Shinkaruk is an interesting prospect. According to the consensus draft rankings posted at NHLNumbers.com, Shinkaruk was the 12th best prospect heading into the draft. Bob McKenzie had him ranked 14th overall, right behind Bo Horvat. Corey Pronman saw him as a top-ten pick.
And yet, Shinkaruk slid down through the first round until the Canucks picked him up at 24th overall. Scouts point to his high-end offensive talent and he was one of just three prospects who had already scored 100 goals in major junior heading into the draft, but questions about his size and all-around game scared off other teams.
BC hockey fans might have seen a bit more from Shinkaruk than some other draft-eligible prospects since he played in the WHL, but I'll be honest: I only saw him once last season, even with the lockout. I'm much more familiar with him from playing on his line in NHL 13 Be A Pro mode. So we have to rely on YouTube to provide us with highlights in order to actually see him for ourselves.
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