Vancouver Canucks top prospects of Week 5: Gaudette, Lind and Dahlen

Multi-goal performances are becoming the weekly norm for this year’s Vancouver Canucks prospects.

The Vancouver Canucks have prospects playing in a dozen different leagues spread out over six different countries this year. That means more big-stage, international opportunities for Canucks fans to watch their prospects perform.

That was certainly the case this week, with the annual Canada-Russia junior series taking place and the Champions Hockey League competition starting its elimination round matchups.

Week five also saw a couple of Utica Comets get called up to the NHL. Forward Reid Boucher and netminder Thatcher Demko did not get into any game action but they practised with Vancouver.

While the two were with the big club, the Comets dropped two 5-2 decisions against the Charlotte Checkers with Richard Bachman in net both nights. Bachman is now 1-4-0 with a goals-against average of 3.96 and a .847 save percentage. That goes to show how good Demko has been in the AHL despite playing behind a defence that seems to give up four goals a night without him.

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On the offensive side of things, Nikolay Goldobin has 14 points in 12 games this year, good enough to be among the top ten leaders in AHL points. Scoring from the blueline is being led by Philip Hom who has nine points.

Meanwhile, Michael Carcone, Cole Cassels and Griffen Molino are all pointless so far. Jalen Chatfield still has no points to show for despite playing in eleven games. The biggest question mark may be on Jordan Subban, who has yet to score a goal in eight games and has just a single assist. Even that one assist was on the power play so that means Subban has generated nothing on five-on-five play.

I have not watched the Comets too closely this season, so I do not feel qualified to analyze why the points are not there for Subban and Chatfield, the two blueliners that many felt were the most offensively talented in Utica. Regardless of what the reason is, it isn’t looking too pretty for coach Trent Cull and his Utica Comets in the early goings. They are now 5-6-1 to start the year.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at this week’s top Canucks prospects.