Vancouver Canucks prospects of week 9: Manukyan, DiPietro, Rathbone

This week is rather interesting. We have a new contender at the top of the defenceman leaderboards in the Vancouver Canucks prospect pool. Also, we get to see a pair of familiar faces back in the top three.

We may be living in the Twilight Zone. The Vancouver Canucks are winning, holding down second in the Pacific division with the Calgary Flames ahead and Edmonton Oilers right behind. Show of hands. Who saw that coming at the start of the season? Put those down you liars.

Despite better judgment, it appears Elias Pettersson will help the Canucks make the playoffs…in November. Still a lot of hockey left, so I don’t think Team Tank will hold our collective breaths until we see this team stay in the same spot after New Year’s.

Like I said, Twilight Zone. Quinn Hughes has been dethroned (for this week). He did not make the top three, only collecting a goal in a pair of games last weekend. His teammate, Will Lockwood fared better, picking up three assists.

The Utica Comets played a pair of games in Laval, winning 3-1 and dropping an overtime decision 2-1. Zack MacEwen, Jonathan Dahlèn and Michael Carcone all had a goal each, with Dahlèn named the first star in their win. Olli Juolevi was quiet as there isn’t much to say when he doesn’t hit the scoresheet. The points so far are nice, even if he has been leaning so hard on the power play. Utica plays Laval once more on Wednesday, Hartford on Friday and Binghamton on Saturday. With all that tidied up, let’s move to our top three prospects of the week!