In preseason, the Vancouver Canucks had two major surprises. On defence, undrafted NCAA signee Troy Stecher looked like an NHL-ready option, and forward Joseph LaBate came out of nowhere to almost earn a bottom-line spot to start the year. Thanks to injuries to Chris Tanev, Stecher has already appeared in 10 NHL games. With Derek Dorsett down, it will be LaBate’s turn to show what he can do in real NHL action.
Preseason games are usually played between teams that consist mostly of AHL players and prospects. It can’t be compared to regular-season hockey, but still gives us a solid idea of what we can expect.