39 jours avant la soirée d’ouverture : Jim Sandlak (39e meilleur marqueur de tous les temps)
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39 jours avant la soirée d’ouverture : Jim Sandlak (39e meilleur marqueur de tous les temps)
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39. Jim Sandlak — 509GP | 104G | 117A | 221P | 1985-1993 & 1995-96
Jim “The House” Sandlak was listed at 6’3” in his draft season playing with the London Knights. His large size earned him the nickname “The House” and his size and skill made him a top ranked prospect in the 1985 NHL Draft. Sandlak was selected by Vancouver 4th overall.
After being drafted, Sandlak grew another inch and at 6’4 220 lbs, he had the physical traits needed to be a top power forward in the NHL—which Vancouver was sorely missing.
At 19, he managed to play 23-games with Vancouver. Although he did not get a ton of action in the NHL, Vancouver felt that Sandlak was progressing well. In fact, Sandlak & Cam Neely were similar role players and management had enough confidence in Sandlak that the Canucks ended up moving Neely & a 1st to the Bruins in June for Barry Pederson.
Since Sandlak didn’t play 25+ games in 1985-86, it did not count as his rookie season so in 1986-87, he had 36-points in 78-games and made the league’s All-Rookie team.
Meanwhile in Boston, Neely was nearly a point-per-game that season and the comparisons and criticism from the fanbase started growing louder and louder.
Sandlak never had more than 40-points in the regular season throughout his career. He achieved that total in 1988-89 & again in 1991-92. His best stretch of hockey in a Canucks sweater came in the 1992 playoffs where he dominated the 1st round against Winnipeg. He had 4-goals and 10-points in 13-playoff games that year. Still just 25-years old, many were hoping that was the moment Sandlak’s career turned around.
Instead, injuries began to build up and Sandlak was missing significant time. He still managed to play 59-games in 1992-93 but only totalled 10-goals and 28-points.
That off-season, Sandlak became the future considerations from a March 1992 trade that saw Murray Craven and a 5th-round pick go to Vancouver in exchange for Robert Kron, a 3rd-round pick and future considerations going to Hartford.
His tenure in Hartford was injury riddled and he managed to play just 40-games across two seasons. Sandlak then returned to Vancouver as a UFA in 1995, but he only managed to score 6-points across 33-games.
After a failed tryout with Buffalo the following year, Sandlak retired from the NHL. A year later, he came out of retirement to play in Germany for a season.
Sandlak ranks 39th all-time in Canucks scoring.
Lots of former Canucks in that picture.
Ha this is what I thought Podkolzin might be this season, a guy running up and down the wing hitting everything that moves and chip in a few goals. A perfect project player for Tocchet, I thought. And both Sandlak and Podz were high draft picks.
Well so much for that dream.