Player Discussion The Big Fella: Zack MacEwen (MAY 7 - Suspended 1 game)

[Canadian Canuck]

Please put him in the lineup.

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

Nice to see ZMac get called up.Hope they use him in the line up.He and Jake on a line would be nice to see..

 

[Braeden]

Here's his highlights from this season:

 

[TruKnyte]

Looks like he skates well for his size. There's something about his stickwork though that seems really raw, not sure what is is.

 

[ErrantShepherd]

Put him in over Granlund, see what you've got.

...and for that matter put in Brisebois, and scratch Gud or Pouliot already.

 

[Slapshot_11]

Did we have another injury last game or is baes injury worse than expected?

 

[orcatown]

Watched him all season and he has potential to be a horse. Big solid athlete who never played high level till late in his teens. Has very good individual skill. Can stick handle in traffic, has accurate, heavy shot, uses body well to shield the puck and is a strong skater. Needs to improve pivot as sometimes can over-rotate and lose balance. But overall has no trouble getting into the play and can use speed to break around the defense. However, would not call him a smooth skater.

Optimally you could see him being a Ryan Getlaff type player. That would be my comparison although there I realize that's an extremely hopefully one and MacEwen has along way to go before anything like that becomes a reality. Thing is that they are both real athletes who would have been good in many sports but who happened to end up playing hockey.

Would say that he sometimes lacks defensive awareness and tends to jump to the offense too quickly. Yet he is good on the PK and decent along the boards in his own end.

As I have said in other threads I do think MacEwen does create a bit of dilemma for the Canucks. Probably his best position is near a top line center (and I know he has only been use here in a limited way by the Comets). Keeps him in the middle of the ice where he does his best work and allows him to ramble around and make use of his offensive and overall coverage skills he has. Kind of like "letting the big dog run" - just let his athleticism have some free range. And MacEwen does have the skill and vision to make plays on the move justifying taking this approach. However, there are still glitches in his play and you wonder if he might start making dangerous turnovers and have defensive issues if you allow him to play this way.

The other approach - trying to turn him into some sort responsible 3rd winger who sticks to certain patterns (like they are trying to do with Virtanen) might be the way to go but you wonder if this is really his game. Indeed, this approach might negate the best aspects of MacEwen game. When this was tried in Utica, it didn't really work.

The big fear I have is that Green will try to button hole him into some disciplined wing role which he might not succeed in. If he doesn't then they might never give him the chance to see his true upside.

My other big fear is that Canuck management may be tempted to move MacEwen for some short term rental or such to get into the playoffs. It's terrible that you have such mistrust in the management group but their moves in the past and their over-riding concern with making the playoffs make such worries unavoidable - especially seeing he was brought up so near the TD.

My hope is that they give MacEwen some time rather than burying him in the press box and at least consider the possibility that he could be a good offensive player at NHL level (at present I think he would be better than Goldobin). There is something here and hopefully the team gives MacEwen the time to show what his potential is.

 

[Bad Goalie]

MacEwan has been playing the right side in Utica. Can he switch to left wing? Granlund was down to eight minutes last night, so clearly he should be the guy coming out. But Green is just as likely to bench Goldy again.

MacEwan has been killing penalties in Utica and is a net-front presence on the pp. I really hope he doesn't simply join Brisebois for popcorn duty in the press box. For the love of god, just play these kids.

He is horrible on the PK.

At even Strength he is tied with Kero as the Comet forward on the ice for the most goals against. Boucher is close behind. Not a surprise they are a line on most nights. Kero catches a little relief in that e has been a PK guy all season. Boucher and MacEwen have not, but Mac has been doing such lately. Boucher once in a while all season, but usually at the end of a kill.

The kid is a hard worker and has a good shot, but don't build this kid into something he isn't just yet.

The idea of him protecting Pettersson for years to come is absurd. He has dropped 'em, but has given no indication of being a fighter in the time he has been here.

 

[StreetHawk]

Did we have another injury last game or is baes injury worse than expected?

