PENTICTON, B.C. — Brendan Gaunce knows it can take a long time for young players to gain the trust of an NHL team. He hopes a change he made last season will help speed that process along with the Vancouver Canucks.
The 26th pick at the 2012 draft was moved from centre to the wing last season with the AHL's Utica Comets, a switch the 21-year-old from Markham, Ont., said has helped improve his overall game.
"I think it will be a benefit in the long run," said Gaunce. "With the Canucks knowing I can play both those positions and that I can play them well enough that they'll trust me, it was definitely a positive."
Gaunce just completed his third Young Stars rookie tournament after scoring 11 goals and 18 assists in 74 AHL games last season. He added four goals and five assists in 21 playoff games.
"I found playing wing I know what the centre is going to do," he said. "I played centre my whole life so you kind of know where the centre's going to be on certain plays. It really helps you on the wall because you don't always have eyes on the play."
One of the draft picks in the Canucks' system who wasn't selected by the current management regime, on the surface it would appear as though Gaunce has been surpassed by other prospects in the organizational pecking order — namely 2014 first-rounders Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann — with training camp set to begin Friday.
Utica head coach Travis Green, who led Vancouver's prospects in Penticton at the Young Stars tournament, said he wouldn't be surprised to see Gaunce play in the NHL at some point this season.
"He's taken off. He's had a good summer," said Green. "I think he's one of those guys that if he has a good camp and progresses the way he should ... he should put himself in a good spot to play some (NHL) games."
The Canucks remain a team in transition, with younger players getting sprinkled among the veteran core. For his part, the six-foot-two 205-pound Gaunce isn't focused on anything other than continuing to improve.
"I think that's the mentality you have to have as a young guy," he said. "You can't look at it like you need to be on the team and if you're not it's a huge downer. I'm confident in myself that I can play at the NHL level. You just have to get them to trust you.
"You can't go into it slowly. You have to go into it full press. There's definitely an opportunity for me this year."
The Young Stars tournament also included rookies from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
