Injured Giants star Lin “hopeful” to take part in WHL Prospect Game

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Vancouver Giants star defenceman Ryan Lin is questionable for the WHL Prospects Game the club is hosting Wednesday at the Langley Events Centre.

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Top Vancouver winger Mathis Preston will definitely miss it due to injury.

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Lin (wrist) and Preston (knee) are both receiving buzz as potential first-round selections in this summer’s NHL Draft, and they were among the initial 44 players from the WHL named to the rosters. The WHL confirmed on Thursday, though, that Preston won’t be ready to play then, and named Giants winger Tobias Tomik in his place in the showcase.

This is the first all-star type event for the WHL since 2000, and it’s part of the league trying to increase its profile in light of the NCAA drawing attention for opening up its scholarship rules this year. A large contingent of NHL scouts is expected to be on hand Wednesday.

Tickets are available here.

Giants co-owners Michael Buble and Drew Scott will be celebrity coaches for the game.

Preston suffered a knee-on-knee hit in Vancouver’s game Jan. 10 at the LEC against the visiting Wenatchee Wild. There’s currently no timeline on his return to action.

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Lin was injured the following night in the Giants’ return match-up in Wenatchee when he got tangled up with Wild player near the Vancouver blue line. Lin had his cast removed last week, and he’s back skating, but he said Thursday that he’s unsure whether he’ll be ready to go for the Prospects.

“I’m hopeful but there’s not a ton I can do to speed it up,” Lin, 17, said. “I’m not going to rush it back at all. There’s no point. I’m just going to listen to the doctors, trainers. I don’t want to come back and have a set back.”

Vancouver currently has four players slated to take part in the Prospects, with forwards Brett Olson and Joe Iginla joining Lin and Tomik.

The Giants have five weeks left in the regular season, with 16 games remaining. Vancouver (19-30-1-2) has dropped eight of nine missing both Lin and Preston and they’re last in the 12-team Western Conference, sitting 10 points out of a playoff spot. The Giants are home Friday to the Penticton Vees and visit the Kelowna Rockets Saturday before hosting the Seattle Thunderbirds in a holiday Monday matinee. It will be the first game between the Giants and Thunderbirds since they traded scoring star Cameron Schmidt to Seattle as part of midseason rebuild.

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Vancouver brought in Preston in a trade with the Spokane Chiefs as part of the changes. He was in his second game as a Giant when he was injured.

“It’s been slow. Frustrating at times. But it’s getting there,” Preston, 17, said of trying to rehab and return. “But I want to come back and be 100 per cent.”

Lin is a 6-foot, 177-pound right-shot blue liner from Richmond who 11 goals and 50 points through 42 games. Preston is a 5-foot-11, 177-pound right-shot winger from Penticton and has totalled 15 goals and 35 points in 38 games this season.

Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala slotted Lin at No. 14 and Preston at No. 31 in his January draft rankings, while TSN’s Craig Button pegged Lin for No. 19 and Preston for No. 39.

Preston says that he’s not worrying that missing action is affecting his draft status.

“The biggest thing for me is just going to a team that wants me,” he said. “There are teams that are going to like your game. It’s about going to a team that wants you and gives you the best chance to step in early.”

@SteveEwen

SEwen@postmedia.com

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