It appears that the Vancouver Canucks will assign left winger Mackenze Stewart back to junior.

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Steve Ewen of the Province reported Saturday night that Stewart’s junior rights had been traded from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League. The Raiders dealt defenceman Mark Drohan and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2017 to the Americans for Stewart.

It’s not uncommon for a junior player rights to be dealt—sometimes for nothing and other times as part of an orchestrated plan.

Last December, Canucks goalie prospect Thatcher Demko’s rights were traded from the Spokane Chiefs to the Calgary Hitmen for a conditional pick. Hitmen general manager Mike Moore said the team was “taking a flyer” hoping he’d leave Boston College to play junior.

In the same month, Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl’s rights were traded from the Raiders to the Kelowna Rockets during the World Juniors. The Oilers then assigned him to the Rockets after the tournament concluded.

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Ewen opines that Stewart will be headed to junior and will play left wing for the Americans, noting the Americans gave up a player to acquire Stewart:

It’s safe to assume that, since Tri-City gave up a player in the deal, they’ve talked to the Canucks extensively and agreed to using Stewart up front.

Stewart has spent most of the 2015-16 season with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, but has only appeared in four games. He was re-assigned to the Kalamazoo Wings in mid-November, playing in six games before being recalled on December 1.

The Canucks drafted Stewart in the seventh round, 186th overall in 2014 as a defenceman, but have been working to convert him to a left winger—something the Raiders began doing at the start of the 2014-15 season before shifting him back.

When the Canucks signed him to an entry-level contract in June 2015, Canucks general manager Jim Benning announced their intention to convert him to a left winger. He told the Vancouver Sun’s Brad Ziemer:

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“We drafted him as a defenceman,” Benning said. “This year, he played some wing and some defence. I think what we are going to try and do is develop him as a winger. He is a real good skater for his size, he gets in on the forecheck and plays physical. He’ll stick up for his teammates, he’s a hard-nosed kid who will do what needs to be done.”

Reading between the lines, you’ll see the Canucks want to turn him into an enforcer. In the same interview, Benning said Stewart would start the season with the Comets and “see how that goes.”

Having drawn in only four games all season and others ahead of him on the depth chart, sending him back to junior will be what’s best for his development. He will get regular reps at left wing in game situations where he will learn to read and analyze the play as a winger.

Note – If Stewart is indeed assigned to junior by the Canucks, as a 20-year old, the first year of his entry-level contract does not slide. He will have two years remaining on his contract after this season that will carry a $655,000 cap hit at the NHL and pay him $67,500 in the minors.





