Vancouver Canucks: 2011 Projected Depth Chart

The Vancouver Canucks had one of the best teams last season, winning the President's Trophy as the top regular season team, and then making it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals before being defeated by the Boston Bruins.

With that in mind, general manager Mike Gillis is looking for tweaks to the roster, rather than a major overhaul.

Raffi Torres and Christian Ehrhoff both departed as free agents for greener pastures in Phoenix and Buffalo respectively.

In the meantime, Gillis brought in Marco Sturm as a reclamation project, and also filled out the roster with depth players. Gillis has also been re-signing many of the free agents, restricted and unrestricted, from last year's team.

The team still needs a bona-fide second line winger to work with Kesler, ideally one with some size. Aside from that, all the team really needs to add is grit, and possibly an enforcer.

Here is how the depth chart looks in late July, after the first stages of free agency.

*A note about the format. I listed the players in typical depth chart fashion, with a note beside each player about where I think they would fit best on the team given their talents if they make the final roster.

Left Wing

1. Daniel Sedin (first line)
2. Chris Higgins (second/third line)
3. Marco Sturm (second line)
4. Mason Raymond (second/third line)
5. Mike Duco (fourth line)
6. Aaron Volpatti (fourth line)

The Canucks can boast the defending Art Ross winner on left wing in Daniel Sedin, but after that it gets a little thin.

Higgins and Raymond are both guys who would be decent options on the second line, but might better suited as third liners on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Sturm doesn't have the grit to be a third liner, and has the potential to be a good second liner... if he is fully recovered from his injuries.

Center

1. Henrik Sedin (first line)
2. Ryan Kesler (second line)
3. Manny Malhotra (third line)
4. Maxim Lapierre (fourth line)
5. Cody Hodgson (second line)
6. Andrew Ebbett (fourth line)

This is probably the Canucks' strongest position on the forward lines. Henrik Sedin is a part Art Ross and Hart winner and Ryan Kesler put up 41 goals while winning the Selke Trophy.

In the bottom six, Malhotra is one of the league's best faceoff men and penalty killers. And any Bruins fan would agree Lapierre can fill the agitating fourth line center role with panache.

Cody Hodgson is a natural center, but he won't make the team in that position. I'd expect him to play on the second line, possibly the third line, as a winger. If he doesn't make it there, expect Gillis to trade him as part of a package to get a true second-line winger for Kesler.

Right Wing

1. Alex Burrows (first/second line)
2. Mikael Samuelsson (first/second/third line)
3. Jannik Hansen (third line)
4. Victor Oreskovich (fourth line)
5. Mark Mancari (fourth line)
6. Jordan Schroeder (second line)

The Canucks are much stronger through the lineup on right wing than they are at left wing. Burrows and Samuelsson both can complement the Sedins on the top line, but also can easily shift down to play with Kesler or even Malhotra as needed.

Hansen is due for a big payday at arbitration in a few days, but should be back to team up with Malhotra as part of a very effective third line.

Oreskovich had good moments, and not so good moments, in the playoffs. If he can be more consistent, expect the fourth line wing spot to be his.

Schroeder is a small, highly skilled forward who still needs more time in the AHL. That being said, with Mason Raymond out until November with his spinal injury, and Samuelsson just coming off surgery himself, there might be a spot for him in the top six, at least until others are healthy.

Defence

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1. Kevin Bieksa 
2. Dan Hamhuis 
3. Alex Edler 
4. Sami Salo 
5. Keith Ballard 
6. Aaron Rome 
7. Andrew Alberts 
8. Chris Tanev
9. Andrew Sulzer
10. Ryan Parent
11. Nolan Baumgartner
12. Yann Sauve
13. Kevin Connauton

Do to injuries last season, the Canucks had nine different defenders that played a significant amount of games. Eight of those defencemen are back, with the ninth (Ehrhoff) having left as a free agent.

Having eight NHL caliber defencemen does seem like an embarrassment of riches, but if there is anything Canucks fans can count on, its leading the NHL in man-games lost on defence.

Aside from the returning eight who should make the roster out of training camp, the Canucks also have a trio of AHL'ers with some NHL experience (Sulzer, Parent and Baumgartner) as well as pair of highly touted rookies that still need a bit more AHL seasoning (Sauve and Connauton).

Goal

1. Roberto Luongo (Starter)

2. Cory Schneider (Backup)

3. Eddie Lack

It shouldn't have to be said, but Roberto Luongo will be the starter.

Scheider will continue to get a decent number of starts, and should be traded (hopefully for a big power forward) sometime before the end of the year. Gillis might opt to keep Schneider through the 2012 playoffs, but his trade value might go down.

Lack had a pretty good rookie season in the AHL, going 28-21-4 with a 2.26 GAA and 0.926 save percentage. Expect Lack to be the backup whenever Schneider is traded.