It would be easy to question Hunter Shinakaruks first half-season of pro hockey by pointing to his six goals in 38 games and wondering what happened to the sniper who scored 86 in two WHL seasons before the Canucks made him a first-round pick.

Easy, and also very unfair.

Shinkaruk, who turned 20 in October, missed most of last season with hip labrum surgery, but, more significantly, hes faced with the large task of making the transition from junior hockey to a very different AHL game against bigger, stronger and more mature players.

Much like another Canucks first-rounder, Nicklas Jensen, did last season, Shinkaruk is working his way through it with the Utica Comets. The surgically repaired hip feels great but the scoresheet isnt always flattering.

My stats are not where Id like them to be but I really didnt play last year, said Shinkaruk, a fleet winger who was drafted 24th overall by the Canucks in 2013. Its been an adjustment. When you are 18 or 19 and the captain of your junior team, you play big minutes. Its not like that here. Its a different game. Its more closed down and theres not as much room out there. I came from junior, where theres an odd-man rush every second shift.

Comets head coach Travis Green likes what hes seen from Shinkaruk, though the steps forward have been incremental.

I really like the way hes playing, hes progressing, said Green. A lot of young guys, they try to base how theyre playing on goals and assists. But I think Hunter has done a good job in not getting caught up in that. It is hard for a guy whos been a natural scorer and has scored goals all his life. Even in the last five or 10 games, hes taken a step. Im hoping itll translate into some more points, just for him personally so he gets rewarded. I have noticed Im playing him more, and thats just him getting used to the league.

Green said one of the common challenges of adjusting to the AHL from junior and one that isnt lost on Shinkaruk is dealing with the physical one-on-one play. Though Shinkaruk put on some upper body muscle in the gym while recuperating from hip surgery last year, he still needs to get stronger.

The AHL level has a lot more one-on-one puck battles in all areas of the rink, said Green. Its not as clean a game (as the NHL). For a young guy that can be harder. Hes learning now, where hes coming out of those battles with the puck.

The rest is here:

Comets coach Green isnt measuring Shinkaruks progress on the stat sheet