Canucks prospects of week 12: Juolevi, MacEwen and Costmar

Each week, I will be featuring the Vancouver Canucks top three prospects. Here’s a look at who stood out in week 12.

This past week saw one Canucks prospect overcome recent adversity while another recorded his first NHL goal. Although it may not have been an exceptional week in terms of overall production, it had a magnitude of importance to the franchise. It also allowed Canucks Nation to exhale collectively.

1. Olli Juolevi

Recent concerns over the health of star prospect Olli Juolevi had many Canucks fans questioning the future of the young defender. However, some anguish may have been laid to rest upon his recent return to the Utica Comets lineup.

Juolevi would make an immediate impact upon reinstatement, as he provided the primary assist on a second-period powerplay goal. Juolevi fed Jonah Gadjovich a perfect pass, which allowed him to unleash a one-timer. The howitzer would tie the game 2-2.

Not only was Juolevi prominent offensively, but he blocked three first-period shots while the Comets were a man short. Unfortunately, the Comets would come up short, losing 5-4 in a shootout to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Canucks had been quite hushed regarding the injury status of Juolevi. However, they did state upon his recovery that he had received treatment for a hip ailment. Before his removal from the lineup, I had concerns over his skating and overall mobility. Perhaps the hip had been bothering him for an extended period. Upon watching this game, I felt that he appeared to be moving more freely, and his skating seemed not to be an issue.

One night later, Juolevi factored in the scoring once again. The first goal for the Comets came on the powerplay. Juolevi feathered a pass to Reid Boucher, and his point shot was tipped in by Justin Bailey. With time ticking down in the third period, Juolevi dished the puck to Boucher for the game-tying goal, forcing the game to overtime. The Comets ultimately would lose yet again in the shootout, falling 3-2 to the Providence Bruins.

2. Zack MacEwen

Despite his stay at the NHL level that was shorter than he’d have liked, it was a week that Zack MacEwen would never forget. Scoring his first NHL goal against former Canuck Anders Nilsson is a feat that he will forever remember. In his brief stint with the Canucks, MacEwen gave the Canucks faithful a glimpse of what the future holds. “The Big Fella” provided energy and physicality in addition to the offence he provided.

I found it fitting that his first goal came on a night where the Canucks were paying tribute to Alex Burrows. Neither player was drafted, and both were considered longshots ever to play a game in the National Hockey League. Hard work and perseverance are exemplified by the two.

3. Arvid Costmar

Swedish forward Arvid Costmar continued to light the lamp this past week. Costmar had seven points in three games and has now registered 13 points in his last six SuperElit contests. He is currently on a seven-game points streak. Despite his determined play of late, Costmar did not make the Team Sweden camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Championship.

Be sure to come back next week to see which exciting young players are featured in the Canucks prospects of the week.