‘You can tell when he has the puck on his stick. It seems like he really makes some plays and that shot is pretty lethal. ‘ – Canucks’ Conor Garland on rookie Vasily Podkolzin
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Vasily Podkolzin has already teased the potential of the six best mixes.
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The Vancouver Canucks winger displayed preseason chemistry with JT Miller and scored his first NHL goal in impressive fashion on October 15 in Philadelphia. He took a lightning-fast backhand from Tyler Myers and then came out of the dressers to make a wrist shot past Carter Hart’s glove.
“You can tell when he has the puck on his stick,” Canucks winger Conor Garland said Tuesday. “It seems like he really does make some plays and that shot is pretty lethal. That one against Philadelphia, is the short side and he takes it out of his body and puts it back in.
“That is very difficult to do and it is something that you have probably worked on all your life. That is really impressive. And he is young. He’s going to be a really good player and he’s just finding his balance and understanding the league. “
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Podkolzin, 20, was out of the next two games and could have been eliminated again on Tuesday in the club’s home opener at Rogers Arena. But the dribbling effect of an injury to Justin Dowling, the retirement of Justin Bailey and the possibility of Jason Dickinson not playing, influenced the lineup juggling.
The Russian rookie lined up at the game day skateboard with Miller and Brock Boeser. Changing the motivational switch from practice to practice shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe it’s from playing men at the KHL. Maybe it’s just the way it’s connected.
“I think you get it,” Canucks captain Bo Horvat said. “He’s one of the guys who works the hardest in practice and doesn’t take a shift. In every drill he’s doing it as hard as he can and that’s a very important attribute when you’re not in the lineup and he still proves his worth in practice and keeps up with the speed of the game. “
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Not that Podkolzin was playing bad. In a rite of passage for a new player into a new system, country and language, understanding both ends of the ice to gain the confidence of the coach is paramount. His 9:06 average ice time in an occasional fourth-line role, or being driven by circumstances, is part of the learning curve.
Normally veteran right winger Alex Chiasson has an advantage in that line because he is also the presence at the front of the net in the first power play unit. But Podkolzin continues to propel the roster conversation in the right direction.
“He’s an extremely hard worker and a pretty keen young man,” Canucks coach Travis Green said.
On Monday, Podkolzin was an extra in line and Green had to work out the justification to satisfy the faithful, who are eager to see the 10th overall pick prosper in the 2019 NHL Draft.
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“We are here to win games, first and foremost,” Green emphasized. “But we have also been very successful developing young players here. There is a fine line between what is best for the player and what is best for the team. He has done a lot of good things and some things that he still needs to work on.
“I am not worried about that at all. Pods is going to be really good. We are excited for him and so are the fans. Just because a player doesn’t play once in a while, that’s fine too. We have to make tough decisions every night. Sometimes they are based on the team and on getting the victory that night ”.
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Hamonic report lights the status flame
It’s about punches and math.
If Travis Hamonic received his first injection of coronavirus vaccine before Canucks training camp, and if he received a second dose last week to comply with the league’s participation protocols, he could eventually be on the radar of the list. here after a period of conditioning.
That’s a lot of yes.
With a report that Hamonic is either traveling to Vancouver or already in town, there is obvious speculation as to what this all means. His agent did not respond to a request for an interview Tuesday, but Canucks general manager Jim Benning offered a response because of what the leave and absence actually means.
A license and the delivery of a paycheck keep Hamonic from returning to the Canucks because a suspension without pay could be the prelude to termination of his contract. And if Hamonic has complied with the protocol requirements, he could eventually return to the Canucks.
“We are working out the details with the league on all of this right now,” Benning said.
OVERTIME: Dowling was injured Saturday in Seattle and will be out of the game for at least a week, based on injury reserve requirements. Dickinson was hit by the road trip and left practice Monday.
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