Canucks crowded up front
Battle for forward spots already expected to be heated following free-agent signings
A year ago, Scottie Upshall parlayed a professional tryout with the Vancouver Canucks into a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues.
This year, Upshall is rolling the PTO dice for the third time as a training camp addition with the Edmonton Oilers, who see the 34-year-old journeyman as a fourth-liner, penalty killer or extra forward.
The Canucks had two concerns last fall: Brendan Gaunce, who was sidelined until November after April shoulder surgery, and Derek Dorsett, who had to be shut down in December after cervical fusion surgery to repair and strengthen disc generation.
However, Dorsett would start the season on a shutdown line with Brandon Sutter and Markus Granlund and PTO hopefuls Upshall and Ryan White were deemed expendable.
The Canucks could travel the PTO road again next month — trotting out the annual competition mantra while looking to fill a hole — but they don’t need to.
They ’re far removed from grinding winger Jack Skille beating the PTO odds two years ago. He vowed to “chew through rope” to crack the roster and played 55 games.
The Canucks have plenty of competition from within and, as of Monday, aren’t considering PTOs for the Whistler camp. The July 1 free agent signings of bottomsix forwards Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller assured the normal area to look for help is now overflowing with commitments and candidates.
Four-year deals for Beagle and Roussel, and a two-year pact for Schaller, have set the bottom-six table.
Beagle will pocket US$3 million annually because of management’s belief in the long-term effectiveness of a centre who dipped to just 22 points (7-15) last season. He had a strong playoff presence with a 60.1 per cent faceoff efficiency and timely offensive contributions with the Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals, so maybe he’ll be called on to win draws in the defensive zone and aid a 21stranked penalty kill.
The Canucks will do backflips if Beagle can match his 2016-17 output of 30 points (13-17), but being responsible, good defensively and effective in special teams play is going to work for Canucks coach Travis Green.
“I feel like I have a lot more to give,” a hopeful Beagle said. “I wasn’t too happy with my point production, but I felt I played my most consistent hockey and I want to continue to build on that.”
That’s great, but the Canucks still can’t score. They were ranked 26th offensively, 18th at even strength and ninth on the power play. And they’re missing 146 combined points from the retired Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and Thomas Vanek, who joined Detroit as a free agent.
Opportunity has to knock for somebody. If you’re of the mind that Brendan Leipsic or Nikolay Goldobin might get a top-line look with Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser — and that Sven Baertschi and Loui Eriksson might be support bookends for super Swede Elias Pettersson — then Brandon Sutter could be between Roussel and Jake Virtanen on the third line.
That could leave Beagle with Schaller and either Markus Granlund or Sam Gagner. It would also mean figuring out whether to carry 13 or 14 forwards because, aside from the Leipsic-versus-Goldobin and Granlund-versus- Gagner debates, what about Hobey Baker Trophy winner Adam Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen?
Gaudette looked good in his fivegame debut last spring and Dahlen could easily be a ready-for-primetime surprise at camp after finishing second in Allsvenskan secondtier league scoring with 44 points (23-21) in 44 games with Timra.
Some scouts have suggested his superior release and 181-pound frame may be better suited for the NHL than countryman Pettersson.
The trickle-down effect leaves Brendan Gaunce, Reid Boucher, Tyler Motte, Darren Archibald and Tanner Kero on the outside looking in and only Motte is waivers exempt.
It means somebody will need a great eye-opening camp to crack the roster. It also means the Utica Comets could have a decent AHL team.