DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 23: Vancouver Canucks players, including Travis Dermott #24 and Bo Horvat #53, celebrate after a third-period Brock Boeser goal at Ball Arena on March 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
We are now in August and that means the Vancouver Canucks will hit the ice starting next month.
There are some faces on the roster. However, some players were expected to be traded by many fans who are still here. Of course, those trades could still happen. As of now, things are quiet.
Let’s predict the Canucks opening night lineup assuming no changes are made from now until October 12 when they open their season in Edmonton against the Oilers.
First forward line: Vasily Podkolzin-Elias Pettersson- Brock Boeser
Elias Pettersson had a great second half last season while Brock Boeser had another season of inconsistency. As for Vasily Podkolzin, he got progressively better as the season went on.
This potential Canucks first line will bring a lot of skill. Pettersson is the playmaker while Boeser is relied upon to put the puck into the net. There will also be some added grit to it with Podkolzin so this line has some good balance to it.
When it comes to the forecheck, head coach Bruce Boudreau likes it to be aggressive, and Podkolzin excelled at that when Boudreau came in.
These three did play together in the late stages of last season and looked good for the most part. This is a line that could really put out some offence.
Second forward line: Ilya Mikheyev- J.T. Miller- Conor Garland
If J.T. Miller is still a Canuck by the start of the next season, he probably should play centre. Yes, he isn’t very good defensively at centre,(or in general) but that is where Ilya Mikheyev comes in.
Mikheyev’s underlying numbers show he was very solid defensively with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. So there is the defensive forward this line needs.
Conor Garland had an up and down 2021-22 but was the best Canuck at five on five according to NaturalStatTrick. His feisty forechecking game will go well with Mikheyev’s speed and Miller’s offensive output.
This is a line that brings speed and sandpaper and could be tough to play against.
Third forward line: Tanner Pearson- Bo Horvat- Andrei Kuzmenko
It is tempting to put Andrei Kuzmenko in the top six. However, he has got to prove he belongs in the NHL first. Putting him on the third line isn’t the worst idea.
With Pettersson and Miller on lines one and two, Bo Horvat will have to centre the third line. Perhaps playing and learning from the captain can benefit Kuzmenko. Tanner Pearson may not be scoring the way he used to but he is still a useful player in other ways such as passing and the puck battles. Defensively, he isn’t that bad either.
Don’t expect this line to be a checking line. With the forwards the Canucks have, they have a good top nine. Horvat will lead the scoring on the third line
Fourth forward line: Nils Höglander- Curtis Lazar- Dakota Joshua
Yeah, it does feel wrong putting Höglander on the fourth line but given how poor he was last season, it makes sense. In fact, this is the best place for him to start the season. If he does well, then he can move up in the lineup.
The 21-year-old will need to prove to Boudreau that last season won’t be a recurrence. Höglander is great at winning puck battles and he could potentially have chemistry with Curtis Lazar and Dakota Joshua.
Lazar provides defensive responsibility and Joshua is a player that brings physicality and some edge.
Extras: Jason Dickinson and Will Lockwood
It doesn’t look good to have a player making close to three million dollars as a healthy scratch but the Canucks can’t trade him because there has been no interest. Besides, there doesn’t seem to be room for him anyway and he wasn’t a fit at all. Perhaps they could send him to Abbotsford. That way the Canucks can save one million dollars in cap space. It’s ain’t much but it’s something.
Will Lockwood will probably see some NHL time next season. He’s got speed and physicality and would be a good fourth-line option. Unless he has a really good camp and preseason, Lockwood will probably be an extra forward.
Apr 28, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports /
First defensive pairing: Quinn Hughes and Luke Schenn
Ok, time to get to the defence. It’s still not good as you already know. Predicting the back end was a lot harder than the forwards.
It’s not ideal but I feel like Quinn Hughes and Luke Schenn will be paired together. But it’s not like they were a bad pairing last season. While Hughes was just being excellent offensively, Schenn was solid in his own end.
He even was like a bodyguard for Hughes and was often standing up for him. One example was Schenn coming to Hughes’ defence after he was rocked by a big Jamie Benn hit. That was a pretty entertaining fight.
While Schenn isn’t a top pairing guy by any means, it isn’t the worst idea to have him paired up with Hughes.
Second defensive pairing: Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Travis Dermott
Oliver Ekman-Larsson transitioned from a top pairing in Arizona to a shutdown pairing role in Vancouver.
He wasn’t putting up as many points but for most of last season, he did well defensively. Will that continue is the question. The shutdown role will likely continue for OEL.
Travis Dermott looked solid when he came from the Leafs before last year’s trade deadline. He has good puck-handling skills and is decent in his own end.
Both players can provide offence when they can but this pairing will all be about the shutdown.
Third defensive pairing: Jack Rathbone and Tyler Myers
Jack Rathbone looked too good for the AHL last season and is on the cusp of making the NHL full-time. But he has to prove it.
He showed great mobility in his nine games in the NHL last season but his defensive game was lacking. I have the feeling things will be better for Rathbone this season.
Tyler Myers on the third pairing wouldn’t be a bad idea. He and Dermott played 52:25 together near the end of last season and didn’t look bad at all. Myers can be chaotic in his own end at times but maybe fewer minutes on the third pair can tone down the chaos, even just a little. (Though Wyatt Arndt would beg to differ.)
Extra: Tucker Poolman
Things are still unclear whether or not Tucker Poolman will be ready to start the season or not. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal that Poolman is progressing this offseason but is concerned because he was dealing with a head injury.
Rutherford says he is concerned with D Tucker Poolman head injury but he has worked hard and progressed.
I have been told, there have been no setbacks this summer for Poolman.
You don’t have to agree with any of my lineup predictions as I don’t expect all to be right. You can also give me your lineup predictions in the comments below.
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