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Vancouver Canucks Prospects Playoffs Watch Week 1

By David Joun

Apr 10, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston College Eagles goalie Thatcher Demko (30) makes a save against the Union Dutchmen during the second period in the semifinals of the Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston College Eagles goalie Thatcher Demko (30) makes a save against the Union Dutchmen during the second period in the semifinals of the Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; A detail view of practice pucks on the boards prior to a game between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

The WHL and the OHL

There is only one Canuck prospect left in the WHL. Jim Benning did express some interest in drafting current Vancouver Giant Ty Ronning, however. Wonder if there is a shift away from the OHL and the WHL to drafting more profoundly from the American and European pools of prospects.

D Tate Olson (Prince George Cougars)

If there is a steal with the second-last pick of the entire NHL draft, Tate Olson is it. The defenceman has made surges in his play, enough to crack the top 10 in our Canucks prospects rankings.

The 6-foot-3 defenceman now has 47 points in 64 games this year with the Prince George Cougars. Note that this number is more than double the production from last year, one in which he recorded 24 points in 68 games. This is great for the Canucks. Although seventh-round prospects are drafted last for a reason, the fact that Olson has now leapt from his draft-1 year shows how much work he has gotten done before this season.

RELATED: Tate Olson an Enormous Steal

And of course, a 6-foot-3 frame is not an easy one to fill. Perhaps the adage that larger players need more time to kinesthetically associate better with their bodies is true for Olson.

Thanks to this outspurt of production from Olson, the Cougars have clinched a playoff spot already. They have two games remaining this season. As they enter postseason play as a wildcard team, they are going to play the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first round of the playoffs.

C Kyle Pettit (Erie Otters)

So after producing star Connor McDavid, didn’t everyone see this coming? The Otters were going to head for the bottom of the standings, weren’t they?

Well, Kyle Pettit, the sixth-round selection in the 2014 draft, is going to play in the playoffs thanks to his team. Despite Pettit’s 20-point production in 55 games this season, the Otters are the top team in the OHL once again with 101 points to date. The Otters have three games remaining in the regular season.

Otherwise, Pettit seems like a lost cause for Vancouver. Pettit is the only OHL prospect that the Canucks can boast this season. The next slide, though, shows where all the prospects are now coming from. Who saw this coming?

Next: The QMJHL

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