Nothing about injuries. Suspect it’s that they don’t expect Sven back anytime soon. And with a 5 hour flight between Utica to the west coast, and 4 games in 6 nights they are better to have the spare guys up rather than wait until they absolutely need them in the lineup. They have cap space to absorb the hit.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I hope MacEwen gets an opportunity to play, and ideally in a top six role.

 

[GetFocht]

super glad he got called up, been advocating for this a while. My ideal bottom six for Canucks is:

Leivo-Gaudette-Virtanen
Roussel-Beagle-MacEwen

 

[Hit the post]

Nothing about injuries. Suspect it’s that they don’t expect Sven back anytime soon. And with a 5 hour flight between Utica to the west coast, and 4 games in 6 nights they are better to have the spare guys up rather than wait until they absolutely need them in the lineup. They have cap space to absorb the hit.

Might also be some kind of acknowledge of his good play & they're just rewarding it with a callup. Now if they'd only do that with Gaunce & send down (*for the entire balance of his contract*) Schaller.

 

[Cogburn]

Just play him. I'd like Goldy to stay in the line up, but we have Granlund, Sutter, Schaller and even Motte or Leivo that I'd rather see given a break instead of MacEwen.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Those three forwards probably play the most as well, correct? Leaving aside the raw quantity of goals they've allowed, do they allow significantly more goals than other AHL forwards relative to TOI?

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

Play him with Jake ,those 2 could cause a lot of chaos.

 

[Askel]

I agree with everything Orcatown says except that I thin he is playing like Getzlaf. To me he plays like a pre breakout Bertuzzi, not 90 pt version but the guy who put 25+25. A power winger with great hands.

Hope he gets some playing time, but he will probably play 8 minutes and be benched for a misstake.

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Looks like he skates well for his size. There's something about his stickwork though that seems really raw, not sure what is is.

It reminds me of Sutter. Choppy looking, it'll be interesting to see if any of his moves translate against NHL defensemen.

 

[82Ninety42011]

Watching those highlights I see him in the middle quite a bit. I wonder if he could play centre and bump Sutter to the wing. Having a line of Roussel MacEwen Sutter would be pretty hard to play against if he could play centre? Hopefully kid gets an honest shot and plays physical, he's definitely got some decent hands around net. Him as a net presence on PP could get him a lot of "garbage" goals possibly.

 

[petrishriekandgo]

Play him with Jake ,those 2 could cause a lot of chaos.

Jake-Horvat-MacEwen

 

[F A N]

I hope MacEwen manages to get into the lineup.

It seems our OHL and QMJHL undrafted UFA scouting has gotten better of late. It's produced at least solid AHL players. Then again, our QMJHL scouting hasn't produced an NHL player since... I want to say Luc Bourdon (RIP).

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Nice reward for a guy who's done nothing but improve ever since being signed as an overage FA. I really hope he can get some playing time on this call up. He's gonna be pretty raw around the edges, but he's shown himself to be a quick learner.

 

[VanJack]

I'll be the worst of all possible worlds if the guy ends up sitting next to Brisebois in the press-box. His great year in Utica gets interrupted in favor of puck retrieval at practices and watching the play from some of the most expensive seats at Rogers Arena.

Shudder to say it, but if they're not going to play him, they'd have been better off just leaving him in Utica and activating Schaller instead.

 

[sting101]

Can he play defense?

Would like to see him with Horvat and Goldobin on FW2. Give him a shot to attack...if he struggles he can play w Beagle Motte.

Really liking the Leivo MacEwen additions to our forward depth

 

[VanJack]

Undrafted power forward out of the Q that virtually nobody, including fan-boys at Canucks Army, had any hope for. Some even labeled it a 'wasted contract'. But here he is, in the NHL after only a season and half in the AHL.

Even getting this far has to be considered a major 'win' for MacEwen and the Canucks. Maybe he turns into the forward version of a Chris Tanev?

 

[timw33]

It's one downside to the Western conference being a joke this year as Green will be coaching to make the playoffs, not be mindful of whats best for the long term future of this team. Ideally we'd throw him in for a 3-5 game stretch on a Top 6 wing with a few looks on the PP, but I forsee a sub-9 minute game or two before being back to the press box.