Architecture Blue: Canucks Newcomer Chase Stillman prepares to improve his game in professional hockey season three
Two seasons of professional hockey can bring many learning opportunities for young players, and Chase Stillman is ready to take an important step and improve his skills to become an effective player in the Canucks organization.
Stillman was traded to Canucks on July 13 and landed in Vancouver a day later as he would be the best man at the Whistler brothers’ wedding. The 22-year-old striker, drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has now traded twice since being selected for the 29th.
After his outstanding debut at the AHL, he scored 14 goals in 54 games at the age of 20, and last season was a tough goal for Stillman. His Utica Comets started the season with a 13-game winning streak and made a coaching change, which made Stillman difficult to find his footing as he began to feel comfortable with the AHL.
Skating and keeping up are never a problem for Stillman, but he does think the jump from Junior to Pro requires some improvement in his quick decision making. When he was traded to Pittsburgh and joined Wilkes-Barre, he found his confidence soaring and he returned to a start-up game with great performance.
He now hopes to grow up in the Cantonese organization and to build relationships with Adam Foote and Manny Malhotra, which puts Stillman in the beginning of his tenure with the organization.
Stillman played summer skates in Malhotra last summer, with one of the players who helped him navigate his first two seasons of professional hockey was Nolan, son of Adam Foote.
“I’m so happy to start talking more with Vancouver staff and management, just listening to them, listening to what they say,” Stillman said. “There’s a reason they brought me, so I want to talk to them and honestly ask, ‘What should I do? It’s something I’m excited about because no matter what they ask me to do, I feel like I have the ability to do that.”
Stillman uses his high-end skating and body-on-body to gradually cause damage as he tries his best. The forward likes to throw and is disruptive in pre-censorship. He is at his best when he leans on his strengths, and once he feels comfortable with his role, his game becomes more and more offensive.
“I feel like one of the key elements of my game is skating. If I were to break into the league, it would be an inspector. I feel like I could break some of the top lines with some extra practice. But I’m confident that I can skate with anyone and can shut down the opponent and then the other way around, and then be able to produce the same offense.”
Stillman calls himself a physical player, he plays hard and always completes the checks. He believes playing this style improves his game and speeds up the transition. He wants to be a waterhole-style player, based on the foundation he is the energy guy.
When he hit the top, Stillman was below the goal line and performed well in the cycle. From there, the goal is to miss the puck online and cause damage in the opposition’s crease.
