Canucks’ young forwards move into spotlight
WHISTLER — Unlike in past years, Canucks management has some interesting roster choices looming.
With a variety of pegs available to fit into just a few remaining holes in his forward group, it turns out Canucks head coach Travis Green is still debating what the shape of those holes will even be.
“It’s going to vary,” Green said of what he’s looking at over the coming weeks when considering who the final two or three names will be for his opening night roster. “Obviously it’s going to be performance … and how our lines set up.”
And then he put out a simple challenge.
“Play well, you’ll get an opportunity.”
Yes, it seems a bit over the top to consider who the 12th and 13th forwards — or perhaps 14th — might be on a team that’s just looking to improve on a 73-point season. But those final roster spots are directly tied into other, bigger roster questions.
Like, what happens if Elias Pettersson isn’t ready to play centre at the NHL level? Does that leave the door open for Adam Gaudette? Or Brendan Gaunce?
Gaunce, who did score four times last year after coming back from shoulder surgery, hasn’t been known for lighting the lamp over the three seasons he’s seen NHL action. He knows he’s in a battle to make Green’s NHL list.
“I’m confident as I can be,” he said. “Last summer I didn’t get to train so this summer I was pretty excited to be able to train and come into camp at full health.” His focus is singular. “As you go through more training camps you try not to talk to as many people, not be friends with everyone. You are friends but you’re battling for jobs and you’re here for a reason,” he said.
For what’s likely to be one spot, add Darren Archibald, Reid Boucher, Jonathan Dahlen, Nikolay Goldobin, Tanner Kero, Brendan Leipsic and Tyler Motte to the mix with Gaudette and Gaunce. (Like Gaudette, both Dahlen and Motte don’t need to clear waivers to be assigned to the American Hockey League.)
That’s quite the varied skill set in that list, ranging from the crash-bang Archibald to the silky skills of Goldobin and Leipsic.
Archibald, for his part, after finally getting back into NHL action last season after four seasons on the outside, isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Learned a lot about myself the last couple years. Battled through a couple [of] injuries, so to be able to stick with it and stick with my dream, to get back here [the NHL] was something special,” he said.
Archibald was a final camp cut a year ago. He was on an AHL contract then but was a known commodity for Green, who coached him for four seasons with Utica.
Archibald knows he has to be a reliable penalty killer and be willing to get in hard on the forecheck.
“Make my presence felt,” he said in proverbial fashion. “And doing the little things right, that makes a difference.”
One advantage both Gaudette and Gaunce have over the others is their ability to play centre. In his first season behind the Canucks bench, Green showed a preference to keep a centre as his extra forward in the press box.
Kero, who the Blackhawks had centring Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane for a time, has that in his favour, too.