Survival of the Fittest: The Canucks Have 18 Forwards Fighting for Six Positions
After being pushed around by the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs two years in a row, Vancouver Canucks' GM Mike Gillis made it a priority for the Canucks to be bigger, tougher, and generally harder to play against.
On defense, this was done by bringing in Keith Ballard (5'11" 208 lbs) and Dan Hamhuis (6'2" 205 lbs), a pair of durable defensemen.
Up front, the top six forwards from last year, a high scoring but not physically imposing bunch led by Art Ross winner Henrik Sedin, are all returning. Any improvement in grit from the top two lines is going to have to come from Alex Burrows (6'1" 200 lbs) and Ryan Kesler (6'2" 202 lbs) not being hampered by shoulder injuries by the time the playoffs come around (Burrows is still recovering from his shoulder surgery, and should be returning sometime in November).
When healthy, Burrows, Kesler, and Mikael Samuelsson (6'2" 218 lbs) provide enough physical play to make the top lines hard to play against. Mason Raymond (6' 183 lbs) and the Sedin twins (both 6'1" 183 lbs) don't shy away from high traffic areas either.
But at best, these two lines will be able to hold their own physically while dominating on the scoreboard and agitating the hell out of the other team. They won't dominate any playoff contender physically like we've seen the Ducks, Hawks, and Flyers do in recent years.
Where Mike Gillis has focused his attention is the third and fourth lines. Out are skilled but soft forwards Pavol Demitra (6' 200 lbs) and Michael Grabner (6'1" 188 lbs). The Canucks score enough to not miss them.
Undersized (in height if not weight) center Kyle Wellwood (5'10" 181 lbs) is also gone. Although Canucks fans might miss his shootout skills and playoff heroics (I certainly will), they won't miss his inconsistent regular season play.
Steve Bernier (6'2" 216 lbs) wasn't able to use his size effectively on a regular basis, and was traded to Florida as part of the Ballard deal. Center Ryan Johnson (6'1" 199 lbs) was gritty, but injured too often to be relied upon, and was let go as well.
Gillis then brought in Manny Malhotra (6'2" 220 lbs), a physical player who can play either wing or center, to anchor the new third line.
Every other spot on the roster outside of the returning top six forwards and Malhotra is up for grabs. That leaves two more spots on the third line, the entire fourth line plus a spare forward spot, for a total of six forward spots to fill for opening night.
The Canucks have completed both the rookie and veteran portions of training camp, and entering the preseason have 18 forwards with a realistic shot at the NHL competing for these six jobs.
Some are returning players from last year, fighting to hang onto their roster spots, others are rookies or minor leaguers looking to crack an NHL lineup for the first time, and some are newcomers to the Canucks.
But what all 18 have in common is that they will have to play their hearts out during the preseason to show Mike Gillis that they deserve to be wearing a Canuck jersey on opening night.
The Incumbents
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Rick Rypien (C/RW)
5'11" 190 lbs
The best fighter on the Canucks, if not the best in the entire Northwest Division, Rypien isn't the biggest guy, but he is fast enough to get in some good hits on the forecheck and he doesn't back down from anyone. Combine that with his versatility (Rypien can play either wing or centre) and he shouldn't have any problem holding onto his fourth line spot.
Darcy Hordichuk (LW)
6'1" 211 lbs
The designated enforcer on the Canucks, Hordichuk's job is endangered by Rypien's emergence and his own lack of foot speed. Exposed in the fast paced playoff environment, Hordichuk was a healthy scratch for all 12 Canucks playoff games last spring. He knows his job is on the line, and needs to show that his offseason training has improved his speed significantly to keep his old job.
Tanner Glass (LW)
6'1" 207 lbs
Glass came out of nowhere to win a roster spot on the Canucks last year, and should be an inspiration to others looking to do the same this year. Last year's leader in hits amongst the Canucks forwards, Glass should be able to hold onto his spot if he continues to throw hits and drop the gloves like he did last year.
Jannik Hansen (LW/RW)
6'1" 189 lbs
Hansen is blindingly fast, but has hands of stone, otherwise he would be a candidate for a top six role in the NHL. I've been really impressed by Hansen on several occasions, as he gets in on the forecheck and isn't afraid to stand up for his teammates. If he can show that sort of grit every night, he should make the team easily with his skillset. Otherwise he likely would be traded, as I doubt he would pass waivers if demoted to the AHL.
The Rookies
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Cody Hodgson (C)
6' 188 lbs
The most touted prospect for the Canucks since they drafted the Sedin twins, Hodgson certainly has the skills to be a top six forward, but he needs seasoning on either the third line under Malhotra's mentorship, or in the AHL. As the title of the article says, it is survival of the fittest during this competition, and I doubt Hodgson's conditioning after recovering from his back injury is good enough to allow him to compete at an NHL level. Look for him to start with the Manitoba Moose, but be called up to the NHL sometime during the season.
Jordan Schroeder (RW)
5'9" 175 lbs
The diminutive winger has looked good in playoff action with the Manitoba Moose last spring, but didn't overwhelm anyone at training camp. He needs to use his speed to get in on the forecheck and put up enough points in the preseason to justify a spot on the third line, otherwise he will be bound for the Manitoba Moose sooner or later for more seasoning. However, he is an excellent candidate to get a look at filling the hole left by Burrows in the top six forwards until he returns in November from his shoulder injury.
