Blue-line injuries create opportunity
Biega, Wiercioch in line for extra ice time with after injuries to key defencemen
Alex Biega has always known why he’s here.
Patrick Wiercioch has always hoped he would end up in his hometown. And Jordan Subban must wonder if he’ll ever find a roster spot in Vancouver.
This is what happens when Alex Edler and Troy Stecher suffer knee injuries and the Canucks dip into back-end depth. It’s also what happens when the 29th-ranked power play continues to plod along and you wonder if Subban’s shot would make a difference. Or will onedimensional play keep him from being recalled?
Biega is the easiest to figure out. Serving as captain at Harvard, owning degrees in sociology and economics and a master’s of business administration in general finance have helped the 29-yearold ride the recall roller-coaster; so has mental preparation to knock off the rust, handle a dozen minutes and not be a liability.
“I’ve been pretty comfortable being uncomfortable,” Biega said Thursday before facing the Washington Capitals in just his third game of this NHL season.
“Over the years, I’d like to think I’ve established a reputation of elite preparation and the way I conduct myself. You leave it on the line if you’re in and treat it as a work day if you’re not.” Which is easier said than done. Biega has played 97 games at the NHL level the past five seasons — including a career-high 51 in 2015-16 — but handling today’s lightning-quick youth is the ultimate challenge. A stride late in positional play or chasing the game in your own zone is a ticket to the press box.
Add Biega’s history of four consecutive one-year, two-way contracts — he’s on the final year of a two-year, one-way extension that’s a US$750,000 cap hit — and he knows the psychological part of the game can weigh on any player as much as shutting down an opposition forward.
“It’s getting back to your foundation with what you’re comfortable
with, but I truly believe a lot of it is mental,” added Biega, who has a comfort factor in coach Travis Green’s system that gives defencemen the freedom to join the rush.
“I take pride in my readiness . ... I’m an avid reader with any information that could be useful.”
Wiercioch was recalled Monday after Stecher’s injury and he’ll play if others falter. That’s how Green operates.
The Burnaby native must improve his intensity and down-low presence with his six-foot-five, 202-pound frame to be a roster consideration and he steadily improved in three pre-season outings. And a one-year, one-way contract for the league minimum of $650,000 was palatable because of what Wiercioch endured the past two seasons.
He wasn’t qualified by the Colorado Avalanche after last season. He also fell out of favour with the Ottawa Senators after five seasons and is far removed from being a second-pairing staple with Cody Ceci in 2014-15. There were also scratches and indifferent play and he opted for the lowly Avalanche on a one-year, $800,000 deal.
But there was also a draw to play in Vancouver.
“I wanted to be prepared because this (sitting out) is not an easy situation,” said the 27-year-old leftshot blue-liner, who can also play the right side.
“But I welcome the opportunity. I’m trying to control what I can, my work habits, staying focused on the details and what has been preached here is team success.
“This is a fun system to adjust to. When you have a coach who has confidence on getting up in the play and not being on your heels, it’s a different mood.”
As for Subban, it’s no mystery why he remains with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets.
Green knows what the diminutive 22-year-old defenceman can do on the power play — 10 of his career-high 16 goals last season came with the man advantage — and that he also appeared in the AHL all-star game. His heavy and accurate point shot could help the Canucks, but his play without the puck remains dubious.
“In today’s game, it’s tough to call a guy up just because he’s a great penalty killer or great power-play guy,” said Green. “There’s so much more to the game. If you’re a good power-play guy, you’re probably a good 5-on-5 guy and you can play.
“It’s the stuff away from the puck — it has to be good. Like any defenceman down there (in the AHL), my first question is never going to be: ‘How is he managing the PP?’ I already know the answer with Subban on the PP.” OVERTIME: Winger Brendan Gaunce, who had left-shoulder labrum surgery in April, has been assigned to the Comets on a twoweek conditioning stint.