Canucks Gameday Preview: One last clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs
What else can we expect from Kole Lind?
The short answer: Hopefully a whole lot.
There’s no doubt that Kole Lind has been one of the few, if not the only, bright spot for Canucks’ fans this past week. The 22-year-old right-winger made his highly anticipated NHL debut on Thursday night, and he did not look at all out of place.
Lind, who was previously selected 33rd overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, wrapped up the evening with two SOG over 22 shifts and 17:12 of ice time. He started off the game playing alongside Motte and Brandon Sutter on the third line, but eventually saw some second-line minutes, shifting up to play with Horvat after Motte’s injury.
It was initially thought that the team might be hard-pressed to find a suitable replacement if Motte doesn’t end up playing on Saturday, but Lind might have already solved that problem.
The former Kelowna Rocket is expected to once again suit up for the Vancouver club on Saturday, and, looking at the other bottom-six options available, should deservingly replace Motte in the top-six forward group.
It would be an understatement to say that Lind has had an interesting journey to the NHL, from a broken nose to nearly avoiding COVID-19 with both the Canucks and the Utica Comets, but that’s all behind him now that he’s finally cracked the roster.
Lind brings size, speed and offensive prowess to the rink each and every night, and, based on the way that his teammates are currently performing right now, could very well be the energy boost that this club desperately needs.
What are your predictions for the final game of the season between the Canucks and Maple Leafs? Make sure to drop a comment below!
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The puck drops at 4:00 pm PST.