Vancouver Canucks: Ideal Lines for the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Canucks are spinning their wheels in neutral right now. Essentially locked into second place in the West, with no worries about slipping down in the rankings, they have gone through a pedestrian stretch of essentially playing 0.500 hockey. 

To shake things up, head coach Alain Vigneault has been experimenting with different line combinations. It doesn't hurt to see what works and what doesn't ahead of time in case slumps or injuries force a lineup change in the playoffs. 

The Canucks are also extremely healthy (knock on wood) compared to other playoff contenders, so a little juggling is necessary to keep everyone in game shape anyways. 

In that spirit, here is the lineup I would like to see for Game 1 of the Playoffs. (I'd actually like to see it earlier, but as you'll see, there is a reason that can't happen.) 

First Line: Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows

Have they been in a slump lately? Yes. 

Have they been producing better since being split up a few games ago? Yes.

But why would you not put the last two Art Ross winners together with the only winger to have consistent success with them in the last decade?

Plus, Burrows has a penchant for stepping up in the playoffs and scoring some of the biggest goals in Canucks history.

Burrows also has a reputation for other things in the playoffs, but, as Canucks fans, we don't care about that, right? 

Second Line: David Booth and Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins

This line is basically what the Canucks had as a second line heading into the Stanley Cup Finals. Except Kesler and Higgins are healthy and aren't playing on leg injuries that would require surgery. And David Booth is a huge upgrade both in size and ability to drive the net over Mason Raymond. 

This line is fast, skilled, physical and crashes the net at every opportunity. In other words, they play playoff-style hockey. They have also been the best line on the Canucks for the last month. 

Third Line: Zack Kassian and Maxim Lapierre and Jannik Hansen

Lappiere and Hansen played together for most of the playoffs last year and had some good chemistry. They like to forecheck hard and drive opposing players crazy.

Kassian has the wheels and skill to keep up with Lapierre and Hansen, and also has a "hit first" mindset.

Plus, putting Kassian on a line with the agitating Lapierre and Hansen isn't a bad idea.

Lapierre is willing to fight a lot more this year, but he doesn't win those fights very often. Kassian has the size and pugilistic skills to take on any enforcer type player that actually would get dressed for a playoff game. 

Fourth Line: Samuel Pahlsson and Manny Malhotra and Steven Reinprecht

Pahlsson and Malhotra are two of the best shutdown centermen in the NHL, so pairing them together might not make a lot of sense. But the Canucks are overly blessed with good centres, so someone has to move over to the wing. And pairing them together at even strength allows Malhotra to be even more aggressive on face-offs, knowing that he has Pahlsson to back him up if necessary.

Reinprecht might be a surprise pick for most Canucks fans. The Canucks stole him out of Florida in the David Booth trade back in October.

Reinprecht is a 35-year-old veteran with significant playoff experience during the heyday of the Colorado Avalanche, winning a Stanley Cup in 2001, and then making the Western Conference Finals in 2002.

However, Reinprecht and his salary didn't fit into the plans of the Florida Panthers after Dave Tallon took over and rebuilt the team, and he started off the season in the minors. Reinprecht has been playing well for the Chicago Wolves, putting up 33 points and a plus-12 rating in 46 games to date.

Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis has remarked repeatedly on Vancouver radio that if Reinprecht wasn't subject to recall waivers (if called up from the AHL, he would have to pass waivers, and the Canucks would be on the hook for half his salary if claimed) that he would be playing with the team in the regular season.

With that in mind, as soon as the regular season ends, Reinprecht will be on the first plane to Vancouver.

With three veterans who all play a solid shutdown game, two of the best centermen in the NHL to take the draws, and a pair of Stanley Cup winners (Pahlsson won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim), this has the making of great line to throw out head to head against opposing scorers. 

Healthy Scratches:

Mason Raymond: If anyone in the top six gets injured, Raymond will draw back into the lineup. But if everyone is healthy, he is the 7th best offensive forward on the team. And despite his great speed and two way play, he isn't an effective third liner. 

Dale Weise: Weise has done a great job this season as a grinding forward, but I think he loses his spot on the fourth line to Reinprecht once the playoffs start, as veteran experience wins out. He'll come into the lineup if the Canucks need more size or physicality. 

Andrew Ebbett: Another veteran, Ebbett broke his collarbone in that pyrrhic victory over the Boston Bruins back in January, and has just recently starting practicing with the team again. He might get a few games down the stretch to prove he is back in game shape, but don't expect him to start for Game 1 of the first round if everyone is healthy. 

Aaron Volpatti: Like Ebbett, Volpatti suffered a serious injury and was originally deemed out for the rest of the season. Also like Ebbett, Volpatti has finished his rehab and started practicing with the team again.

If the Canucks need a more physical element, Volpatti could draw in. But with the additions made since Volpatti was injured (Kassian, Pahlsson, Reinprecht), the lineup is much harder to crack than it was when he won his spot in training camp.

Byron Bitz: A huge winger who had a nice run with the Canucks, Bitz was sent to the minors on trade deadline day solely to clear space on the roster for the incoming Kassian and Pahlsson. During his stint with the Canucks, Bitz had a few fights and big hits, and surprised with his playmaking ability and scoring ability.

If the Canucks draw a physical opponent, you might see Bitz draw in to give the Canucks another huge body to crash and bang, and drop the gloves if necessary. 

You might also note that the healthy scratches I'm forecasting here are better than the actual players who started on the fourth line for the Canucks in Game 1 of the playoffs last year.

The Canucks are deeper and better suited to playoff hockey than they were last year, and so Vigneault has some decisions to make come early April. 

If you were the coach, who would you dress for the playoffs?