Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks left winger Tom Sestito looks like a safe bet to get the start on the fourth line when the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs start either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Saturday night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers was meaningless game for the Canucks, but it was a pivotal one for Sestito, Dale Weise, Steve Pinizzotto, Andrew Ebbett. They were all auditioning for spots in the lineup for Game 1.

Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault could go with any one of the four on left wing on the fourth line. Rookie centre Jordan Schroeder could take over the fourth line centre position from Ebbett.

Sestito appears to be the one player that earned a spot in the lineup following Saturday’s game.

He scored his first goal as a Canuck to cap off a play that started off with a great defensive play in the Canucks zone. Sestito tipped a loose puck past the pinching Oilers defenceman Ladislav Smid. He rubbed Smid out along the boards at the Canucks blue line and moved the puck to defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who eventually found Zack Kassian down the left wing for a shot on Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk. Sestito was able to pounce on the rebound for the goal.

Aside from the goal, Sestito still fared statistically better than his counterparts by finishing with an even rating and four hits in 11:29 of ice time. Weise had two hits and was minus-2 in 14:14. Pinizzotto was also minus-2, but managed four hits in 12:02.

Ebbett won 45% of his faceoffs and finished with an even rating in 16:39. By the account of Canucks Army’s Thomas Drance, he “didn’t have an awful game all things considered.” Is okay enough to warrant a spot in the lineup?

He is a serviceable and versatile player that can play a number of roles for the Canucks. Ebbett even tries to lay the body on the forecheck, but might not be any better than a part-time depth player that fills in for injured players since he brings no unique element to the lineup.

There’s a good chance the Canucks insert Schroeder into the fourth line centre position. We have seen Schroeder is not a liability in the defensive zone through 31 games this season and can play first line or fourth line.

Prior to being demoted on March 11, he played a chunk of games on the fourth line and played quite admirably. Schroeder managed to turn Dale Weise into a scoring threat and had fans clamoring for a promotion the top-nine.

The decision by Vigneault to use Schroeder might have been by design to see how he would acquit himself playing with some lesser talented players and whether his speed would be able to compliment pugnacity. He passed the test and the Canucks might use him there in the playoffs.

Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks right winger Zack Kassian‘s demotion to the minors might have been for disciplinary reasons, but it appears it was also done to make him eligible to play for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL playoffs.

In years past, AHL teams were required to declare a Clear Day roster consisting of 22 players a week after the NHL trade deadline. Only the players on the list would be eligible to play for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. As a result, each year teams would “paper” down prospects in order to make them eligible.

The new collective bargaining agreement has removed the Clear Day roster process, but teams still needed to “paper” down players on Wednesday to make them eligible to be included in the team’s playoff roster, which is due on April 22 at 12pm PDT.

Kassian was sent down on Sunday and centre Jordan Schroeder went down after the acquisition of Derek Roy from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Shortly after practice on Wednesday, wingers Nicklas Jensen and Bill Sweatt were both sent back to the Wolves as well.

The Canucks quickly recalled Jensen and Kassian after the 12pm PDT trade deadline.

These moves were made to allow all four players to be included in the April 22 playoff roster and be eligible for the AHL playoffs. National Hockey League rules state that only players recalled after the trade deadline are eligible to return play in the AHL playoffs, according to Tyson Giuriato.

New NHL rule this season: only players recalled from the AHL after the trade deadline are eligible to go back and play in the AHL playoffs.

— Tyson Giuriato(@TysonGiuriato) April 4, 2013

Teams are “sending” guys back and then recalling. Including Nicklas Jensen, who according to the AHL site was sent down and called up today.

— Tyson Giuriato(@TysonGiuriato) April 4, 2013

Looks like it. RT @djskead: @tysongiuriato So technically Zack Kassian is eligible for AHL playoffs?

— Tyson Giuriato(@TysonGiuriato) April 4, 2013

Kassian, Jensen, Schroeder, and Sweatt would not have been able to play for the Wolves in the playoffs had the Canucks not re-assigned the four back to the Wolves prior to Wednesday’s 12pm PDT trade deadline.

Since the Canucks are short two forwards, they had to use two of their four recalls allowed after trade deadline to bring Kassian and Jensen back up.

