One of the few players that has impressed this preseason for the Vancouver Canucks is Cole McWard. The 22-year-old defenceman signed with Vancouver as a college free agent near the end of last season and didn’t look out of place when given the opportunity to play games at the NHL level. While he could be American Hockey League (AHL) bound, his performance over the past few weeks is a good indicator he may be closer than some originally thought to become an everyday NHLer.
Strong Preseason So Far
McWard has made the most of his opportunities so far during his two preseason games. According to Natural Stat Trick, he leads all Canucks in five-on-five Corsi for percentage (CF%) at 62.75% and also expected goals for (xGF) at 1.54. He also leads all defencemen on the team in minutes played at five-on-five, showing that Vancouver’s coaching staff is intent on giving him chances to show why he should make the team at the start of the year.
Despite Vancouver having an outing to forget against the Calgary Flames, McWard was one of the few bright spots. He led the team in time on ice, playing over 22 minutes, and was tied for the team lead in shots on goal with four and blocked shots with three. During the game, he also demonstrated that he was able to limit opportunities, as the Canucks outshot the Flames 14-5 when he was on the ice. Even though Vancouver lost 10-0, he played well, start to finish, showing that, regardless of the score, he is willing to keep competing until the final whistle.
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His shining moment came during the team’s second preseason game versus the Edmonton Oilers. Not only did he look good playing beside Quinn Hughes, but he limited the Oilers to just one shot and one high-danger chance in just over five minutes when Connor McDavid was on the ice. He was also able to lock down both Leon Draisital and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with Vancouver outshooting Edmonton when he was on the ice against them. Whether it at even strength or on the power play, he played well and, while it was only a preseason game, showed he could contribute playing with and against established NHLers.
Where Should He Start the Season?
When it comes to McWard, there are both pros and cons to starting him in the NHL. Starting with the pro side, based on the current roster, he would be partnered with one of the top young defencemen in the league, Hughes. This is a massive advantage, as the Canucks’ recently named captain should be able to mask some of his mistakes and, while they are only a year apart, become a mentor to the rookie defender. Vancouver has been trying to find their star defenceman a long-term partner ever since Chris Tanev left, so at this point, they might as well try them together for at least a few games to see if any chemistry develops.
The con of starting him in the NHL is that it may be too much too soon. While he looked good in his five NHL games last season, it is important to note that only one of those games came against an opponent that qualified for the postseason. That is why spending some time in the AHL playing top-pairing minutes and learning how to play at the pro game may hold more benefit to pushing him straight into the Canucks opening night lineup.
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While all performances in the preseason should be taken with a grain of salt, it is an encouraging sign that McWard is playing so well. It is hard to argue that he hasn’t been one of the best players through the team’s first three games and deserves every opportunity to make the club out of camp. Even if he is sent down to the AHL, it shouldn’t be long before he makes his way back to Vancouver, as he looks to be a steal for the Canucks from last year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) free agent class.
