Canucks look to minors for D-help
Del Zotto trade, Pouliot’s struggles, Juolevi’s injury push Benning to consider AHL for answers
The Vancouver Canucks’ defensive struggles of late go beyond just the sextet they’ve been putting on the ice — the breakout struggles Wednesday against Carolina, for instance, were also about how the forwards adapted to the pressure the defencemen were under — but in the big picture, it is important to note the struggles of Derrick Pouliot in particular.
With the departure of Michael Del Zotto, the leftside defenceman currently has no competition for playing time.
Of course, the plan had been for Olli Juolevi to come up in the second half of the season and get a first look at NHL competition, but his knee injury earlier this season — one that’s put him out of action for six months — put an end to that plan.
Pouliot was signed to a oneyear, show-me contract last summer, but this season hasn’t gone well for him. His struggles were so bad in Wednesday’s second period that he was benched for a spell.
It’s fair to assume he won’t be back in the off-season, given that Juolevi will be looking for playing time and Quinn Hughes is likely to arrive as well.
Hughes’ time with the University of Michigan could come to an end as soon as mid-March. The Canucks are surely going to push hard to sign him and give him some games to close out the season, if the Wolverines’ season ends in time.
But before that, bet on a younger defenceman or two getting their own inspection in the NHL.
“I’d like to get a look at those guys,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said this week, referring to Ashton Sautner, Guillaume Brisebois and (right-sided defenceman) Jalen Chatfield.
“Sautner played games for us last year and I thought did well,” he said. “Brisebois has been playing real good (in Utica), he’s getting 21, 22 minutes per night. And Chatfield was playing well before he got hurt.”
Both Sautner and Chatfield have been dealing with injuries but are expected back in action soon.
To get another player in the lineup will require another roster move, as the Canucks currently have a healthy roster of 23 players. Alex Biega is the seventh defenceman, but has played only 14 games this season.
If there is an injury on the right side, he’s likely to get in the lineup, but Chatfield also could be a factor in the mix. Veteran Luke Schenn, acquired in the Del Zotto trade with Anaheim, could conceivably get a look on the right, although the plan for now, apparently, is to keep him in Utica.
To get either Sautner — who played five games last season for the Canucks — or Brisebois, who was called up earlier in the season but saw no action, into the lineup would require an injury to the current 23 or trading or waiving another player.
A trade of Alex Edler would open up a spot, for instance.
As much as the Canucks have wanted Pouliot to succeed, you have to wonder if they’d consider waiving him just to have a look at Sautner or Brisebois?
The other option on the left side would be Evan McEneny, who has had a strong season after missing most of last year after suffering a knee surgery.
He has six goals and 17 assists in 43 games with the Comets, while quarterbacking the first power-play unit.
But despite his strong play, Benning indicated McEneny isn’t likely to see time with the Canucks this season.
“He’s more of a depth guy at this point,” he said.
Benning hasn’t been to Utica to watch a game this season, but was planning to sneak in a visit in early February, when the Canucks are also going to be on an eastern road trip.
Sautner played games for us last year and ... did well. Brisebois has been playing real good.” Jim Benning on AHL options