Looks like we have the Vancouver Canucks' starting lineup for October, more or less. Sure, training camp begins in September, but that should have several unique faces zooming in for a look-see, not the final product. No doubt management is looking to add a bit more to the front six, but should that not happen, what we see is what we get.
There are plenty of questions about what, whom and how, so let's dig in.
If you're concerned about seeing the same faces and wondering how that makes the team better, well, that's reasonable. No forward on the squad broke 50 points last season, and their Big Get had zero. Evander Kane had six goals and 12 points in 21 playoff games, but waited the entire regular season for it to happen.
So this is not going to be a squad that outscores its troubles. Maybe there will be some divine intervention and Vancouver will suddenly discover a power play that hits 25%. Heck, their penalty kill reached the top three last year, so miracles do happen.
But most of the game happens 5-on-5, so finding what might work there will determine the season. A healthy Demko can steal games, but it's a lot better if he doesn't have to. There is some wishcasting going on here, but we can't predict injuries. We need to assume everyone's healthy - but contingency plans never hurt.
There is a strong argument for putting the most expensive forwards on the same line together. In theory, those are your best players, and skill feeds off skill. Others swear by pairings with a useful third. I lean a little more toward a third option on the first line.
Nils Höglander - Elias Pettersson - Brock Boeser
The skill here is obvious, but Pettersson and Boeser alone miss a vital element. A passer, a shooter, and a terrier all have their roles in this trio. Sound familiar, Hank-Dank-Burr fans? Or Hanik-Danik-Janik for the Janik Hansen fans among us. Just me? Harrumph. Philistines.
Boeser still has a magic ability to find empty spaces to shoot from, but is also sound with the puck and a decent passer himself. A lot more of his goals come from in front of the net now than did in his early years, and that's not a skill that will fade quickly now that he's found it. He has an underrated boards game, and holds the puck until it's needed really well.
Pettersson, of course, has some making up to do. But I do think he will, and if this season is a fresh start for anyone, it's him. He's got some hurt pride and will want to prove he is who he was as a 100-point man. Even when he wasn't scoring last season, his control game was good. In an awful year, his Corsi and Fenwick were at career lows - just over 49%. That's not a bad floor to launch from.
Höglander is the trickier one, but a wrecking ball retriever chasing the puck carrier into mistakes is his best role. That he can also find the net will keep the other team honest, and that's what you're looking for as a third.
This is a grab-and-hold line, fetching the puck on dump-ins and waiting for the other team to make a mistake before striking. Play it with Quinn Hughes at the back, and it would virtually be a power play.
Jake DeBrusk - Filip Chytil - Evander Kane
Dakota Joshua - Aatu Räty - Conor Garland
As briefly as we saw him last season, Chytil showed something in short supply in Vancouver: entry speed. He's a big guy who carries the puck extremely well up the ice. He should work well with Kane, who has a surprisingly deft shot off the rush. And, given the nature of Chytil's injury history, having Kane as a linemate will give opponents second thoughts on taking advantage of the fragile centre.
DeBrusk was one of the Canucks' few good news stories last season, and good news! His career high in goals wasn't because of an abnormally high shooting percentage! It was higher than usual, but not by five points or anything weird. His more common number of 20-25 goals is well within reach, and he's more likely to get them if neither Chytil nor Kane scores immediately.
DeBrusk does his best work down low, and if the puck stays in the zone, it should be on his stick with Kane at the netfront and Chytil high. Call them the 30-Second Line.
Joshua's return from cancer treatments was great to know, but his return to play was tentative. No surprise, it took him a while to return to form, and spent much of the year trying to catch up to an already moving train. He did pick up five points in the last ten games of the year, and while his hits were at his usual pace, his overall play only improved late.
Garland is exactly what he says on the tin. Once he has the puck, he dares opponents to come get it. He can hold the puck until a teammate gets open or there's a line to the net, and is utterly fearless when he makes his choice.
Okay, yes, Aatu Räty is good at faceoffs when young guys aren't supposed to be. He was also mentioned as a possible first-overall pick in his draft year's pre-season, and he wasn't that, either. Ahich is a great sign, frankly. Räty changed his game to "whatever will get me to the NHL" and that means he knows how hard he has to work.
As the statistics nerds tell us, faceoffs are overrated as far as overall wins are concerned. Right up until it's the last minute to play and the game is within one, when coaches will put their best out there. To quote screenwriter William Goldman: "stars are essentially worthless - and absolutely essential."
Call these lines two and three in whichever order you like. If the opponents want to go fast and leave themselves open for counterattacks, Chytil's line could see more ice. Facing a slow-it-down, grinding team? Rely on Räty with veterans Garland and Joshua to make life miserable for them.
Things get very interesting back here. A lot of names have yet to be mentioned, especially with Räty on the third line and the Abbotsford Canucks having the best possible season. The pressure is on, but three obviously have the lead.
Drew O'Connor - Teddy Blueger - Kiefer Sherwood
This is clearly the penalty kill specialist hiding place, but it has a lot more potential than that. O'Connor and Sherwood have some speed to them, enough to take opponents by surprise and take advantage of weaker matchups. Sherwood is the player most likely to move up when an opening hits, but he's effective here as well. And if O'Connor can develop some hands to go with his feet...
Blueger isn't the fastest player, but an excellent penalty killer and got enough chances to score 26 points.
Blueger and O'Connor are probably the most vulnerable to being bumped by one of a trio of challengers waiting their turn. Nils Åman, Linus Karlsson, and Max Sasson all had excellent seasons with Abbotsford. On a guess, Åman starts with Vancouver, but there are many months to go yet.
