There may be no prospects news to report on, but we can still count down the top five prospects in the Vancouver Canucks system.
I will keep this introduction brief. Prospects are the biggest selling point of the Vancouver Canucks organization. In four years of misery (I do lump that pathetic playoff effort in 2015 with all the losing), two players went from prospects to established pieces of the future core.
Not everyone on this list will necessarily be considered core pieces, but I think all five have the potential for lengthy NHL careers. One thing I want to clarify is my definition of a prospect. They have to be under 25 years of age and have no more than 25 NHL games in a single season. Seems simple, right? You wouldn’t believe how many people still consider Jake Virtanen a prospect, despite playing 140 career games in this league.
Without further ado, here are your top five Vancouver Canucks prospects.
No. 5 – Adam Gaudette (Centre)
This selection may be the only one on the list up for debate. However, I think Adam Gaudette deserves the fifth spot on this list. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, the Braintree, Massachusetts kid didn’t exactly amaze people in his draft year.
You had some scratching their heads picking a guy with 30 points in 50 USHL games. His freshman year at Northeastern University was fine, but with Brock Boeser making a splash in the NCHC, Canucks fans didn’t notice him as much.
Fast forward to this year and Adam Gaudette is putting his team on his back, leading the NCAA in scoring and securing the Hobey Baker Award for the most valuable player. Those were the most notable, but you should check out the other 10 NCAA awards he won this year on his EliteProspects page.
Don’t forget about the Beanpot tournament where he led Northeastern to their first local championship in 30 years. Gaudette also got the MVP for that tournament as well. As we move on to his NHL debut, Gaudette looked good in those five games.
He brought an element of skill to the bottom of the lineup that has been lacking for some time. Gaudette isn’t this surefire number one centre coming next season. However, I believe he can thrive in the middle six and find a place as a good third line pivot down the middle.
Although he was raised a Bruins fan (we forgive him for it), he has a new home in Vancouver. Well, possibly Utica depending on how the Canucks approach July 1st, but hopefully here. Regardless, he’s a welcomed addition to a group that is quite shallow down the middle.