Canucks look for Leipsic to take ‘next step’ in roster-spot battle
Is jersey No. 9 a winning roster roulette bet?
It could be for Brendan Leipsic. The Vancouver Canucks passed on making a play for the 26-yearold Jeff Skinner — the bonafide first-line, left-winger was dealt by Carolina to Buffalo two weeks ago for a prospect and three draft picks — because general manager Jim Benning is not only playing the incentive game from within, he also holds the trump card.
“This is kind of the breaking point for some of these guys,” he said of Nikolay Goldobin, 22, and Leipsic, 24. “They have to take the next step.” The next step in the Canucks’ retool or rebuild or rethink, is to stay in step with the NHL. If starting Elias Pettersson at centre is more than a camp curiosity, the Swedish Hockey League’s regular season and playoff most valuable player will need second-line support. He could be flanked by Sven Baertschi and Loui Eriksson and that would open a left-side spot with Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser.
That’s where Leipsic started last season and could make an impact this fall because he’s on an expiring contract and requires waivers if he can’t crack a bloated roster. Leipsic was acquired from Las Vegas on Feb. 26 for Philp Holm and immediately teased of potential with speed and smarts two nights later at Rogers Arena. He had seven shots in his debut during a 6-5 overtime loss to the New York Rangers. He would also frustrate Canucks coach Travis Green — his junior mentor in Portland — with poor puck decisions during a 5-3 homeice setback to San Jose on March 17 in which he failed to get to the point to properly block a key goal.
However, much like Derrick Pouliot — another Winterhawks junior schooled by Green who has yet to reach his potential — there is more intrigue than indifference in Leipsic.
He had three shots and nine attempts in that loss to the Sharks, including two late-game scoring chances. He logged a career-high 21:12 with seven regulars out of the lineup. He also got an earful from Green after failing to get the puck deep in the second period, which resulted in the Canucks getting pinned in their own zone.
“Sometimes you don’t make it on the scoresheet, even though you make some nice plays, but you’ve got to be reliable defensively,” Leipsic said at the time. “You want to be a reliable player, or you’re not going to last in the league too long.”
The Canucks will find it difficult to manufacture offence next season and that might be Leipsic’s ticket to stick. He had nine points (3-6) in 14 Canuck games after just 13 (2-11) in 44 games for the offensively stacked Golden Knights.
Leipsic had 54 AHL points (2034) with Toronto, but is far removed
from a CHL-leading 120 points (49-71) with Portland in 2012-13.
If Leipsic can channel some past scoring mojo — and some significant family sporting genes — the 5-10, 180-pound Winnipeg product could help boost the struggling Canucks.
Leipsic’s mother, Kathleen, represented Canada in gymnastics at the 1984 Olympics and his father, Greg, was a star high-school running back.
The Canucks were ranked 26th offensively and 29th in evenstrength scoring last season. The sting of losing 146 combined points from the retired Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and Thomas Vanek returning to Detroit in free agency, won’t be easily remedied.
The bottom line is Leipsic looked like a top-six player last season. He just has to prove it this fall.