The Vancouver Canucks have many prospects playing the underdog position.
The prospects are certainly not modelling after the Vancouver Canucks who now hit eight games without a win. The prospects are having a delightful postseason, fighting back as underdogs, dominating as tournament favourites, and racking up impressive stats.
However, the stakes are high and the competition, too. Elimination has struck the first of the Canucks prospects. More to come for sure. But for now, here is the Prospects Watch, the Playoff Edition #3, with the ups and downs of what it is like to be a Canucks prospect!
The ECHL
Hold on. Since when did we bother ourselves with the East Coast Hockey League? Isn’t that where the failing projects are, the overage late-rounders who cannot make the Utica Comets even as bench warmers?
Sure, what you want to say about the ECHL, but two good news came on the Canucks prospects front from the East Coast and the Kalamazoo Wings, the Canucks affiliate team.
Ludwig Blomstrand of the @KalamazooWings named @sherwoodhockey #ECHL Player of the Week | https://t.co/mUtSdmcarZ pic.twitter.com/s9L8SoCyCg
— ECHL (@ECHL) March 29, 2016
One of the few remaining prospects of the Mike Gillis era, left winger Ludwig Blomstrand was named the ECHL Player of the Week. Blomstrand is currently eighth in league scoring with 58 points in 65 games. The 23-year-old has recorded six goals and four assists in the past six games.
Though unlikely he gets a contract offer from GM Jim Benning after his current contract expires this summer, the lack of depth down the wing in the Utica Comets lineup may force the Comets to take Blomstrand in on an AHL contract.
He certainly does not sound like a “Benning” type of player according to this scouting report from Hockey’sFuture.com:
"Blomstrand should have a good shot at making the Comets in 2015-16 as the Canucks likely wouldn’t have re-signed him just to play in the ECHL. The Canucks management must see something in this player but at this point it appears that Blomstrand’s career ceiling is that of a minor league scorer. If a major breakthrough doesn’t occur this season it is likely Blomstrand may head back to Europe for a more lucrative deal in the future."
Alright with the ECHL out-of-the-way, let us continue to the NCAA, where the Frozen Four is set to go in Tampa Bay!
Next: The NCAA