Centers
Henrik Sedin: 87
You probably guessed this one after seeing Henrik’s twin brother Daniel. Henrik is obviously an 87 again. Both Daniel and Henrik recorded .74 points per game last season which isn’t elite but definitely above average. Henrik won’t score 100 points again, but he is still one of the Canucks’ top players, and they would struggle mightily if they didn’t have him anymore.
Brandon Sutter: 84
Who’s the Canucks’ second-line center — Bo Horvat or Brandon Sutter? For now, we have Sutter pencilled in for the position, but they will likely get a similar amount of ice time this season. Sutter will get more defensive-zone starts and time on the penalty kill while Horvat gets to focus a little more on offense. That is why…
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Bo Horvat: 84
…both Sutter and Horvat get an 84 rating. Horvat is Vancouver’s third-best scorer and there is reason to believe he can surpass 50 points this season. If he sees a lot of ice time with Loui Eriksson, the sky is the limit.
Markus Granlund: 80
Likely the starting center on the fourth line, Markus Granlund still has a lot to prove. He is supposed to be a strong two-way center but struggles with faceoffs and only had two goals and three points in his first 16 games with the Canucks. Of course, Granlund spent most of his ice time with bottom-six players like Derek Dorsett, but that likely isn’t changing anytime soon — unless he moves to the wing. An 80 rating should be fair for now.
Jayson Megna: 78
If there is one prime candidate to be an extra forward in the NHL to start the year, it is Jayson Megna. The 26-year old likely won’t develop much more and will accept being healthy scratch with the occasional NHL appearance instead of a full-time AHL role. He is a speedy forward who can play at center or on the wing, but he likely isn’t a full-time NHL starter.
Michael Chaput: 78
Megna’s No. 1 rival for the extra forward position is Michael Chaput. The 24-year old has appeared in two more NHL games than Megna and had similar “success”. At this point, they both just want to make the NHL somehow, but they don’t deserve a higher rating than 78. Chaput likely has better potential than Megna.
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