Canucks prospects of week 8: Rathbone, Hoglander and Plasek

Each week I will be featuring the Vancouver Canucks top three prospects of the week. Along with any other notable performances, should there be any that deserve mentioning?

What started as a quiet week for prospects of the Vancouver Canucks, ended with a flurry of remarkable achievements. A defenceman with a career-high game for points at the collegiate level and yet another with his first professional goal. Meanwhile, two European prospects turned in outstanding performances for their countries at the U20 Four Nations tournament.

1. Jack Rathbone

Sophomore defenceman Jack Rathbone has had a sensational start to his season. He followed up last week’s performance with a career-high three assists game. Of which, two were exceptionally long tape-to-tape stretch passes.

The first of which came in the dying seconds of what had been a scoreless game until late in the first period. Rathbone passed the puck from deep in the defensive zone to teammate Nick Abruzzese, sending him in alone to make it 1-0 at 19:55 of the opening frame.

He echoed that effort with a similar pass in the second period, sending Henry Bowlby in on a breakaway, making it 2-0 for Harvard. His third assist was less dramatic but still a terrific play, as he started the breakout that resulted in the final goal. A more in-depth recap of the game with video highlights is available here. Harvard would end up blanking Princeton 3-0.

Following that performance, Rathbone would score a goal in a 7-2 thrashing of conference rival Quinnipiac. The broadcast announcer and commentator were continually raving about the complete game that Rathbone brings to the table, and felt that his fourth-round selection by the Canucks is looking like an absolute steal.

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2. Nils Hoglander

In the opening game of the U20 Four Nations tournament on Friday, Nils Hoglander went pointless in a 2-1 victory for Sweden over the Czech Republic.

However, on Saturday, it was quite a different story. Hoglander would provide the primary assist on the games opening goal versus Russia.

Then with the game tied in the second period, Hoglander would notch a pair of goals. The first coming when he got behind the Russian defence and went to the backhand and put it over the sprawled netminder.

On his second goal, he would provide the finishing touch on a superb passing play to put Sweden up by a pair. They would go on to down the Russian squad 6-1. Hoglander was named player of the game for Sweden.

3. Karel Plasek Jr.

Forward Karel Plasek Jr. has contributed to each of the three goals that the Czech Republic have scored in their first two games at the U20 Four Nations tournament. Firstly, in the 2-1 loss to Sweden, he scored the lone goal, snapping home a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. He followed that game up by assisting on both goals in a 2-1 overtime victory over Finland. Both assists came while on the power play.

Honourable mentions

A pair of Comets deserve mentioning. Mitch Eliot would score his first professional goal in a 2-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night. The goal came with the man advantage. He would also add an assist in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory versus the Binghamton Devils. Michael DiPietro stopped 57 of 61 shots in those two games for a .934 save percentage.

Likewise, a pair of Northeastern Huskies were instrumental in their 3-1 victory over Merrimack on Saturday night. Aidan McDonough potted a pair of goals, while Tyler Madden had one goal and two assists. Both players were held off the scoresheet in their Friday night contest, which ended in a 1-1 draw versus Merrimack as well.

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The Flint Firebirds won both of their weekend contests and Canucks prospect Ethan Keppen had a hand in both. Friday night, he would add the insurance marker in a 5-3 come-from-behind victory versus the Mississauga Steelheads. While Saturday, he would provide the game-winning goal in a 3-2 edging of the Soo Greyhounds.

The Canucks prospects continue to have impressive showings. Be sure to come back next week to see which of their outstanding young players rise to the top.