Preparation for the 2021 NHL season is well underway which means the Vancouver Canucks are back in business and so is The Canuck Way Mailbag!
That’s right! The Canuck Way Mailbag makes its return ahead of the 2021 NHL season. Brayden Ursel here in the driver’s seat this week as Matthew Zator enjoys an extended vacation. He’ll be back again soon, but for right now it’s just you and me!
The Vancouver Canucks are working their way through a strange and difficult training camp as best they can. But for every little thing that’s oddly different this time around, Travis Green’s annual bag skate was certainly not one of them.
But surprisingly enough, everyone survived and nobody up-chucked — the Canucks looking more and more ready for NHL action, a feeling of excitement surrounding the team. Could a recent and successful playoff run be the reason? Whatever it is, Vancouver has looked better than expected up to this point.
We’ve got plenty to discuss in this week’s mailbag as Canucks hockey is just three days away. Let’s jump into some Twitter questions before the Vancouver Canucks face off against the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday night.
Is there anyone at training camp that's playing better than you expected?
— Adam Dane (@AdamDane7) January 8, 2021
Honestly, overall, the team has looked better than I was expecting, but individually, players like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have been their usual selves. If I had to say someone was playing better than I was expecting, I’d have to admit it would be the Swedish prospect, Nils Hoglander.
His ability to be a training camp star had me all wrong. Being young and undersized hasn’t stopped the kid from impressing the coaching staff and I couldn’t be happier. His skill set has had him locked to Bo Horvat‘s wing on line two from day 1 and he seems to be an excellent fit.
Hoglander’s been one of the best offensive players on the team, and up to this point, he’s earned every bit of where he’s at with the Canucks. He knows how to score, he can pass, he can skate, and surprisingly he wins a lot more board battles than he loses. His defensive game has been on point, but captain Horvat has been confident in his new linemate. Here’s what he said in a post-practice media scrum:
“He’s been good. This is his first NHL camp and he is handling himself well, not only on the ice but off the ice as well. He’s a great player and seems to be a great person off the ice too.”
Lots of talk around Hoglander over training camp. Is he a lock to make the Canucks at this point?
— PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast) January 8, 2021
Hoglander will play on the Vancouver Canucks opening night roster. Full stop. It’s that simple really. Green has had him pencilled in on line two right from the jump and he’s hit the ground running with a really impressive showing throughout week 1 of his first NHL training camp.
The fact that the trio of himself, Horvat and Tanner Pearson have been inseparable all camp says a lot. Reading between the lines, that’s where he’s going to be and that’s that. But if that’s not enough to convince people that he’s a lock for opening night, here’s what Horvat had to say about him in the same post-practice report:
"“Yeah, I think he is. He’s got tremendous skill and speed. Obviously, Tanner and I are just starting to get to know him personally and on the ice and what he’s going to do out there. Obviously, we want to build chemistry and hopefully, we can stay together for a long time. But I feel like he’s ready to go.”"
The praise from Horvat didn’t stop there. When being asked about his first impression of Hoglander’s defensive game so far, he had plenty of positive things to share with the media…
"“I think he’s just a smart player and his work ethic I think is the biggest thing I’ve noticed. Not only does he have skill and speed, but his smarts and willingness to get places and do the dirty work too, I think is a testament to his personality and his character. Obviously, he hasn’t played NHL games so it’s tough to know what he’s going to be like, but I think he’s going to handle himself very well.”"