Prab Rai (C)
5'11" 191 lbs
Rai is definitely a long shot, but he impressed during training camp and the rookie tournament. A speedy forward coming out of the WHL, he can play centre or wing and isn't afraid to mix it up physically. Most likely going to the Moose for his first year of pro hockey, but the example of Tanner Glass last year shows we shouldn't count Rai out yet if he can come out hitting every shift.
Aaron Volpatti (LW)
6'1" 185 lbs
Another rookie who might be a long shot inspired by the Tanner Glass story, Volpatti came out hitting in the first game of the rookie tournament, and hasn't let up since. Canucks' assistant GM Lawrence Gilman has referred to Volpatti as a wrecking ball that hits everything in sight, and Moose coach Claude Noel also praised Volpatti's hitting ability. The Canucks aren't the only team to think Volpatti has NHL potential, as the Oilers, Predators and Rangers also made serious attempts at signing the undrafted BC native when his NCAA career finished last spring.
The Moose
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Alex Bolduc (C)
6'3" 178 lbs
Bolduc has played some NHL games for the Canucks (22 total) over the last two seasons, but mainly has been a player on the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks' AHL affiliate. Bolduc hasn't been noticeable for better or worse during his stints with the Canucks, which isn't a bad thing necessarily for a fourth line centre, but he is going to have to be noticeable to win that role with all the competition.
Mario Bliznak (C)
6' 185 lbs
The former Vancouver Giant (WHL), Bliznak played in a shutdown role for the Giants when they won the Memorial Cup in 2007, and he has played a similar role for the Manitoba Moose. He should get a serious look at being the fourth line centre, and failing that will be on the shortlist for injury call ups during the season.
Sergei Shirokov (LW)
5'10" 176 lbs
Shirokov actually made the Canucks out of training camp last year, only to be demoted to the AHL after just a few games. The talented Russian has had a year of seasoning in the AHL, and should be a serious contender for a spot on the team this year, in the short term as the replacement for Burrows if not a permanent spot.
Guillaume Desbiens (RW)
6'2" 210 lbs
The closest prospect the Canucks have in the mold of a prototypical power forward, Desbiens isn't afraid to fight with 11 fighting majors last year, but he also can hit on the forecheck and put up points. Perhaps more impressively, he was better than a point a game for the Moose during the playoffs last season, outscoring the heralded Jordan Schroeder, so he does have offensive upside. Desbiens almost made the Canucks last year, losing out to Tanner Glass at the very end, so look for him to compete hard this year.
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The New Guys
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Raffi Torres (LW)
6' 216 lbs
Torres should be familiar to Canucks' fans from his days in Edmonton, and he shouldn't be in any danger of not making the team. However, his exact role on either the third or the fourth line will determined through his play in the preseason and the other forwards that make the team.
Victor Oreskovich (RW)
6'3" 225 lbs
Picked up Mike Gillis in the trade for Ballard, Oreskovich should be given every chance to make the team. Almost an exact match physically for the departed Steve Bernier (also part of the Ballard trade), Oreskovich should fill the role of a big crashing winger on a more regular basis than Bernier did, at least judging by his play last year in Florida.
Joel Perrault (C)
6'2" 212 lbs
A free agent signing, Perrault has been a career AHLer, but has played 89 NHL games, mainly with Phoenix. He definitely has the size, but he will have to compete with the many other centres also looking at the fourth line centre position. I expect him to end up like Bolduc, a player on the Moose who will be called up as an injury replacement.
Jeff Tambellini (LW)
5'11" 192 lbs
Tambellini is a veteran of 180 NHL games with the New York Islanders and L.A. Kings. He'll have to prove he can be a dependable gritty forward to make the team, but he certainly has the speed to play for the Canucks.
The Old Guys
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Brendan Morrison (C)
5'11" 185 lbs
35-year-old Morrison should be more than familiar to Canucks fans. He is on a tryout with the Canucks after having played with the Washington Capitals last year. If he can prove to Gillis that he still can skate and be dependable defensively, Morrison could be a candidate for the third line or fourth line center roles. However, guile will definitely have to overcome youth, as Morrison is competing with players more than a decade younger than himself.
Peter Schaefer (LW)
6' 187 lbs
A gritty two way forward, veteran Schaefer could be a valuable addition to the Canucks. The big question is his conditioning, as he didn't play pro hockey at all last year. However, he has been reported as being in excellent shape coming into camp. Like Morrison, Schaefer is a former Canuck in camp on a tryout basis.
Survival of the Fittest
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With 18 forwards with varied skillsets competing for only six spots, Mike Gills and coach Alain Vigneault are going to have their hands full evaluating talent over the preseason.
They will need to make sure that not only are they selecting the best six forwards not only based on physical play, but that they also are getting a measure of scoring as well. And anyone they pick had better be able to skate and be defensively responsible.
The evaluation process should be looking forward to the playoffs, not the regular season. Bigger, slower players who might be able to play a physical role in the regular season, but who are healthy scratches in the playoffs (i.e. Hordichuk last season) would be a waste of a roster spot.
Salary is also a concern, but less so considering the cap hits for third and fourth line players, so practically any combination of these players could conceivably make the team.
All in all, the preseason should be fun to watch with this many players competing for jobs, compared to years past when the roster was all but set before camp even started.
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