It’s sink or swim time for Canucks rookie defenceman Olli Juolevi

VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 19: Olli Juolevi #48 of the Vancouver Canucks shoots the puck during the pre-game warmup prior to NHL hockey action against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena on February 19, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - FEBRUARY 19: Olli Juolevi #48 of the Vancouver Canucks shoots the puck during the pre-game warmup prior to NHL hockey action against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena on February 19, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
1 of 2
Next
Olli Juolevi of the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Olli Juolevi of the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

He wasn’t the London Knight that Vancouver Canucks fans hoped would land in Vancouver at the 2016 NHL draft, but he’s the one they got. And now it’s time to consider the future of 22-year-old Olli Juolevi.

So far, he hasn’t shown much of anything that would warrant justification of his draft slot. The offence and puck-moving ability that he showed in the junior ranks hasn’t translated to the NHL. Though he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to display his skills confidently, there is a reason that Travis Green does not trust him enough to deploy him in those situations. Monday night in Ottawa, Juolevi’s name again floated on the Twitter air-waves after a seeing-eye wrist shot from the left point netted the second goal of his young career.

In his limited role with the team this season, Juolevi hasn’t looked entirely out of place and has shown flashes of being a regular member of the team’s top six defensemen. He may need to play out of necessity next season due to the team’s limited cap room and the bleak defensive depth in the pipeline. It’s been years of counting baby steps for the young defenceman, and it may finally be time to see if he can sink or swim.

Entering training camp this season, Jim Benning proclaimed that Juolevi was ready to contribute. So far this season, Juolevi has played in 19 games; he’s put up two goals while averaging 13:18 time on ice. It’s safe to say that Juolevi has played an extremely sheltered role thus far into his career, so there is not much to judge him on when considering his future with the organization. But the former fifth overall pick finds himself in a tricky spot, being five years removed from his draft season and still struggling to cement himself as a regular in the NHL. His draft position has provided him with more leeway than other young players would usually have in his position, so it’s time he capitalizes on that.

Through all the ups and downs in Juolevi’s career, he possesses a skill-set that the Canucks desperately need. His heads-up offensive instincts and crisp passing would be a welcome sight to the defensive core. In fact, head coach Travis Green has been complimentary of Juolevi’s play in recent games, and the reason he sat out for the majority of March was because of cap reasons and not his play on the ice. Gaining the confidence of a head coach is extremely important for a young defenceman who’s been in and out of the lineup.

Olli Juolevi of the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Olli Juolevi of the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Juolevi has found himself paired with veteran defenseman Tyler Myers, which could be an excellent fit for him moving forward. This could mean an uptick in minutes per game for Juolevi and an added responsibility to play in several situations in the game. Having a veteran like Myers can allow Juolevi to be more confident in his decision-making, knowing he has a reliable partner to turn back to in dire situations.

He may not be able to fill Alex Edler’s shoes, but stylistically that is the type of defenceman that Juolevi should structure his game around; a steady two-way defenceman with solid offensive instincts. A glaring weakness in Juolevi’s game was his skating which has looked considerably better this season and gives reason to believe that he will continue to improve in that department.

Juolevi has been steady this season. How steady exactly? He’s played 252:37 this season and is yet to take a penalty. It is time to give him a more significant role and let him play through the mistakes before the front office’s critical decisions regarding his future this off-season. The hope is that he swims rather than sinking and develops into a number four or five defenseman capable of playing between 18 and 20 minutes a game. All while being a calming puck-moving presence on the back-end providing relief for Quinn Hughes, who has had a tough time adjusting to being the primary focus on the Canucks defensive core. At this point in Juolevi’s development, that should be a win for the team.

More from The Canuck Way

It’s not that Juolevi has shown no offensive instincts in the pros. He did put up 25 assists in 45 games in his first full professional season in Utica. This gives the team the hope that he will contribute offensively as he gets more comfortable at the NHL level.

Also, when comparing him to the other members of the Canucks, Juolevi comes third on the team’s defencemen with a 46.39 Corsi for percentage, just behind Quinn Hughes’ 50.43 Corsi for percentage, and Nate Schmidt’s 46.69 (prior to yesterday’s game against Ottawa), according to Natural Stat Trick. Although Juolevi’s numbers come in a sheltered role, it’s difficult to ignore the raw statistics and the potential they show for future upside in more prominent roles.

However you slice it, it appears that Juolevi will get an extended look down the stretch, and Canucks fans can expect him to be a part of the regular rotation of defencemen the rest of the way. As he gains more confidence, the coaching staff will get a better look at the upside he has. It is time to see if he will sink or swim with an extended look and if the one-time top prospect can become the top-four defender this team badly needs.

dark. Next. Nils Hoglander has been the Canucks’ steadiest player since returning

What do you think Canucks fans? Do you believe Olli Juolevi can become a top-four defenceman?

Next