The Russian forward was originally drafted 27th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose before being acquired by the Canucks in a trade with the Sharks for Jannik Hansen in February of 2017.
Goldobin is picking up right where he left off after a great stretch to close out the 2017-18 season. The speedy winger put up four goals and seven points in the final 11 games of the year in a prominent role. Through five games this season, Goldobin has put up three points (one goal) and 11 shots on goal.
After working on his play away from the puck and winning more puck battles, Goldobin is earning the trust of head coach Travis Green. The Russian winger has averaged around 12:00 of ice time through the first five games of 2018-19 and secured a spot on the second power-play unit.
Goldobin netted his first goal of the year in the season opener against the Flames after a fantastic pass from Pettersson. The potential of a Pettersson-Goldobin duo is drool-worthy. Pettersson was named league MVP of the SHL last season after leading Vaxjo HC to the championship with an impressive 34 goals and 75 points in 57 games. His crafty playmaking ability and ridiculous skill is the perfect complement to Goldobin's goal-scoring ability.
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During the final stretch of last season, Goldobin was averaging around 14 minutes of ice time and proved he belonged in a top-nine role. He later gave a preview of what's to come when he dazzled with a hat trick during the final scrimmage of Canucks' 2018 Training Camp.
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When Goldobin first arrived in Vancouver in that trade for Hansen at the 2017 trade deadline, he impressed with some highlight-reel goals, but still needed to work on his defensive game and find some consistency. Both Loui Eriksson and Pettersson are responsible in their own end and mesh well with Goldobin's style of play.
Goldobin made improvements in his defensive play last season thanks in part to his time in Utica with the Comets. Goldobin was a go-to-guy and got deployed on the penalty kill, recording a plus-5 rating and leading the Comets with 21 assists through 28 games prior to his call-up in February of 2018.
Coach Green's deployment of Goldobin with Pettersson and Eriksson on the second line is working. Eriksson has long been known for his two-way game and is a great fit to complement Goldobin's offensive skill and help him improve his all-around game. Pettersson is an immense talent who can make anyone he plays with better.
There's no denying Goldobin's dynamic speed and lethal scoring ability. His fantastic goal against the Kings last season is a prime example of his complete skill-set. Goldobin makes a great move to burn previous Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty before quickly cutting to the middle and beating netminder Jonathan Quick with an impressive backhand shot. The talent is clearly there and he's earning the opportunity to showcase it on a nightly basis.
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If Goldobin can find the back of the net consistently and keep building chemistry with Pettersson, he's going to be a treat to watch in the coming years.
