The Canucks prospects playing in Europe has changed quite a bit over the summer with many of the top players making the leap over to North America for the 2018-19 campaign.

Last season, Elias Pettersson tore up the Swedish Hockey League, Jonathan Dahlen was leading Timra towards a promotion from the Allsvenskan to the SHL. In Finland, Olli Juolevi and Petrus Palmu were playing large roles and making an impact for TPS Turku.

This year paints a different picture with all of those aforementioned players joining the Comets or the Canucks. Although it isn't players of the same ilk this year, there are still some eally interesting Canucks prospects playing all over Europe.

Artyom Manukyan

The 5-foot-7 winger has had a great start to his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) career with Avangard Omsk.

In 10 contests so far this season, he has put up two goals and three assists in mostly a second line role. He currently sits fifth in scoring on his team.

Avangard is loaded with former NHL players like Max Talbot, Cody Franson, Kris Versteeg, and David Desharnais, with Manukyan having more points than all of them.

He has been displaying his tireless work ethic, active feet, and quick reads of the play to create mayhem whenever he is on the ice.

There is no arguing that the 2018 6th round pick is small and the odds are stacked against him, but he is really effective in his engagements by avoiding putting himself in situations where he will get overpowered. If he does get contained along the boards, he does everything he can to roll off the check and re-engage from a different angle.

The young Russian has shown that he can bury the puck when the opportunity arises and will look to continue to trend upwards from here.

Toni Utunen

Taken in the 5th round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, defenceman Toni Utunen is a dependable puck mover who is looking to secure a full time spot with Tappara in Liiga, and so far he has.

Utunen represented Finland at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Kamloops this past summer, being named the player of the game in one of the contests, and showcased what makes him an attractive as a prospect for the organization. He makes that smart first pass out of the zone, willing to job up in the rush when the opportunity arises, and has been a leader throughout his junior career.

The 5-foot-11 and 175-pound defender has appeared in four Champions Hockey League games and five Liiga regular season games this season as the seventh defenceman. He has an average ice time of 13:23 per game in those Liiga contests that sees him with a regular shift at 5v5 and then some penalty killing time.

Just staying in the top pro league in Finland as a 19-year-old is an encouraging sign for any prospect and although he is generally dressed as the seventh defender, it isn't indicative of the role the he has been playing.

Utunen has a chance to represent Finland at the World Juniors this winter here in Vancouver. If he is unable to crack the roster this season, he is still eligible for the 2020 tournament as well.

Kristoffer Gunnarsson

Another young defender, Kristoffer Gunnarsson is playing for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) again this season.

Like Utunen, Gunnarsson isn't really known for his offence, but has shown to have a physical edge in the defensive zone. He is good at shutting down attacks as they enter the zone and getting the puck out of danger.

He has appeared in four Champions Hockey League games and two SHL games this season. Unfortunately, he has been unable to register a point in any of those contests.

Ideally, we will see his role increase this season as he enters his third season in the SHL.

Dmitry Zhukenov

The 2015 4th round pick has started the 2018-19 campaign in the Russian second division (VHL) after scoring 34 points (10-24-34) in 33 games in the junior league (MHL) last season.

Zhukenov and Manukyan played together on the same line at times last season and Zhukenov hopes to join him in Avangard at some point this season.

Zhukenov has appeared in one game for Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk this season, failing to register a point.