaudette (C) - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
6 174 Lukas Jasek (R) - Trinec Ocelari HC (Czech)
7 210 Tate Olson (D) - Prince George Cougars (WHL)

2014 Draft
1 6 Jake Virtanen (R) - Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
1 24 Jared McCann (C) - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2 36 Thatcher Demko (G) - Boston College (H-East)
3 66 Nikita Tryamkin (D) - Yekaterinburg Automobilist (KHL)
5 126 Gustav Forsling (D) - Linkoping (Sweden Jrs.)
6 156 Kyle Pettit (C) - Erie Otters (OHL)
7 186 Mackenze Stewart (D) - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

2013 Draft
1 9 Bo Horvat (C) - London Knights (OHL)
1 24 Hunter Shinkaruk (L) - Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
3 85 Cole Cassels (C) - Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4 115 Jordan Subban (D) - Belleville Bulls (OHL)
5 145 Anton Cederholm (D) - Rogle Jrs. (Sweden)
6 175 Mike Williamson (D) - Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
7 205 Miles Liberati (D) - London Knights (OHL)

Vancouver Canucks Top Prospects
Rk	My NHL Trade Rumors	The Hockey News	Corey Pronman ESPN	Hockey Prospectus	Hockey's Future	Dobber Prospects	NHL.com
1	J. Virtanen	J. Virtanen	J. Virtanen	J. McCann	J. Virtanen	J. Virtanen	J. Virtanen
2	J. McCann	T. Demko	B. Boeser	B. Boeser	J. McCann	J. McCann	J. McCann
3	C. Cassels	J. Markstrom	H. Shinkaruk	C. Cassels	C. Cassels	T. Demko	B. Boeser
4	B. Hutton	B. Boeser	J. McCann	J. Virtanen	T. Demko	H. Shinkaruk	C. Cassels
5	T. Demko	J. McCann	T. Demko	T. Demko	B. Boeser	N. Jensen	T. Demko
6	B. Boeser	S. Baertschi	F. Corrado	H. Shinkaruk	H. Shinkaruk	B. Gaunce
7	H. Shinkaruk	C. Cassels	C. Cassels	N. Jensen	F. Corrado	B. Boeser
8	B. Gaunce	H. Shinkaruk	J. Subban	F. Corrado	R. Kenins	C. Cassels
9	N. Jensen	F. Corrado (waived)	B. Gaunce	G. Brisebois	B. Gaunce	J. Subban
10	J. Subban	A. Clendening (traded)	G. Brisebois	J. Subban	N. Jensen	A. Pedan