Canucks Prospects Update: 10.18.18

The Canucks may only have three prospects across the Canadian Hockey League this season, but they all present interesting things to keep an eye on throughout the season.

Two of the prospects will be in the spotlight in the coming weeks as they represent their specific leagues in the Canada Russia Series. While the third prospect has returned from injury and has already made a noticeable impact for his OHL club.
All three of them will have interesting seasons to follow and this is a great time to check in on what they've done so far and what we can expect from them during the 2018-19 season.

Michael DiPietro

DiPietro continues to be one of the best goaltenders in the Ontario Hockey League this season and is one shutout away from setting the record for the most shutouts in an OHL career.
With 16 shutouts in his career, DiPietro needs one more goose egg to pass Thomas McCollum for the record. Given that DiPietro has only played six games this season, it's fair to assume that it's just a matter of time before he gets that needed shutout.
The 2017 3rd round pick is currently 2-3-0 with a 3.02 GAA and 0.907 SV% in six appearances this season.
The Amherstburg, ON native, was named to Team OHL for the CIBC Canada Russia series and is expected to suit up for the second game between the OHL and Russia on November 12thin Oshawa.
The series is usually a precursor for players to get invited for Team Canada's World Junior evaluation camp in December, so it's no surprise that DiPietro was named. The Canucks prospect is the frontrunner for the starting gig here in Vancouver for the 2018 World Junior Championships.

Matt Brassard

Matt Brassard returned from injury a couple of weeks ago and has already made an impact for the Oshawa Generals. In five games this season, Brassard has two goals and two assists and is a plus-three.
The right-handed defender is being listed as being on the second pairing for the Generals but that slotting in the lineup isn't indicative of the role he plays for the team. He sees regular time on the first power play unit and penalty kill while logging big minutes at 5 on 5. So, although he is being dressed on the second pair, he likely ends most nights with the most ice-time among defenders.
What really stands out about Brassards' game is his willingness to shoot the puck. In those five games this season, he is averaging 6.2 shots per game. His 31 shots on goal have him ranked 33rdamong all OHL skaters and 5thamong defenders despite playing the fewest number of games among all of the players in the top 100 in shots.
The Generals are off to a slower start with a 3-4-1 record in their first eight games but have been noticeably better since Brassard has returned to the lineup.

Jett Woo

Another player to return from an off-season injury is 2018 2ndround pick, Jett Woo.
In four games, Woo has one goal and one assist to go along with six penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.
The Winnipeg, MB native has been dressing on the right side of the second pairing alongside Dalton Hamaliuk, with Josh Brook and Daemon Hunt rounding out the top four. Woo has been seeing regular time on the first power-play unit with the majority of that time being spent on the left side with Brook on the right. His assist this season came on the man advantage.
Despite just coming back from injury recently, Woo hasn't been afraid to throw the body around either. There have been a couple of times where Woo has sent his opponent flying after pinching along the boards, standing up at his own line, or just simply defending his space. His smart and effective use of physicality was helped set him apart from other prospects in this recent draft class and it's encouraging to see that he has picked up right where he left off.
Jett Woo has been named to Team WHL for the CIBC Canada Russia Series. At this moment, there have only been six WHL defencemen named to the group, so it's entirely possible that Woo plays both contests. The WHL and Russia play on November 5that the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C. and then November 6that the Langley Events Centre.
After being invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase this summer, Woo has a chance to receive an invite to the Evaluation Camp this December.