Canucks: Hoglander and Juolevi continue to exceed expectations

With players like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes all becoming instant game-changers in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks have seen a continuously revolving door of rookies blow all expectations out of the water. That wasn’t supposed to be the case this year, but Nils Hoglander and Olli Juolevi turned out to be no exception.

Both European players — the 20-year-old winger and the 22-year old defenceman — have done excellent work in finding ways to be effective teammates who can help contribute to the success of the Canucks. In no way are these players filling holes in the lineup due to a lack of professional depth. As rookies, both Juolevi and Hoglander have more than earned their roster spots and ice time.

Hoglander has been the most consistent Vancouver player on the entire roster, and to back that up, the Swedish forward is currently just a single point back of the rookie scoring lead (9 points), and he’s showing zero signs of slowing down. In fact, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable with each passing game.

In his most recent performance against the Calgary Flames, Hoglander wasn’t successful in finding the back of the net, but he was all over the ice in terms of being an impact player. He added two assists to his resume on the first two goals of the game and had a good overall performance playing with linemates Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson. According to Natural Stat Trick, out of all the “roster regulars”, he has the best Corsi For Percentage (51.43CF%) at five-on-five.

When he’s not scoring goals, he’s hustling hard on the puck, getting in the dirty areas and setting up teammates. It’s something that can’t be ignored. His energy never waivers and he’s making a strong statement as someone who can handle running with the big dogs.

“He’s got a lot of energy, he’s playing well. I like that he doesn’t get too far ahead of himself. He’s a worker, he doesn’t let up. When you’ve got the skill and you combine [hard] work with it, good things are going to happen, Travis Green said after the game.

Green went on to complement Hoglander’s game before mentioning that he’s not surprised to see him tied for second in rookie scoring. “He comes to the rink and works hard every day. He’s a student of the game as well, which is important for a young player.”

As for the Finnish blueliner, Juolevi has asserted himself as a responsible defender with great positioning and a knack for blocking shots. Despite a list of bad injuries and multiple major surgeries, he’s finally 100 percent healthy, and because of that, his adjustment to the NHL game has been considerably smooth — at least since his return to the lineup.

For a prospect who has fallen far from his draft number, Juolevi is starting to show signs in his game as to why he was a top-five selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and why he was taken ahead of Matthew Tkachuk. Check out this bone-crushing hit on Tkachuk from the other night.

Juolevi levelled Tkachuk in open ice and it’s had Canucks Twitter completely freaking out about it all week long. When healthy, Juolevi has been able to show what he’s truly capable of doing as a quality defenceman. He’s proving that the organization’s patience with him has been well worth it.

Although Juolevi was scratched for a string of games following his first NHL goal, you have to think it was more because the Canucks lacked right-handed shooters on the blueline as opposed to Juolevi just having a bad game. The right-shot, Jalen Chatfield, took his place but after being on the ice for four even-strength goals against, Green decided to go back to the left-handed Juolevi.

Since then, Juolevi’s return to the ice has been positive. He’s taken notes on things he can improve, he’s adapting accordingly, and he’s being recognized for his quiet but steady presence on the Canucks’ blueline. Some concerns remain in place surrounding the fact that NHL veterans often beat him wide, but in the last stretch of games, he’s made up for his lack of foot speed with incredible body positioning and gap control.

It’s clear that both Hoglander and Juolevi have done more good than bad for the Canucks and that the organization sees them as players who can help this team get better. I fully expect them both to be roster locks moving forward, they’ve earned it.

What have you thought about the overall play of Hoglander and Juolevi? Have they blown your socks off with their play on the Vancouver Canucks this season or do you think they still have more to give? Let us know in the comment section.