GRANLUND COULD FIND FIT ALONGSIDE SEDINS
Forward’s ‘complete’ skill set praised after excellent 2016-17 campaign
Markus Granlund remembers the game, his 10 shot attempts and a failed bid to hit the 20-goal plateau.
“I tried to get it,” the versatile Vancouver Canucks forward recalled Wednesday of a 2-0 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers on March 18. “Hopefully this season.”
What he didn’t mention was that ligaments in his heavily taped left wrist were so strained — they started bugging him after 10 games — he required surgery two days after the Oilers outing.
That’s Granlund. He’s loath to talk about himself. Even when he was the right fit with Henrik and Daniel Sedin last season and slotted at centre in this NHL training camp, he doesn’t have much to say. He’s no quote machine, but he’s a heck of a player.
“He plays through injuries and sometimes we don’t even know about it most of the year,” said winger Sven Baertschi. “He would tape the wrist once in a while, but he just went out and played. He hides it real well because he just wants to compete.”
What Granlund can’t hide is his versatility and the options he presents Canucks coach Travis Green.
While he’ll centre Baertschi and Brock Boeser tonight against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena, it’s not a stretch to suggest it’s just a matter of time before Granlund and the Sedins become a thing again.
Read what you want into a Loui Eriksson sighting with the twins Wednesday — or that Sam Gagner and even Nikolay Goldobin spent some time on the right side with the Swedes — because Granlund is the safety valve, go-to move.
“I’d like to have a set winger — a winger who plays really good with them — and if he scores a lot of goals I could make it more permanent,” said Green. “If we find it by next week, we do have one, but I suspect the lines are going to change a lot. And I don’t mind changing lines because I like to have pairs.
“Granlund has played well in the middle and he might play centre some nights and wing some nights and we’ll definitely see him back with the Sedins at some point.” That shouldn’t surprise anybody. Granlund had a career-high 19 goals and 13 assists in 69 games last season and methodically moved up the lineup with a heightened compete level and underrated ability to release a quick wrist shot and get to the net.
The 24-year-old Finn became one of the poster boys for perseverance because he could have been shut down much earlier with the bad wrist. And to play that well with the ailment — including two goals against the Boston Bruins on March 13 — only solidified his worth with the Sedins.
Why did it work?
“That’s a good question — I don’t know,” Granlund said with a shrug. “I just work hard and try to get pucks to them so they can work their game and play better. They can play with whoever and it’s easy to play with them. They’re obviously great players and it would be nice to play with them.”
Playing with the Sedins is actually difficult. Green obviously wants a winger who can bring an offensive element to a club that was ranked 29th offensively last season with 2.17 goals per outing. But who is going to do the dirty work in the corners? And who is going to be the first on the backcheck? That’s where Granlund has a leg up.
“He’s one of the most underrated players on our team, if not the league,” said centre Bo Horvat. “He’s good defensively and scored 19 goals with a bum wrist. He’s not the flashiest player, but he gets the job done. And he does all the little things right.
“He thinks the same way (as the Sedins). Hank and Danny like to play below the goal-line and work hard and they’re patient with the puck. He fits and he likes to work the corners.”
Run all this by Granlund and you get another shrug of the shoulders about where he is and should be playing.
“I don’t want to think about that,” added Granlund, who has two pre-season goals. “I’m playing centre right now and I’m happy about that, but we’ll see what happens. The wrist is good. It’s 100 per cent and it’s been good on the ice and I know I can play with it.”
Maybe Daniel Sedin put it best about Granlund.
“Playing with him is going to be an option all year and it’s good to know you have a guy who we worked really well with last year,” said the winger. “What I like about him is that there’s no complaining — he just comes to the rink every day and works hard.
“He’s a complete player and I hope people see that.”
He’s one of the most underrated players on our team, if not the league. He’s good defensively and scored 19 goals with a bum wrist.