Canucks Prospect Report: Which defender will crack the roster?
The Canucks Prospect Report is a new weekly segment on The Canuck Way, which will profile various prospects throughout their respective seasons.
To kick off this series, as a new contributor to this site, I’ll be assessing which Canuck hopefuls have the best chance to make the team this season. Tune in each and every Monday to see what’s happening.
As it stands, the Vancouver Canucks will have to rely on an influx of youth to complete their lineup.
There are two open spots on the backend, where Olli Juolevi, Jalen Chatfield, Brogan Rafferty, and Jack Rathbone are all options for the Vancouver Canucks. So, what are their chances to crack the roster?
Olli Juolevi
Juolevi’s professional career has been tumultuous, to say the least. Injury problems and sub-par play have defined his AHL career thus far.
But as of right now, a Canucks roster spot is his to lose.
With the Utica Comets, Juolevi relied on his hockey sense to transition the puck and decisively close gaps on opponents at either blue line.
Juolevi also exhibits astute positional awareness on the penalty-kill and is a great shot blocker. Something that should score well with the Canucks coaching staff.
Although, to say his skating was an issue would be an understatement. Juolevi looked flat-footed often, leaving him out of position on the rush or vulnerable to mistakes with the puck.
Thus, Juolevi leaves Utica with a less-than-stellar resume over two injury-riddled seasons.
However, he showed massive improvement in his skating from the beginning of the 2019-20 season to the NHL’s Return To Play.
He played well enough in summer camp to merit a six-minute stint in the Edmonton bubble, one that not many would have predicted before the restart.
It’s easy to overanalyze Juolevi in his limited minutes, considering it’s the only NHL action he’s seen to date. But, what we can conclude is that whether it be the extended rest or time to work on his game, Juolevi improved immensely over the stoppage.
Taking this into account; can Juolevi handle regular top-six minutes in the NHL? Has his skating improved enough to keep up with the rigour of the NHL competition? That’s where things get tricky.
While Jim Benning considers Juolevi a ‘better fit’ for the NHL, the speed and physicality of the AHL game pale in comparison to the big leagues. Juolevi performed well in the bubble, but regular NHL time is a challenge he hasn’t yet shown he’s ready for confidently. Since his professional debut, Juolevi’s received harsh criticism for his performance, and rightfully so. He hasn’t, nor will he probably ever justify his draft selection.
Regardless, the time is now for Juolevi to prove that he made the relevant improvements to his game, and can step into the top-six. If he doesn’t, though, his future in the NHL looks bleak.
Jalen Chatfield
Given his overall skill set, Chatfield is a dark horse to make the Canucks roster.
Chatfield plays a structured defensive game. Considering how awful the Canucks’ bottom-pair was last season, Chatfield’s expertise in his own end could provide more value relative to the other candidates.
Chatfield’s aggressive, yet disciplined play style causes headaches for his opponents. He is strong on his skates, unloads thunderous body checks, and makes intelligent plays with the puck in the defensive zone.
Chatfield also performs well in high-pressure situations, whether it be cutting off a dangerous pass or breaking down an odd-man rush.
The biggest flaw in Chatfield’s game is his offence, in which he provides very little, recording a mere four assists through 48 games last season.
Realistically, this alone places Chatfield out of roster contention.
But, while Chatfield is on the outside edge for a spot, he could still see NHL time this year.
Should the Canucks’ defensive play begin to falter, which it very well could, Chatfield’s presence in the lineup in a shutdown role may be an interesting experiment.