Run an eye over Derek Dorsett‘s stats and one figure in particular will stand out.
After a month of hockey, the right-winger has put almost one in every three shots in the net. His shooting percentage is just shy of 32, an outlying achievement in this still-fresh season that more than triples his top performing year with Columbus when he had 12 goals and scored on 8.8 per cent of his shots on goal.
He has six goals and two assists in 11 games with the Vancouver Canucks this season despite taking just 19 shots.
How long can the six-foot skater from Kindersley, Sask., keep this up? Head coach Travis Green said the club had a few questions of its own but had not slotted Dorsett into a prescribed roll upon his return from neck surgery heading into this season.
“We had questions. I’m sure he had questions where he was going to be,” said Green. “I knew he could kill penalties. I knew he was an energy player.
“Give him credit, he’s defined the role. The fact that he had the injury gave us a good reason to play him a lot in pre-season for a couple of reasons, to see where he was at and give him confidence in his body. He played well right from the drop of the puck.”
Dorsett leads the team in goals and is second in points behind Brock Boeser.
Green says the 30-year-old, shut-down forward may now be capable of more.
“People have looked at him a little bit off of what he is in the past. When you can kill penalties in this league, you have a pretty good hockey mind to do that. He is a quick skater, smart, he’s tenacious, and he is hard to play against.
The Canucks host the New Jersey Devils Wednesday at Rogers Arena. Pre-game coverage begins at 6 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 650.