It was previously reported in the media that the “four recall rule” had been removed in the new CBA, but the NHL and NHLPA’s memorandum of understanding states the rule is still in place. It says teams will be limited to four recalls between the trade deadline and the end of the regular season. Previously teams were limited to four recalls from the trade deadline until the end of the minor league team’s season.

The existing “Four Recall Rule” will continue to be applicable, but only during the period between the Trade Deadline and the end of the Regular Season. Following the conclusion of the NHL Regular Season, a Club may exercise an unlimited number of additional Regular Recalls provided that it may have no more than three (3) Players on its Active Roster who were recalled by way of Regular Recall after the Trade Deadline, unless the fourth Player had been recalled during the Regular Season in which case such Player may remain in the NHL.

Recalls made under emergency conditions when the team falls below two goaltenders and 18 skaters do not count towards the four recalls.

It means bubble players Andrew Ebbett and Cam Barker will likely remain with the Canucks for the rest of the season. The Canucks could still send them to the Wolves and both could play for the team in the regular season, but neither player will be able to play in the playoffs.

(Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

Vancouver Canucks forward David Booth says he is close to returning and expects to play during the team’s upcoming four-game road trip.

The Canucks will be in Chicago on Tuesday, Dallas on Thursday, and Nashville on Friday before finishing the trip in Detroit on Sunday against the Red Wings. Booth says the first game of the trip against the Blackhawks is a “possibility.”

Canuck LW David Booth (groin) says he is close and expects to play on upcoming road trip. #canucks

— Elliott Pap (@ElliottPap) February 17, 2013

Canuck David Booth (groin) on when he might play: “Chicago is a possibility in my mind. Two days is a lot. We’ll see how it feels.” #canucks

— Elliott Pap (@ElliottPap) February 17, 2013

More Booth: “I know I’m very close. I’m getting excited. Hopefully, I’ll be playing very soon.” #didnotsaybabysteps #didnotsaynotimeline

— Elliott Pap (@ElliottPap) February 17, 2013

In order to activate Booth off injured reserve and insert him to the lineup, the Canucks will have to make room on their 23-man roster. The Canucks placed Manny Malhotra on injured reserve on Friday to facilitate the return of Ryan Kesler, but this time they will surely have to send a player down to the minors to make room.

Zack Kassian, Chris Tanev, and Jordan Schroeder are all on entry-level contracts, which means they all can be sent down to the minors without having to clear waivers. However, all three have been playing well for the Canucks thus far this season.

Kassian leads the Canucks in goals with five and brings a combination of toughness and skill to the lineup. Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has the option of playing Kassian alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin when the going gets rough. Tanev has formed what associate coach Rick Bowness calls as his best defence pairing thus far this season with Keith Ballard. Schroeder has also found some chemistry on a line with Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen to form arguably one of the league’s fastest lines.

This leaves forwards Aaron Volpatti, Dale Weise, and Andrew Ebbett as possible candidates to go on waivers to make room for Booth.

Volpatti has played admirably this season by being a consistent physical presence on the fourth line and engaging in the fisticuffs. The Canucks were unwilling to place him on waivers at beginning of the season so he could play for the Chicago Wolves during the lockout fearing they would lose him. It is unlikely the Canucks will be willing to take that risk now either.

Weise is another candidate due to his inability to win a fight in a Canucks uniform (according to Hockeyfights.com, he has no wins in a Canucks uniform). However, Weise has been a contributor on the Canucks penalty kill and has shown the versatility to move up and down the lineup. His physical play has also vastly improved this season as he is third on the team behind Maxim Lapierre and Volpatti with 31 hits. Last season, he had less than half (118 hits) the number of hits Lapierre did (244 hits).

This leaves us with Ebbett and if I am a betting man, he’s going to go on waivers to make room for Booth. He is a versatile player that can play anywhere from the first line to the fourth line, play all forward positions, play on the power play and penalty kill. Ebbett is a jack-of-all-trades player, but that might be his Achilles heel—his inability to play a specific role and do it well for a team.

Calgary Flames centre Blair Jones cleared waivers on Sunday and there was belief that he would not since he is considered a good fourth line centre. There doesn’t appear to be much interest around the league for depth forwards, so Ebbett has a good chance of clearing. The Chicago Wolves could also use Ebbett after losing Anton Rodin and Andrew Gordon to injury last night against the Lake Erie Monsters. They could use a first line centre on their team as well and that’s something Ebbett can be at the AHL level.