The Canuck Way
Fansided

Canucks: 2 players who have been impressive at training camp this year

By Brayden Ursel

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 4: Nils Hoglander #36 of the Vancouver Canucks receives a pass from teammate Olli Juolevi #48 on the first day of the Vancouver Canucks NHL Training Camp on January, 4, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 4: Nils Hoglander #36 of the Vancouver Canucks receives a pass from teammate Olli Juolevi #48 on the first day of the Vancouver Canucks NHL Training Camp on January, 4, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 2
Next
Vancouver Canucks’ Olli Juolevi. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Vancouver Canucks’ Olli Juolevi. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

The other prospect that’s been solid through the first week of training camp is Olli Juolevi. The 22-year-old Finnish defenceman has had a difficult road to the NHL because of injuries and multiple surgeries, but he finally appears to be 100 percent healthy and ready for the big leagues.

Unlike Hoglander, Juolevi doesn’t have a resume filled with flashy moves, slick dangles, and jaw-dropping lacrosse goals. The Twitter feed doesn’t exactly flow with highlight-reel stuff, but from the perspective of a defensive-defenceman, that’s probably a good thing. The less you hear his name, the better.

Like Hoglander though, Juolevi has found consistency with a defensive partner and it might not be who many people would have suspected. Dropping from the expected slot next to Quinn Hughes, veteran Tyler Myers has taken on the responsibility of being the rookie’s wingman. And honestly, the pair has gone off without a hitch.

Myers is smooth on his skates and likes to jump up in the play from time to time on the offensive rush, and Juolevi is a player with a killer instinct in the defensive zone. He has impeccable positioning and he’s known for possessing an excellent tape-to-tape breakout pass.

The key factor to it all could come down to what Juolevi can bring to the penalty kill. Unlike the other defencemen fighting for spots and NHL debuts, the Finn has what it takes to play a man down, get in passing lanes, clog up shooting lanes, and block shots. He’s been focused on polishing that side of his game for the past two seasons and I believe we’ll see it on full display this season. In a post-game presser, here’s what he said about playing on the PK:

"“Of course, you always want to be able to play special teams. I’ve played a lot of power play in the past and now I also have the penalty kill. I’ve always said I want to be a guy who plays in all situations. If it’s not the power play then the PK, I am happy to do that. I just want to try and help the team win more games.”"

With only four days left in training camp this year, both Hoglander and Juolevi find themselves in a good position to land a roster spot with the Canucks. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they’ve earned the right to carve their roster spots in stone, but at this point, Green probably has them pencilled in for puck drop on January 13th.

Next. Canucks: Nate Schmidt should be paired with Alex Edler. dark

Will Hoglander and Juolevi be dressed in blue and green versus the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

Home/Prospects