FORWARD THINKING COM-BOS
Vancouver roster for the season opener is set, but we still don’t know who is playing where
Who’s going to be on the Sedins’ line? Can Horvat play as well as he’s being paid? Can the kids stick and make a difference? We look at the big questions facing the Canucks up front as a new season nears
Jake Virtanen is in and so is Brock Boeser. The pair made the NHL team after the Vancouver Canucks set their opening night roster Tuesday, assigning Darren Archibald to the Utica Comets.
The regular season opens Saturday, and what follows are of the five biggest questions facing the team’s forwards:
1 Who should play with the Sedins?
Daniel Sedin was noticeably exasperated by this question. To be honest, so was I. For nearly two decades it’s been asked. Who fits best with the Sedins?
“We’ve talked about this for 17 years now,” Daniel said.
It’s never been a life and death question. But it’s mostly felt that way. For much of the millennium, the issue has been tied like a constrictor knot to the Canucks’ successes and failures.
As the Sedins go, so go the Canucks.
Yeah, those days are winding down. This should probably be the last October the subject is even necessary.
It has seemed for a while Vancouver collectively decided Markus Granlund is next-man-up heading into Saturday’s opener. New head coach Travis Green apparently has other plans.
“I think they want (Granlund) as a centreman this year,” Daniel revealed.
Green admitted later that’s exactly what he wants, though he acknowledged it could change.
Well, this changes things. Truth is, Granlund with the Sedins wasn’t nearly as effective as Vancouver’s memory of it. The trio were on the ice for 20 evenstrength goals. Thirteen of them were scored by opponents. This is not great.
The underlying possession data suggests the Sedins were better controlling play with Granlund but not as good as they were with Loui Eriksson. Surprised?