Vancouver Canucks’ GM Jim Benning: Calder-finalist whisperer

Calder challengers point predictions

Considering team opportunities and player histories, and if things go well for these kids, the following list shows my point projections for the potential NHL rookie class of 2019-20.

Stats, vitals and depth projections have mostly been data mined from EliteProspects.com, while player opportunity projections have been estimated considering DailyFaceoff.com line combinations and player values, and various other sources.

1) Kaapo Kakko, LHW 18y 6’2″ 190 lbs NYR #2 FIN – Can he stick as a permanent fixture on NYR’s top line with play-making winger Artemi Panarin and power forward Mika Zibanejad, or will it take him time to climb up the line? Full NHL season playing sheltered second-line minutes with more offensive zone starts and first-unit powerplay time ~70p

2) Jack Hughes, LHC 18y 5’10” 170 lbs NJD #1 USA – Will his small size expose him to injury or lack durability down the stretch? Will Wayne Simmonds be enough to keep him safe? Will this phenomenal talent stick as a permanent fixture as the top-line creative centre feeding elite triggerman Taylor Hall? NJ Devils are not particularly tough and he may not be so lucky to last a full NHL season ~70p

3) Cale Makar, RHD 20y 5’11” 187 lbs COL #4 CAN – Will he get first- or second-unit power playtime? Erik Johnson is the first-pairing, right-handed defender but he may be sidelined due to shoulder surgery, which could mean Makar gets first-pairing minutes; is he sturdy enough to handle the big minutes? If not playing with the top-line forwards then his linemates will lack talent; full NHL season as a protected, second-pairing offensive defenceman ~50p

4) Quinn Hughes, LHD 19y 5’10” 170 lbs VAN #7 USA – Will Coach Green slowplay the kid as he tends to do with rookies? Will Quinn outshine his brother Jack somehow at the NHL all-star competition and earn a few more popular votes? Will his small frame expose him to injury or lack durability down the stretch? Will Benning’s offseason free-agent additions keep Quinn safe? Will Edler go down in training camp and push Hughes to the top pairing? Will Quinn’s creativity and skating set him apart multiplied by Pettersson, Brock and Ferland having successful years? Do the Canucks finally turn it around and play winning hockey? Full NHL season as a second-pairing defenceman playing protected minutes with more offensive zone starts and powerplay time ~50p

5) Filip Zadina, LHW 19y 6’0″ 196 lbs DET #6 CZE – Will he start the season on the second line? Could it be a breakout year for the goalscorer? Detroit needs a more creative second-line centre to play with him; full NHL season as a second-line winger with powerplay time ~50p

6) Cody Glass, RHC 20y 6’2″ 185 lbs VEG #6 CAN – Will the Vegas cap crunch result in a trade that opens up a spot for the play-making, right-shot centre? Maybe he can even crack the top six. Full NHL season as a second-liner ~50p

7) Nick Suzuki, RHC 20y 5’11” 183 lbs MON #13 CAN – Will he make the big club outta training camp, or does he need to stew in the AHL? Seems too far down the depth chart and too light-bodied to break in at centre; full NHL season playing second-line minutes in a protected role as a creative winger with more offensive-zone starts and second-unit powerplay ~45

8) Drake Batherson, RHF 21y 6’1″ 187 lbs OTT #121 CAN/USA – Will he hold onto a top-line NHL assignment? Probably but the Sens lack a talented centre for anyone to play with; full NHL season as a top-line winger ~45p

9) Owen Tippett, RHW 20y 6’1″ 216 lbs FLR #10 CAN – Will he earn a spot in the middle-six out of training camp, is more AHL time needed, or will he be flipped for more immediate help and land somewhere else? Full NHL season as a middle-six, goal-scoring winger ~40p

10) Thatcher Demko, G 23y 6’4″ 192 lbs VAN #36 USA – He’s eligible because he hasn’t played more than six games in two or more seasons, nor 25 games total; he played one game in 2018, and nine in 2019; if Markstrom goes down then Thatcher will get a chance to go on a Binnington-like run; full NHL season as backup goaltender ~30 games at 2.55/.920

11) Taro Hirose, LHW 23y 5’10” 161 lbs DET #- CAN – He’s an older, undrafted kid; showed well in his short cameo last season, got a lot of assists; Full NHL season as a middle-six playmaking winger ~40p

12) Bowen Byram, LHD 18y 6’0″ 194 lbs COL #4 CAN – He most likely needs another year of junior before going pro, but he could earn an NHL spot out of training camp; with key defenders still out due to injury, will the Avs need Byram’s skill for the start the season? He has NHL-size to go the distance, mobility to play with the high octane Av forwards, and probably will get at least 9 NHL games this season; he could play second-unit power play; full NHL season as a sheltered third-pairing, offensive defender ~30p

13) Olli Juolevi, LHD 21y 6’3″ 198 lbs VAN #5 FIN – He projects to be an injury call up out of camp playing behind Edler, Quinn and Benn; when Edler goes down in training camp for body-part replacement surgery, expect Juolevi to get his opportunity to earn a spot; injury is as injury does, and if the light-bodied Hughes goes down, the gold-medal-winning Juolevi could be the benefactor with a breakout season of his own; the 21-year-old Juolevi has one-and-a-half years on Quinn, and the NHL size that lends itself to a long season, and while he’s had a couple of time-consuming injuries there doesn’t appear to be any long term health concerns; full NHL season as a bottom-four, play-making defender ~30p

14) Martin Necas, RHF 20y 6’2″ 190 lbs CAR #12 CZE – A dark horse who looks to be in contention for third-line minutes protected with offensive-zone starts; full NHL season as a play-making forward ~35p

15) Victor Olofsson, LHW 23y 5’11” 172 lbs BUF #181 SWE – Will he make it as a third-line winger or better? The Calder is a young man’s game these days, as in the last 14 years only one person over the age of 20 has won the Calder trophy, will Victor defy those odds as an overager? He scores goals and the Sabres need goals; Full NHL season as a goal-scoring winger in the top nine ~35p

16) Igor Shestyorkin, LHG 23y 6’1″ 183 lbs NYR #118 RUS – The Rangers will need a replacement for the ageing Lundqvist eventually, though they still have to pay his $8.5m contract for a couple of more years, and sophomore Georgiyev is already there as a capable 1b option; Shestyorkin was unreal last season in the KHL but probably starts next season in the AHL; he has the talent to steal the show if called up to cover for eventual injury; full NHL season as a backup goalie ~2.75 / .915

17) Erik Brännström, LHD 19y 5’10” 181 lbs OTT #15 SWE – Will he get second-pairing minutes on a tire fire? Full NHL season as a top-4 d-man ~25p

18) Kirby Dach, RHC 18y 6’4″ 198 lbs CHI #3 CAN – Will he make it out of training camp as a bottom-six centre, or will he head back to junior? Full season as a bottom-six centre ~30p

19) Maxime Comtois, LHW 20y 6’2″ 207 lbs ANA #50 CAN – Will the goalscorer make the NHL roster and play second-line minutes? Full NHL season as a middle-six winger ~30p

20) Adam Fox, RHD 21y 5’11” 181 lbs NYR #66 USA – NYR have some big contracts on defence, so Fox may struggle to crack the top-4; full NHL season as bottom-pairing d ~20p

There you have it folks, Jim Benning has been a bit of a Calder finalist whisperer as of late, and I believe that although it won’t be easy, Quinn Hughes has a serious chance to at the very least be a top-three finalist.