Adam Novotný Had Enough Figured Out in Canucks Game

There’s a temptation when watching a highly regarded prospect for the first time to start making judgments almost immediately. Did he look good? Did he look bad? Is he ready? Is he going to be a star? Hockey doesn't really work that way, of course. Especially not for a young player playing his first game in a new organization, with new teammates, new coaches and a lot of people watching.

Adam Novotný was a pretty good reminder of that in Vancouver’s prospect challenge opener.

Novotný showed energy, skill, and an ability to learn as the game went on.

He didn’t exactly light up the first period. He had the puck on his stick plenty, but some of his passes didn’t quite connect. There were moments when you could see what he was trying to do, but the execution wasn't quite there. That's not particularly alarming. In fact, it might be one of the more useful things to see from a young prospect.

The interesting part came next. After Seattle went up 3-1, Novotný came off the bench, called for the puck and suddenly found some room down the left side. He walked into the offensive zone and snapped a terrific shot into the top corner. He looked like the player Vancouver hoped it was getting with the 24th overall pick.

Even better, Novotný showed that he was willing to compete.

But the goal wasn't even the most encouraging part. Novotný started doing other things. He battled along the end boards. He curled around the net to create space. He helped create the sequence that eventually produced Sawyer Mynio’s rebound goal. He took a hit in the corner and answered with one of his own.

That matters because young skilled players are often judged by what they do when they have the puck. That's understandable. The puck skills are usually what got them noticed in the first place. But eventually, NHL hockey asks a different question: What do you do when the play isn't going your way?

Novotný didn't have everything working immediately. What was encouraging was that he didn't disappear because of it. He adjusted, found another way to contribute and became more noticeable as the game went along.

Novotný showed he could carry the puck in traffic.

There was even some evidence of that in the third period. Whenever the ice opened up on the power play, or at four-on-four, his ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone became much more apparent. That's probably the lesson worth taking from one prospect-game performance. The first impression isn't always the most important one.

Sometimes the better question is whether a young player can figure things out. Novotný took a little while to get going. Then he did. For a 19-year-old playing his first game in a Canucks uniform, that's not a bad place to start.