Vancouver Canucks: Do They Have Something in William Lockwood?

Do not let William Lockwood’s average numbers in his first year of NCAA hockey fool you, the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect could be something special.

Fans obsess over prospects in every NHL market. When the prospect fails to meet expectations, heartbreak is usually the result; but if they succeed, you feel like a genius. Now, no one should be going all in on the Vancouver Canucks third-rounder just yet.

Instead, simply keep your eyes open, this could be Lockwood’s first major breakout season.

More than Meets the Eye

Several Canucks media outlets have Lockwood between eight and fifteen in their top Vancouver prospects rankings. Our team at TheCanuckWay have him at twelve, while others such as the Province pencil him at nine.

Regardless, the Canucks needs to hit on a couple mid-round draft picks, and Lockwood fits the mold of a serviceable NHL player. What is most impressive about Lockwood’s statistics in his junior year at the University of Michigan is where he ranked among team scoring: second!

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Not only that, but with one more point Lockwood would have tied Michigan’s points leader Jake Slaker. Sure, 21 points in 35 games is nothing to marvel about at the Division 1. level; however, take this into consideration:

In the Big Ten division, Michigan finished second last. Their offense predominately came from one sniper up-front and their defencemen. Despite the lack of talent on the team – GF-GA of 92-111 – The Canucks prospect was injured late in the season, played only 30 games, and is 18-years-old!

Overview

Contrary to what our own David Joun mentioned in The Canuck Way’s Prospect Rankings, Lockwood seems to be more of a complete player than he gets credit for. There are parts of his game that – if developed properly by Michigan and the Vancouver Canucks – can be dangerous in today’s NHL .

First and foremost go look at his skating. Lockwood is compared to former Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen in regards to his skating – also his shot. Sure, Lockwood and Hansen can quickly accelerate and skate at high speeds. But Lockwood is way more dynamic.

Watch Pavel Datsyuk film, and as hard as it may be, tune out his magic hands and focus on his skating. Now watch Lockwood with the same criteria in mind (skating over stick-work):

The way Lockwood cuts the ice, and how he moves fluidly through and around players drew comparisons to a player like Datsyuk. By no means does his scoring ability or hockey sense match that of the Russian native and future hall of famer; yet his hands shouldn’t be a knock on Lockwood either as many Canuck fans suggest.

Lockwood is not the type of player to be put in a role that runs offense or lifts fans out of their seats. He is a two-way winger who right now does most things well offensively. Lockwood has a good shot, and excels at setting up his teammates in deep.

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Lockwood also plays hard. Not only does he love to hit, he can put away rebounds and garbage goals while rushing the net or holding his own in front it. A player who plays at a pace so high they try run guys who are twice their size is promising.

Though Lockwood’s talent level is not that of an Elias Pettersson, having a young two-way-player with offensive upside and speed in the prospect pool should spark interest in Vancouver Canucks fans. He could be something special.

Like that one player the franchise just signed…what was his name? Bo Horvat?

Need More as a Sophomore

So, having just praised Lockwood in the last 500 words or so, it goes without saying that the Canucks prospect needs to improve his game. Lockwood has various tools, but he needs to make quicker decisions when distributing the puck and making passes while on the rush.

Obviously getting stronger and putting on weight is critical if Lockwood is going to continue to play his physical game. However, in NCAA hockey so much time goes into training between games. Thus, Lockwood should be fine by the time he gets an invite to Canucks training camp.

Moving Forward

Overall, Lockwood is not a grade A prospect for the Vancouver Canucks. Rebuilding NHL teams however need players like him as part of their foundation. Lockwood may take time, and he might not even pan out. But right now he is worth following.

Next: Vancouver Canucks re-sign Bo Horvat, what it means

He is a speedy, hard-nose player who always skates with urgency, and can create time and space for his teammates with ease. Go Michigan!

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