Canucks: A deep dive on forward prospect Will Lockwood

Vancouver Canucks prospect Will Lockwood could turn out to be the gritty two-way player that the team’s bottom-six desperately needs.

Will Lockwood was recently signed by the Vancouver Canucks on a two-year deal after finishing his final year in the NCAA with Michigan, where he put up 23 points in 33 games.

While the numbers don’t look too good considering the year before he had 31 points, I believe he will be an effective bottom-six player for the Canucks organization in just a few years.

Lockwood’s overall game has been fairly consistent over the past two years. A key reason for his production dropping may be due to losing several linemates from the year before. The first of three things that stick out for me in what Lockwood could bring to the table is his speed. He can be effective at backchecking without the puck and is equally able to skate the puck up from his end.

The second thing is his forechecking ability. Lockwood uses his speed to force his opponents to react quickly or uses his ability to read the play to intercept a pass. But the thing most noticeable about Lockwood is his physicality.

Lockwood is listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, but he hits bigger than his size and will punish his opponent in all three zones. He’s gotten better at picking his spots to hit after having multiple injuries to his shoulder in his first two college seasons.

While those are the things that stand out, I took a closer look at what he does especially well. And maybe more importantly, what he could work on in each area of the ice.

Defensive zone

This might be his strongest area. Lockwood is rarely caught out of position and for the most part, is standing between the two faceoff circles holding opponents at bay or using his ability to read plays to intercept passes.

As mentioned above when coming back from the offensive zone, Lockwood uses his speed to backcheck opponents or to put himself in a good position to block passing lanes and shots.

He is also effective in knocking his opponents off the puck with a body check while gaining possession of the puck. Lockwood is also sometimes used as a third pairing forward on the penalty kill, where he’s been very productive.

Lockwood is more effective in his end without the puck. When he has it, Lockwood still makes mistakes from time to time by trying to get away with low percentage passes that are often picked off. The other thing he will need to work on is moving the puck up quicker. While he does have the ability to skate out, he sometimes gets caught on the boards by waiting too long to make a play.

Neutral zone  

Lockwood is productive in the neutral zone when he is the first man back by picking off long passes, using his body to rub opponents out on the boards, or using his poke check effectively. This is also where I see his most underrated skill, his dangling. While he is no Pavel Datsyuk, Lockwood is capable of weaving through a few defenders to enter the offensive zone.

Another part of Lockwood’s game that stands out? He isn’t afraid to take a hit to make a play, which is his double edge sword.

While sometimes he can get a pass or a dump-in off effectively, it is also just as likely to lead to a turnover. The only other thing I noticed in this zone is he doesn’t always get the puck in deep enough.

With his size and speed, it could be beneficial for Lockwood to do a dump-and-chase especially for how effective he is on the forecheck.

Offensive zone

The offensive zone is where you can see him use all the things that make him stand out effectively. Lockwood uses his speed to close in on opponents, causing them to have to react and will still manage to make them pay with a hit for getting close to the puck.

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Lockwood will spend a lot of his time in the offensive zone hovering between the faceoff dots, and he likes to be set up with a one-timer. Lockwood also has a decent wrist shot, but his shooting ability is not exactly a highlight.

One of the first things I noticed about Lockwood? He can pick up when a defenceman is going to pinch, so Lockwood often covers the point to prevent any odd man rushes.

His ability to read plays proves effective when covering, he and can often keep the puck in the zone when opponents try to clear.

Lockwood sees plenty of time on the first power play unit, where he displays have the hand-eye coordination to deflect pucks heading to the net. I don’t believe he will have the same opportunity in Utica at the beginning, but Lockwood could find a spot on the second unit eventually.

Like the other two zones, Lockwood’s biggest problem is holding on to the puck for too long or trying one too many moves to get around opponents. He also tries to many low percentage passes, attempting to feed a teammate for a backdoor tap-in.

Like every prospect, Lockwood has strong parts in his game and several things that need to be improved on. But what is his potential ceiling? When I asked Cam Robinson, the managing editor for Dobber Prospects, this is what he had to say.

At this stage, the injuries could end up costing Lockwood over the long run. But I do hope that he will be able to make progress in Utica next year, and that he’ll eventually play his way onto the Canucks.