Vancouver Canucks Opening Day Lineup
October 4th, 2017 -
Bertuzzi - Henrik - Daniel
McCann was pencilled in beside the twins at the start of preseason but they struggled together and Bertuzzi really clicked well with them and had a strong finish to the preseason.
Filatov - Horvat - Sharp
This line didn't get a ton of time together in preseason but was always the anticipated second line this year. Filatov and Horvat created some chemistry together last season and adding the veteran Sharp into the mix should give them more skill to work with than they had last season while also giving them some help in the defensive zone.
B. Tanev - Cassels - Koivu
After neither Noesen nor Anderson really earned that 3rd line RW spot Mikko Koivu will step into it and should fit right in on a checking line.
McCann - Hischier - Svechnikov
Svechnikov didn't blow anybody away in preseason but he finished his late season audition for Vancouver playing at a 40 point pace so he gets the benefit of the doubt and will start in the opening lineup and also get icetime in PP2. With Koivu moving up to line 3 it opened up the 4C spot for Hischier who showed too much to send him back to junior but not enough to immediately claim a top 9 role.
Extra Forwards: Hartikainen, Noesen
Noesen outplayed Anderson and will probably be the first forward to be rotated into the lineup but didn't do enough to stake his claim on the third line spot he held down much of last season. Hartikainen brings a lot of versatility and was kept around for his utility.
Sergachev - C. Tanev
Mikhail Sergachev was expected to get some preseason games then go back to junior for another year but he really went out and took the bull by the horns in preseason and left coaches no choice but to keep him around. He will start the season on the first pairing and see if he can continue his preseason success into the meaningful games coming up.
Pouliot - McAvoy
Derrick Pouliot will quarterback to top powerplay unit as well and Bylsma will be expecting consistent production from him. McAvoy has been pencilled into this second pairing role since he signed this summer and only regular season games will show if he's truly as ready as he's looked.
Vlasic - Andersson
Vlasic signed a significant contract for three years, and Linden probably was envisioning him as more than a third pairing defenseman but for now that's where he sits because of the revelation that has been Sergachev. If Sergachev or Pouliot falter expect him to move up into the top four. Rasmus Andersson did enough in the preseason to earn an opening day spot and also a spot on PP2 alongside Sergachev. If he struggles in the regular season expect to see him moved back down to Utica rather than waste away in a press box.
7th Defenseman: Hamhuis
Nobody predicted the veteran would be starting the year in the press box but the shuffling around that happened when Sergachev announced himself as a legitimate top four defenseman in the preseason left Hamhuis the odd man out on the left side. He should rotate in quite regularly and should injuries strike or younger blueliners struggle and be sent down he will quickly find himself back in the mix on a nightly basis. He simply wasn't as good as the others all preseason and Dan Bylsma is trying hard to instill a culture of effort and earning your icetime no matter who you are. Dan has taken his opening night benching in stride for his part, carrying himself, at least publically, with a humble team first attitude.
Markstrom
Bylsma will ask his star number one goalie for more consistency than last year. "Marky" won't have veteran Greiss to lean on this time around and it's time for him to take full ownership of the crease and his play in it. He is a critical piece for this core and how he goes will be largely how the Canucks season goes.
DeSmith
Anthony Stolarz had an excellent preseason and almost stole the backup job from DeSmith but Stolarz and Demko will share the net in Utica to develop while the older DeSmith gets his first full time NHL backup gig.
Predictions: Vancouver will miss the playoffs again, but only by a slim margin, finding themselves again in the "mushy middle" so despised by fans but perhaps showing enough improvement to earn Linden the leeway to see out the final year of his contract in 18-19. The Sedins will continue their decline and by the end of the year will be on the verge of closing their Vancouver careers how they started, playing in the bottom six and getting PP2 minutes. Sergachev and Hischier will both prove to be the real deal and Hischier will be playing in the top six by the end of the year. Tyler Bertuzzi will break out and score twenty goals, mostly with the Sedins.