It’s sink or swim time for Canucks rookie defenceman Olli Juolevi
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.
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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.
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What do you think Canucks fans? Do you believe Olli Juolevi can become a top-four defenceman?