CA’S TOP 20 VANCOUVER CANUCKS PROSPECT RANKINGS: #16 DANILA KLIMOVICH
Welcome back to our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings. So far, we’ve covered two goaltenders and a forward to go with our Honourable Mentions lists. Today, we cover one of the more polarizing prospects within the system.
Danila Klimovich
Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Age: 21 | Position: Right Wing | Height: 6’1 | Weight: 208 lbs | Shoots: Right
You’ve heard it here before, but development is hardly ever a straight line. Well, we hope Danila Klimovich is just taking the scenic route.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the 2023-24 season was a huge disappointment for the now 21-year-old. Whether it be effort-wise or his mere two goals and four points through 24 games, Klimovich was a non-factor and took steps back in nearly every facet of the game.
It’s a shame, too, as he was coming off a year (2022-23) in which he enjoyed significant growth toward his development and added 17 goals and 29 points in 67 games, to boot.
This season, the downhill battle began with an early injury, compounded by several healthy scratches throughout the year. As one could imagine, the combination led to a downward spiral in confidence, which showed up on a nightly basis in the small number of games he played.
Despite being healthy, Klimovich played his final game of the year as a minus-one in early March and would catch the rest of the season, including the playoffs, from the press box.
Of course, if we’re going to call his season a write-off, it’s important to note that circumstances did not make it easy for him to regain form. While he didn’t exactly warrant a shot, Klimovich was never really given a fair chance to succeed last season. Even when dressed, his shifts were consistently sheltered, and he was seldom placed in roles to produce. Again, his play did not warrant much more, but it’s not easy to get out of a bind when the opportunity isn’t there.
With injuries piling up, Klimovich was awarded some leash in January, which finally led to time on the man advantage. In that time, he added two goals and 22 shots on goal in a seven-game span.
Hey, it wasn’t jaw-dropping, but it was something.
Unfortunately, the audition was short-lived, and his utilization quickly dropped back to earth once healthy bodies began to return.
“Yeah, he’s getting more opportunity; part of it is we’re missing some players, and that’s what you need sometimes to get in,” former head coach Jeremy Colliton told Postmedia in January. “It’s what you do with it. What do you do with the opportunity? We’ve had some games recently where you can see more determination and a commitment to detail, and it’s nice to see him rewarded for that with a couple of goals.”
“Having said that, it’s not about the goals. That’s not going to determine whether he plays or not. He’s getting an opportunity right now, and it’s up to him to make the best of it.”
Colliton’s concerns were valid. Production aside, his attitude simply felt off. In many cases, he appeared disinterested and lacked any real urgency and commitment to his game.
All this to say, Manny Malhotra and his new coaching staff have a bit of a project on their hands. But this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve preached patience, and it certainly won’t be the last. Nothing we saw in his brief showings in 2023-24 was particularly positive, but we know what we saw the year prior and have seen in the past.
When Klimovich is playing to his potential, the 6’1, 208 lb forward utilizes his powerful shot, plays with high energy, crashes the net, and gets under the skin of his opponents. His heavy release and willingness to battle in the corners were noticeable improvements in his previous seasons. And we know, with the right direction, he can get there again.
Placing him in positions to succeed, especially on the powerplay, is a good place to start.
There’s obvious work to be done, but if he can come back healthy and confidently rejuvenated, perhaps Danila Klimovich can take the torch from Jonathan Lekkerimäki and earn next year’s redemption prospect award.
Ceiling: Make no mistake about it; there’s offensive upside within Klimovich’s game. It’s just a matter of providing that consistently and doing all the other things that mould an NHL player – especially if he’s going to catch the eye of Rick Tocchet. If Manny Malhotra and the new brass in Abbotsford can find a way to light that spark, there’s still middle-six potential in Klimovich.
Floor: That ceiling is a long way from being realized. Right now, his floor is pretty similar to what his 2023-24 season looked like–a bottom-six AHL player. He still has two years left in his contract, so we’ll see where this goes.
ETA: There’s going to be some rebuilding in his game, and that will take a good portion of his development over the next few years. The hope is that he can bounce back next season, grab some much-needed confidence, and carry that into an established role in Abbotsford in 2025-26. Hopefully, by then, we can talk about cups of coffee in the NHL.
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s installment, where we cover our 15th-ranked youngster.
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