Hunter Shinkaruk likely wasn’t too high on many people’s list of candidates to make the Canucks 2015-16 roster. With gritty wingers such as Jake Virtanen and Alex Grenier surrounded by hype and perhaps being more versatile with their edgy style of play, Shinkaruk’s slick, skill-heavy play may have been at a disadvantage going into the pre-season, especially with winger Sven Baertschi playing a similar variety of hockey to the 2013 1st-round pick. However, as has been the case over his past two pre-seasons, the small forward has been a standout among his peers through his two contests, despite being sent down to the farm to start the campaign.
In 2013 under John Tortorella, it appeared Shinkaruk, along with fellow draftee Bo Horvat, had made the club in just his first training camp, but was then sent back to junior along with Horvat for the season. Due to injury, Shinkaruk played just 18 games, but showed up to 2014-15 camp with yet another strong pre-season showing, but watched his draft-mate score a spot on the roster, while he went to play his AHL rookie season in Utica. Despite a slow start in the American League, the winger finished strong and posted respectable numbers of 16 goals and 31 points in 74 games.
Into 2015, Shinkaruk faced an uphill battle to make the team, between a plethora of other options and the fact that the now 20-year-old fits the mold of a top-six scorer rather than a third or fourth line grinder. However, Shinkaruk came in and gave an immensely strong effort, playing a puck-hound style while portraying himself as an edgier player than what we’ve come to expect from the Calgary native. While seemingly NHL locks Linden Vey and Sven Baertschi continue to float and fail to live up to expectation, Shinkaruk came into camp and looked determined to make the big-league squad in 2015-16. Well, for the third straight year, Shinkaruk’s efforts weren’t enough to impress management, as he was recently sent down to Utica to join the rest of the club for their training camp in France.
Time will tell whether Shinkaruk has a long-term future with the Canucks. As tantalizing as his upside may be, upper management simply does not seem enthused by what he brings to the table, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him traded elsewhere over the next year. Whatever the case may be for the future, there is no question that he possesses the drive necessary at the NHL level, and hopefully, even if not in Vancouver, he is given the opportunity to show what he’s made of at the highest level of competition.
