More mailbag Q&A
Will Hamonic be ready to play opening night? Does he: 1) play with Hughes opening night, or 2) does he play on 3rd pairing until ready for Hughes, or 3) does he sit out first few games? What are D pairings in each scenario?
— DSto (@DSto2) January 8, 2021
I don’t think Travis Hamonic will be ready to play on opening night, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be in the lineup. Hamonic is set to join the Canucks today on a PTO after a mandatory seven-day quarantine.
Being the first NHL player to opt-out of the NHL’s return to play this past summer, Hamonic will surely have some rust to shake off and he won’t have much time to do it. The Canucks are scheduled to practice today and potentially one other day before flying to Edmonton to start the season.
But if he’s not getting his reps in through game action, when is he going to find the time to practice and get up to speed? The Canucks start the season by playing six games in nine nights, and that’s why I believe he’ll be suiting up.
As for the second question of where he’ll play, I’d say it’s likely he slots in next to Hughes. It will be in a sheltered role until he gets his feet up to speed, but that’s where he’ll be on opening night.
Green has been saving that spot for him all camp long just as he’s kept the two other defensive pairings in check. Nate Schmidt and Alex Edler have been attached at the hip, while Olli Juolevi and Tyler Myers have skated together quite frequently. Not only that, but the pairings have been quick to find chemistry.
Juolevi has been paired with Myers in training camp. Will they make up the Canucks’ third pairing on opening night?
— James Kenneth (@JamesKe74835850) January 8, 2021
As I mentioned above, Myers and Juolevi have been spending a lot of time together through the first week of training camp. If I’ve learned anything from a ‘Travis Green style’ camp, it’s that he likes to get his D-partners together quickly and often. Remember last year? Green went months without tweaking his defence pairings.
This year shouldn’t be any different. And from what the Canucks have been rolling with through practice and scrimmages, the backend looks set for opening night, including a third-pairing of Juolevi and Myers.
The pair should be able to fend for themselves. Myers is usually a player that plays a lot better when he’s not responsible for carrying his own line, but for a third-pairing, I’d say the team is in better shape than last year. It should be interesting to see how they manage together. Myers will want to establish himself once again and Juolevi must be chomping at the bit to get his NHL career underway.
That’s it for part 1 of The Canuck Way mailbag! Refresh your feeds bright and early to read all about part 2! And remember to follow us on Twitter so that you can get involved in all the fun. Look to ask us questions each and every Friday and Saturday.