Canucks: Projecting the team’s right-wing depth

The recent departure of Tyler Toffoli has left a void on the Vancouver Canucks’ right-wing, so it’s time to see which players might slot on each line.

One of the biggest question marks facing the Vancouver Canucks heading into the 2020-21 season is how the team’s right-wing rotation will play out.

Tyler Toffoli was a natural fit on either of Vancouver’s top two lines last year, but his departure has left a big hole in the Canucks’ forward group.

Brock Boeser is currently the only player who’s guaranteed a spot on the team’s top six, and the right-wing options following him are lacklustre, to say the least.

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Right now, it seems like the “Lotto Line” will be reunited to start the season, as they were inseparable for the majority of last year even though the other lines were often outplayed at five on five.

The question then becomes, how will the rest of Vancouver’s right-wing depth chart play out?

This all depends on whether Jake Virtanen or Adam Gaudette have improved their defensive game during the offseason. If either of them takes a jump in that department, then it’s likely Virtanen would get a long look beside Bo Horvat on the second line.

Over the past few seasons, Horvat has been tasked with playing some of the toughest matchup minutes in the entire league. If Virtanen’s defensive game takes a jump, then he might be ready to slot in beside the captain and handle tougher minutes and not be a liability in his own zone.

Gaudette’s play could also heavily influence where Virtanen plays in the lineup since any defensive improvements from him could allow Travis Green to stop sheltering the third line as much, which would relieve some of the defensive burden from Horvat. In this scenario, the captain can focus more on providing offence, and Virtanen can become a permanent fixture beside him due to the latter’s scoring prowess.

In the bottom six, Brandon Sutter will then occupy his usual spot beside Gaudette while Loui Eriksson can compete with Zack Macewen for the final right-wing slot on the bottom line.

On the other hand, if Gaudette and Virtanen both arrive at training camp still struggling to defend, then Eriksson could reprise his role on Horvat’s right-wing. Green would be forced to keep matching the second line against the opposition’s top forwards, and Eriksson’s reliable defensive game would lend itself to being a natural fit beside Horvat.

In this case, Virtanen might be pushed all the way down to the fourth line, since it’ll be a huge risk to pair him up with Gaudette, who are two of the weaker defensive forwards on the team.

Another reason why Virtanen could end up on the bottom line is because Gaudette is very poor at faceoffs, winning only 41% of them last season. He’ll need a reliable player to take draws for him like Sutter, who has won close to 50% of his faceoffs in his career.

As you can see, the right-wing position will be a point of contention to start the year, and it largely depends on whether or not Gaudette or Virtanen have taken strides in their defensive game during the offseason. Let me know if you agree in the comments below!