Tier four: Olli Juolevi, Aidan McDonough, Viktor Persson, Dmitri Zlodeyev, Arturs Silovs, Jackson Kunz, Jacob Truscott, Connor Lockhart, Carson Focht, and Jonah Gadjovich
Some Canucks fans aren’t going to like the fact that Olli Juolevi isn’t in the third tier which is understandable. Yes, he is an NHL-level player, but I see Juolevi being nothing more than a bottom pair defenceman or depth defenceman. In his 23 games with the Canucks last season, he looked good moving the puck but he needs to improve his pivoting and defending on the rush.
Aidan McDonough is someone who could potentially rise in the pyramid. The Canucks seventh round pick in 2019 finished his sophomore year at Northeastern University with 10 goals and 10 assists in 21 NCAA games. Six of those goals came on the power play. McDonough is a bonafide goal scorer with a heavy one-timer and plays a heavy power forward game. He is one to watch as he has been climbing up the Canucks prospect rankings since he has been drafted.
Viktor Persson will be playing close to Vancouver next season. He will be playing in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, so any Canucks fans living there can get a glimpse of him. Last season, he played with Swedish club Brynas IF’s U20 team scoring five goals and four assists in 16 games. After going pointless in four games with the big club he was loaned to Strömsbro IF of Hockeyettan. (The third tier Swedish hockey league.) There, he managed a goal and five assists in 11 games. Persson is a smooth-skating defenceman who is very good at transitioning the puck up the ice and his game has room to grow and he has the potential to be a top-four or top-six defenceman. Hopefully, he has the chance to elevate his game on North American ice with the Blazers next season.
Dmitiri Zlodeyev is a natural centre who brings a solid two-way game and can score a bunch of goals. Last season, he was plagued by injuries splitting time between Dynamo Krasnogorsk of the VHL and MHK Dynamo Moskva of the MHL. Zlodeyev scored seven goals in 19 VHL games and four goals and eight assists in 16 MHL games. According to DobberProspects, he is expected to make the jump to the KHL next year where he could learn to play against stronger opponents.
Arturs Silovs has been described as an athletic goaltender. The Latvian goaltender couldn’t play any games with the OHL’s Barrie Colts so he was loaned to HS Riga and later HS Rogo. Both teams are from his native country. He was also played one game with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose which he gave up two goals on 25 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Laval Rocket. Silovs was also called up by the Canucks on an emergency basis last April where he was the backup to Braden Holtby in a game against the Ottawa Senators. Silovs is expected to play in Abbotsford next year where he will learn under Sanford.
Jackson Kunz was effective for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers scoring 23 goals and tallying 20 assists in 50 games. Next season, he will be going to the University of North Dakota. Kunz brings a solid drive to the net and net front presence as well as an excellent shot. His skating isn’t the strongest but he could improve on that in the NCAA.
Jacob Truscott played 26 games with the University of Michigan scoring a goal and got four assists. He will hopefully get more assists and he was selected to participate in USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase this summer. Truscott can move the puck well and has proven to be reliable in all three zones.
The Canucks sixth round pick in this year’s draft has some upside. Connor Lockhart didn’t play any OHL games last season and opted to not go to Europe. In 2019-20, he scored nine goals and 18 assists in 57 games. Lockhart has a great shot and is a great playmaker. He needs to work on his forward passing and defensive play and hopefully next year he puts his scoring abilties on his display.
After he scores 32 goals and got 24 assists with the WHL’s Calgary Hitman in 2019-20, Carson Focht made the jump to professional hockey. In 28 games with the Comets last season, he scored four goals and got eight assists. Eight of his 12 points came on the special teams. The centre brings a strong work ethic with good offensive abilities. Expect him to put up more points in Abbotsford next season.
Last but not least,we have Jonah Gadjovich who made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames late last season. In 19 games with Utica he scored 15 times and got three assists. Gadjovich lead the Comets in goals last season and was in third in points. The feisty two-way winger improved his skating in the 2020 offseason and will continue to impress in Abbotsford. He is someone that could play regularly in the Canucks bottom six sooner rather than later.