Canucks skate: Further lineup questions remain

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2022 training camp is over. Here are some further thoughts on what we saw.

Quinn Hughes says he’s comfortable playing on the right, and offensively he’s in a better position to fire hard shots toward the net because his stick orientation is coming from dead-centre in the ice, as opposed to being angled off the left. Photo by Jeff Vinnick /PNG

So what do we have here?

We know the forward group is at least more interesting than last year’s — last year’s Vancouver Canucks didn’t have a fast skater who had success scoring goals like Ilya Mikheyev, and they didn’t have a Russian in the lineup with an intriguing offensive sense like Andrey Kuzmenko — but is it any better?

And on defence, it’s the same group of players. Does changing Quinn Hughes’ alignment really change the flavour of the group at all?

That’s an interesting question about Hughes.

As he told reporters on Saturday, he’s comfortable playing on the right, and offensively he’d be in a better position to fire hard shots toward the net because his stick orientation is dead-centre in the ice as opposed to being angled off to the left.

Hughes could be a potent attacking threat.

He noted that playing on the right makes it easier for him defensively because his stick is in position against opponents attacking down the wings or if they try to cut back through the middle.

And playing him with Oliver Ekman-Larsson has the potential for them to be a dominant duo.

We’ll see how it plays out.

But that still leaves further lineup questions.

• Danny DeKayser didn’t set himself apart from the rest of the defencemen in camp here. It’s hard to see him graduating from a PTO, but stranger things have also happened.

• Tyler Myers is most likely just what he is, a defenceman who can do fun things on offence and whose defensive record is equal parts good and chaotic.

• Jack Rathbone has the talent to be an NHL defenceman. Will the Canucks ignore his stature and decide he’s good enough to give him a go? And if they do, will he be anything more than a competent defenceman?

• Luke Schenn is a competent, solid blueliner.

• What is Tucker Poolman? What we saw last year of him was in the same vein as Schenn, a competent blueliner, but a guy you have on your bottom pair, asked to just be steady.

Vancouver Canucks’ Andrey Kuzmenko in action during a pre-season skate in Burnaby on Aug. 29, 2022. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

The forwards

Mikheyev’s lighting speed is an asset. And he’s had success as a scorer, but he’s been criticized for not having many moves in his package that he uses to beat defenders and goalies. Perhaps playing with Elias Pettersson makes the point moot.

And what about Kuzmenko? He has an electric shot, but has his hands on his knees a lot, catching his breath. Without a baseline, it’s difficult to know if that’s just how he catches his breath or if he was more tired than others.

Kuzmenko said Thursday he’s excited about how close the nets are to the corners in the NHL, and that winning a puck battle means you’re in a scoring position quicker than in the KHL.

The style of play demands a lot of explosiveness and it’s taxing. Perhaps all we’re seeing from Kuzmenko is someone who’s getting used to different demands.

A streak dies

Shout-out to Redditor “Sarcastic,” who has been keeping track of a unique record, how long the Vancouver Canucks have gone with a former Florida Panther draft pick on the roster.

As it stands, it looks like the Canucks will start the season in position to have the record end at 23 seasons.

There are no ex-Panthers picks on the NHL roster or in the system.

Brady Keeper played for the Panthers, but wasn’t a draft pick.

Two seasons ago, the streak was under threat after Jacob Markstrom left the team. But the signing of Jayce Hawryluk kept things going and then the trade on the eve of the 2021-22’s season’s opening of Olli Juolevi brought Juho Lammikko to Vancouver and the streak carried on.

But Lammikko is now in Switzerland and the Canucks are again Panther-less.

A Return to Penticton?

Jim Rutherford is a big fan of Penticton.

He’d never been there before, he told me, but was impressed by the place and the facility at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

It’s easy to see him wanting to see the Young Stars tournament carry on for years to come.

You even wonder if he’d like to have training camp there.

Hockey Canada

Rutherford was asked earlier this week for his reaction to the Hockey Canada sexual abuse allegations.

“It’s very disappointing. And I’m not going to comment on it because I don’t have enough information to comment on it. But you know, as we go through life, we put a lot of trust in certain institutions and certain people and when something comes out that goes a different way than what you think that trust is, first it’s hard to believe and then like I said, it’s hard to comment on because I don’t have enough information. But until all the information comes out. You know, you just wait and see.”

He has a teenage son, and said: “I care about people. I care obviously about my family and how my son is, how he’s growing up and you know what we’re teaching him, but I also care for other people. And when I hear something like this, it bothers me.”

Vancouver Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin. Photo by Bob Frid /USA TODAY Sports

Russian mobilization

This week’s grim news from Russia that Vladimir Putin is instituting a partial mobilization to expand the size of the Russian army and doubling down again on the invasion of Ukraine got many thinking that this might affect Russian hockey players. Lots of middle-class Russians are scrambling to get out of the country to avoid their military-aged sons from being called up.

The Canucks have three Russians, two of whom, Vasily Podkolzin and Kuzmenko, are in the age range for conscription. Ilya Mikheyev turns 28 in October.

Russian law mandates males between the ages of 18 and 27 must serve one year in the military, though there are exemptions such as registering as a student in university or getting special clearance as an athlete.

Dan Milstein, the agent for Kuzmenko and Mikheyev, was asked if he had any concerns but he didn’t respond.

NHL spokesperson Gary Meagher was cautious about whether the league has concerns about the mobilization. The league’s Russian players could be called up or may not be allowed to leave Russia if they to return to their homeland.

“We do not anticipate any issues with respect to the ability of all of our Russian players to compete in the NHL this season,” he said.

Neil MacFarlane, a professor at the University of Oxford and a specialist on Russian foreign policy, was asked how this might affect Russians playing in the NHL, specifically the Canucks’ trio.

“On your questions, the partial mobilization is unlikely to affect them in Vancouver. Moreover, the partial mobilization targets reservists, so they would have had to serve in the army to be eligible. In any event, if they have a lick of sense, they won’t return to Russia over the coming months. Not least because the mobilization may broaden,” he said.

“Have they avoided conscription to this point? If they have avoided it, that might have been through a sports exemption or a student exemption.”

650 rights

Will they ever be announced officially? Who knows. Is there a bigger sponsorship package on the table? Seems so.

Is there still wrangling going on over the final details?

That seems to be the case.

As reported earlier this week, 650 AM will air games this season, even if it still has yet to be officially be confirmed.

The station continues to carry on as if they have the radio rights this season as Sunday’s pre-season game from Rogers Arena will feature Brendan Batchelor on play by play.

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reference: theprovince.com