Veterans aim to push way into lineup
White, Upshall want to provide grit and veteran savvy to Vancouver this season
Jack Skille authored the best precamp prediction last year when the well-travelled winger said he’d “chew through rope” to land a Vancouver Canucks roster spot via a professional tryout.
He didn’t have to eat his words. He made the club and played 55 games. That’s not lost on this year’s PTO hopefuls, Ryan White and Scottie Upshall.
With much uncertainty on how the fourth line will be comprised — Brendan Gaunce is sidelined until Nov. 1 following April shoulder surgery and Derek Dorsett was shut down in December after cervical fusion surgery to repair and strengthen disc generation — there could be openings at wing.
Jake Virtanen will get an opportunity to nail down a spot on the right side while Upshall may be a fit at left wing. White is capable of playing wherever needed.
White can bring a much needed grit element to a team that needs it, especially if Dorsett struggles. And if Upshall displays an ability to prop up the NHL’s 28th-ranked penalty kill, the duo will do more than push the pre-season pace.
Despite playing just 65 games last season, White was 30th in hits with 187 and also fought six times.
“I thought last year with Dorsett and (Erik) Gudbranson being hurt that this team was a little soft some nights and they’re looking for a little bit more grit,” the 29-year-old White said Tuesday on the eve of main camp opening at Rogers Arena. “They have a lot of depth at the forward position, but I’ll be pushing my way in there.”
White split last season between Arizona and Minnesota and recorded nine goals and seven assists. He played for Canucks assistant coach Newell Brown in the desert and was acquired by the Wild at the trade deadline because they coveted his physical presence down the stretch and into the playoffs.
With four stops on his NHL resume and 31 goals in 313 career games — including 11 goals and 101 penalty minutes with Philadelphia in 2015-16 — there’s a been there, done that bravado and even a throwback look that includes flowing locks and a missing tooth.
“You wind your way through the PTOs to see if it’s a real one or not, but with them giving one to Skille last year put an extra onus on coming here,” White said. “You hope for Derek to be healthy and able to compete, but my agent put me in a position here to succeed and even the way I play — and the way Scottie can play — it can take something off Derek in having to play that way all the time.
“Maybe help-by-committee, but injuries open the door and that’s the way this league works. There are no guarantees with a PTO but Travis (coach Green) told me there would be a spot if I earn it.”
White also knows he doesn’t have to step outside of his comfort zone in the pre-season. He just has to play as advertised.
“I’ve gotten over that in my career because when you try to do too much and get out of your element, you get into trouble,” he said.
“I don’t get the jitters. I’ve been around long enough to know what it takes to play in this league. There’s a lot of noise around camp and hoopla and it’s easy to get taken back a bit, but for me it’s just another day of work.” It’s also about knowing what works best for any team. “You have to have a fourth line that can play,” White said. “In the playoffs last year, they (St. Louis Blues) buried us into the ground. I’ve battled against Scottie and he’s always in the corners and battling — he’s a competitor.”
Upshall was a key cog in the Blues icing the thirdbest penalty kill last season and he also scored 10 goals. He’s 33 and it’s natural to wonder what’s left in the tank, but there’s an appealing element in his game and he possesses veteran savvy.
After all, Upshall made the Blues out of PTO two years ago and last season was on an effective fourth line that was deployed like a third line. He also played against the opposition’s top lines some nights.
“I had a good relationship with Hitch (coach Ken Hitchcock) and he said they needed depth and to be a piece of the puzzle and provide energy and be a good two-way player,” Upshall said. “I had my back up against the wall and took a look in the mirror and came prepared to play.
“PTOs are kind of the way of the west. And coming off two successful years in St. Louis and playing 28 playoffs games, that got us to the next level as a group and I hope to bring that into the room.
“We all understand they want to give the young guys a good look, but I’m here to push and play hard and I hope things work out.”