With the the third line devoid of any signs of life offensively, it looks like the Vancouver Canucks are going to start to switch things up with their personnel. Dakota Joshua took a lousy penalty in the overtime loss to the New York Rangers, which might have prompted head coach Rick Tocchet to make some changes.
On Monday, the Canucks reinstated Jack Studnicka in the lineup, taking his place on the fourth line right wing next to Sam Lafferty and Nils Hoglander. Anthony Beauvillier replaces Joshua on the third line next to Pius Suter and Conor Garland, while the rest of the lineup remains the same. This third line now takes on a more offensive outlook with Beauvillier on it; all three players have a history of being strong complimentary scorers.
Joshua was able to establish himself as an NHL regular last year, scoring 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points in a career-high 79 appearances. Through eight games this year, however, the 27-year-old has only one goal and no assists, and doesn’t seem to be meshing well with his new linemates. Swapping Joshua with Beauvillier might allow for some more cohesion within that line’s approach, and will also allow Joshua to hit the reset button and start over.
Rick Tocchet says he’s liked Nils Höglander’s game more over the last couple of games, and he (at least partially) attributes that to the fact that Höglander has been going over video with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. #Canucks @Sportsnet650
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) October 30, 2023
Another option for the Canucks would have been promoting the young Hoglander up one line, but it would appear that Tocchet and co. are happy with where he’s at in his current role. As they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and the 22-year-old has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise so far. He’s also been watching film with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin after games, which presumably goes a long way too.
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The Canucks have done just fine with the personnel they’ve had up to this point, but it’s now clear that Tocchet sees that the team has another gear that they’re yet to reach. Giving Joshua a reprieve might help them do that.