Canucks: Notes from day 2 of training camp
The Vancouver Canucks held their second day of training camp on Tuesday and here are some notes of the day.
The Vancouver Canucks held their second day of training camp at Rogers Arena on Tuesday. The team held scrimmages today with the two groups as players such as Olli Juolevi and Nils Hoglander were under the microscope of the coaching staff.
Here are some notes from the second day of camp.
Hoglander continues to impress.
The Canucks second-round pick in the 2019 draft skated with Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson on day one. He was on their line once again and he hasn’t slowed down from his impressive showing on Monday.
In the clip below, Hoglander (#36 in white) looked pretty confident out there. He skated smoothly into the offensive zone and made two good passes and even managed to win a battle along the boards.
https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1346548284484067328
Hoglander has settled in nicely so far with Horvat and Pearson and by the looks of it, he could potentially start the season with them and play top-six minutes. If he continues at the pace he’s on, a roster spot should be almost guaranteed.
The Lotto Line looks good and Nate Schmidt settles in
The “Lotto Line” consisting of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser was very good for the Canucks last season and among one of the best lines in the league. They were reunited on Monday and were still together for scrimmages on Tuesday. They already looked like they were in mid-season form.
Boeser on a nice feed from Schmidt. Followed by a one-timer by Pettersson from Miller. Lotto line in mid-season form already. #Canucks @TSN1040 @TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/JaSix0eMuJ
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) January 5, 2021
According to The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, the Lotto Line spent their shifts with possession in the offensive end. The trio looked ready for the season and they might start the season together and it would be ideal to keep them together.
In what will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody, the Lotto Line is spending all their shifts controlling possession in the offensive end
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) January 5, 2021
In the clip above, you can hear a loud “Whoop, Whoop!” That was Nate Schmidt calling for a pass before sending a beautiful one to Boeser. Schmidt is a very outgoing guy and has a fun personality so expect to hear him say “Whoop, Whoop” a lot especially with no fans in the stands.
He looked pretty settled in with his new teammates out there and the Canucks could really use his breakout ability this season, which was something the team struggled with in the playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights. As shown above, Schmidt knows how to make accurate passes on the rush and you can expect to see lots of it this season, especially with the Lotto Line.
Jack Rathbone looked solid
Jack Rathbone is another name looking to make the opening night roster and he’s got the tools to do so. Rathbone looked pretty good on the first day and he looked just as good on the second day. Rathbone skated and defended well and didn’t look out of place.
In the clip below, Rathbone does a good job of holding the line and joins the offence before failing to convert his pass to Loui Eriksson.
https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1346547397460066304
Coach Travis Green was also impressed with Rathbone. Here is what he had to say after the scrimmage today:
Travis Green: Our scouts are really excited about Rathbone, and we are too. I thought he looked good today in the scrimmage. For him, it's going to be the defensive side of the game and how quickly he can pick that up. #Canucks @Sportsnet650
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) January 5, 2021
Next. Why a rookie will dictate the Canucks’ defensive pairs. dark
The Canucks will play a scrimmage game tomorrow night. You can listen to the scrimmage on Sportsnet 650!