Why a rookie will dictate the Canucks’ defensive pairs

The Vancouver Canucks seem set on having a rookie defender make the team, and this will have major implications on how the pairings shake out this season.

Due to the disappointing performance of Jordie Benn last year, the Vancouver Canucks seems set on deploying him as a seventh option rather than a mainstay in the top six. This means that the team still has a vacant spot on their blueline even after the recent addition of Travis Hamonic.

With training camp opening a few days ago, we still don’t know who will grab that final spot on the third pairing. Crucially, the player who makes it will impact the rest of Vancouver’s backend because it could alter the left/right shot balance of the blueline.

Outside of Benn, the Canucks currently have two right-shot defenders in Hamonic and Tyler Myers. On the other side, the team has three left shots in Quinn Hughes, Alex Edler and Nate Schmidt.

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However, Schmidt has the ability to play on both sides and has actually been deployed primarily on the right in recent seasons. This is especially important because it gives the team more flexibility when deciding how the pairings will look.

Right now, the four main candidates to make the team include Olli Juolevi, Jack Rathbone, Brogan Rafferty, and Jalen Chatfield. The latter two are right shots while the first pair play on the left side.

If Rafferty or Chatfield makes the roster, Vancouver’s top six will have an equal number of left/right shot defenders. This allows the Canucks to deploy Schmidt on his strong side, which is the preference of Travis Green.

In this scenario, the pairings might be Hughes-Hamonic, Schmidt-Myers, and Edler-Rafferty/Chatfield.

However, if Juolevi or Rathbone earns that spot, it would force the coaching staff to play Schmidt on the right. This might result in a lineup consisting of Hughes-Hamonic, Edler-Schmidt, and Juolevi/Rathbone-Myers.

Personally, I’d like to see Juolevi make the team and have Schmidt play on his off-side since that’s the place where he has experienced the most success. The good news is that Schmidt’s versatility and the addition of Hamonic give the Canucks lots of options to consider, which is something the team didn’t have last year. Let me know in the comments how you see the defensive pairings shaking out this season!