Canucks: Who is the real Drew O'Connor? Dakota Joshua trade may provide answer

National Post

a day ago

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O'Connor's four goals and nine points in 31 games here in a season of transition didn't produce that 'wow' factor, but his first impression was favourable. He was visible and effective in a 3-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 4 that left former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet gushing.
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'I don't want to overstate it, but (Filip) Chytil and (Drew) O'Connor with their speed and willingness to take the puck to the middle on a rush is a little breath of fresh air,' he stressed. 'You see Chytil take the puck to the middle and that's when things happen. Just adding those two guys has helped our rush game.
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'We're smiling. That's the stuff we need.'
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Fast-forward and the trade addition of Evander Kane on the left side makes the east Vancouver native a candidate to work with Elias Pettersson or Chytil. However, that depends on what pivot the Canucks do or don't acquire in free agency or trade. If it's a significant acquisition and Chytil slides down to the No. 3 hole, O'Connor won't complain.
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Conor Garland gave Chytil, who was shut down in March after a brutal hit and placed in concussion protocol, quite the initial compliment on his effectiveness.
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'Fantastic speed, sees the ice well, makes a lot of plays,' said Garland. 'A real good pickup. Good zone entries and drive. He's a winger's dream.'
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As for O'Connor, the dream was to live up to his own hopes, which once seemed like a stretch for the Chatham, N.J., product.
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He was 5-foot-10 in Grade 12 and didn't initially attract collegiate interest. It was demoralizing but he pressed on. A growth spurt to 6-foot-3 when he arrived at Dartmouth College in the East Coast Athletic Conference made a difference. So did a dedication to diet and fitness.
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'I've had a lot of stretches where things weren't going well and high school was a real struggle for me,' admitted O'Connor. 'I was always one of the better players growing up, but when I got to that point in high school, I was really kind of fading and dropping off.
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