Vancouver Giants Tap Michael Dyck to Ignite Rebuild with Trade for Cash Koch

Michael Dyck is aiming to accelerate the Vancouver Giants’ rebuild.

Named general manager and coach last month, Dyck sent a 2028 first‑round pick to the Tri‑City Americans in exchange for 19‑year‑old winger Cash Koch (pronounced Cook), and also secured a conditional 2029 fifth‑round pick as part of the deal.

WHL training camps open this week; Vancouver’s first pre‑season game is September 4 against Seattle in Everett, and the regular season kicks off September 19 when the Giants host the Kelowna Rockets at the Langley Events Centre.

The 6‑foot, 196‑pound Koch recorded seven goals and 16 points in 41 games last season for Tri‑City. Although clubs rarely trade a first‑round pick for modest production, Dyck envisions a feisty, heavy‑forecheck identity for the Giants—a style that matches Koch’s approach.

Koch hails from Calgary, where he played for the Edge academy before joining Tri‑City. His teammates include former Brandon Wheat King Carter Klippenstein, and Dyck has previously worked with Koch’s uncle, Wade Klippenstein, now director of hockey operations at Notre Dame academy.

This marks Dyck’s second stint as the Giants’ bench boss. During his initial five‑year run from 2018 to 2023 he guided the team to the 2019 league championship series, constructing a workhorse identity he now hopes to re‑establish quickly.

Koch’s scouting report notes he is “unmatched in intensity, never takes his foot off the gas pedal, launches himself at opponents on the forecheck, sprints full‑speed back into play, and battles for every inch of ice.”

Vancouver finished the past season with a 25‑39‑2‑2 record, placing last in the Western Conference. The club has not won a playoff round since 2021‑22 and has not been regarded as a difficult opponent since Dyck departed for the Toronto Marlies after the 2022‑23 campaign.

Dyck returned to the Giants this summer after three seasons with the Marlies, a period that included helping them capture the Calder Cup.

Vancouver entered the offseason with three 2028 first‑round picks—acquired via trades sending forward Cameron Schmidt to the Seattle Thunderbirds and defenceman Mazden Leslie to the Kelowna Rockets, plus the pick used in the Koch deal. It is unclear which of the three selections went to Tri‑City.

The Giants also obtained a conditional 2028 first‑rounder from the Portland Winterhawks in exchange for the rights to forward Mason West; however, West is slated to play this season at Michigan State University, making the swap unlikely to materialize.

Across the WHL, shrinking trade windows as players leave for NCAA eligibility are driving up player values, leaving franchises with less time to build.

Vancouver’s key player this season is expected to be forward Mathis Preston, 18, a second‑round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the June NHL draft, who is likely to pursue an NCAA route next year.

The club lost its top‑tier defenceman Ryan Lin, 18, a first‑round selection (21st overall) by the San Jose Sharks, to the University of Denver for the coming season. Prior to the recent NCAA rule changes, Vancouver would have retained Lin for at least another year, possibly two.

Koch has committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2027‑28 academic year; the conditional fifth‑round pick attached to the trade hinges on whether he returns to Vancouver for a second year as a 20‑year‑old.

Koch missed the final 22 games of the Americans’ season after an upper‑body injury caused by an accidental trip from a linesman during a fight with Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Max Lavoie on January 30. Over his WHL career he has amassed 29 goals, 58 points and 253 penalty minutes in 175 games.

Dyck’s rebuilding effort will also focus on the defensive corps. Ryan Lin was averaging roughly 25 minutes per game; the Giants will need to replace that ice time, a role initially eyed for Will Sharpe, who instead opted for St. Cloud State University over the summer. Sharpe is a 2025 Los Angeles Kings seventh‑round pick with 185 WHL games to his name.

The Giants have yet to announce commitments from import defenders Jakub Floris, 18, and Oliver Botka, 17, both selected in the CHL import draft this summer. Floris was a fourth‑round pick of the Nashville Predators in June, while Botka remains eligible for next summer’s draft.

SEwen@postmedia.com

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